An Animal Hospital Serving Maryland

Veterinary Surgery encompasses several disciplines of human surgery, as well as having some that are completely unique to the veterinary clinic. The actual technology used may also be of the same quality and standards found in the two-legged world.

One such example is laser surgery. Yes, veterinary surgeons are performing state of the art procedures with this technology. Using an invisible beam of light from a CO2 laser, pet surgery specialists vaporize harmful tissue with ease. It does not tear, crush, contuse or bruise surrounding tissue. This type of operation may have been very complicated in the past. Today, it allows the vet hospital to offer a more gentle type of surgery, and at the same time, cutting back on the veterinary supplies called for when using the traditional methods.

Two Special Uses For Laser Surgery

The Laser Declaw is a new technique that veterinary specialists are turning to when the customer requires a more humane method to the highly painful traditional alternative.

The best application of this specialized surgery, in our opinion is th small animal/avian/exotic pets surgery. Operating on small mammals, birds and reptiles always carried substantial risk due to bloodloss. Blood loss equated to a very diminished lifespan. Small mammals just don't have any to spare. In steps the laser and, problem solved.

Lasers are precise and highly accurate, can be used to dissolve tissue as well as cauterize open incisions if need be. Mistakes do happen. This ensures minimum blood loss during and after surgery, a perfect end result for small animal procedures.

The laser has certainly earned its way in the animal surgery field. If you need to locate a veterinarian who practices laser techniques, a veterinary referral center may be a good place to start.

Some Other Animal Surgery Procedures Available to The Pet Owner

The spectrum of routine surgery procedures available to the modern emergency vet in particular and veterinary surgery in general are quite impressive.

• Spay and Neuter
• Traditional and Laser Declaw
• Microchipping
• Tendonectomy
• Umbilical hernia
• Dew claw removal
• Puppy surgery

Let's discuss spay and neuter very briefly.

Ovariohysterectomy (spaying), is a surgical procedure in which both ovaries and most of the uterus are removed. It is most commonly performed to prevent reproduction, and helps to control pet overpopulation. Frankly, responsible pet ownership dictates that you spay your pet as soon as possible after acquiring it.

Besides averting some serious behavioral issues, early spaying of dogs has been found to also reduce the development of mammary gland neoplasia significantly. This is a form of breast cancer.

Two Areas where surgery is Essential For Survivability

The first is orthopedic veterinary surgery. Many common procedures can be handled by veterinary surgeons as well as local vets. The American College Of Veterinary surgeons has an excellent reputation for graduating exceptional vet specialists quite capable of handling any of these procedures. Some examples are:

• Amputations
• Cruciate injuries
• Femoral head and neck ostectomy
• Patella luxations
• Intra medullary pins
• Fractures

Secondly, there is the area of general surgery where "routine" problems are handled. Routine may actually mitigate the procedure's impact on the quality of life they afford the recipients. There is no denying the intense pain abscesses may cause in humans. Animals also feel this pain. Then we have the non-glamorous anal gland removal, bladder stones, C-sections delivery and the infamous cherry eye. These are all things our pets suffer from on a daily basis. Luckily for us and for them, they are correctable.

As you might have imagined, vet surgery can be quite a bit more complicated than the usual spay and neuter performed by the local vets, or the eye eneucleation the 24 hour vet may be called upon to perform. In most, if not all cases, anesthesia may be required, further endangering your pet's life. The advantage you have today is substantial. The field of veterinary surgery has come a long way even in just the last decade.