Dog and Cat Surgery

Dog and cat surgery is a vital aspect of any animal hospital activities. Modern veterinary surgery is done under conditions designed to minimize the chances of bacterial contamination. Instruments, gowns, towels and other items such as scalpels and clamps are sterilized in an autoclave at 270 degrees and under pressure for various lengths of time to kill any microorganisms. As well, the surgeon scrubs hands and wears sterilized rubber surgical gloves and wears a gown if the surgery is more than a minor procedure. By adhering to sterile surgical techniques, postoperative infections are seldom encountered.

After any surgical procedure the pet’s owner is given a thorough description of what the surgeon accomplished and what is now expected of the pet owner in terms of post-operative home care.  Sometimes that can be a bigger challenge than the surgery! How do you make a happy and carefree dog “take it easy” for ten days? How do you make a cat not jump off the back of the couch? Nevertheless, aftercare is vital to the healing process.