Veterinary Surgery

For pets suffering from ear, nose, and throat disorders, we offer soft tissue surgical procedures.

These procedures are also available for hepatic, urogenital, cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders. 

When we spay or neuter a cat or dog, we surgically sterilize them to prevent disease and provide them with an extended life expectancy. 

If your pet is experiencing pain, redness, or other symptoms in or around their eyes, they may need ocular surgery.

Common ocular procedures for cats and dogs include eyelid tumor removal, cataract surgery, ectropion surgery, entropion surgery, exenteration of the orbit, and cherry eye surgery.

If your cat or dog requires surgery, our veterinarians will refer you to a pet surgeon near Pflugerville and will work closely with your animal surgeon to ensure that your pet receives the best possible care.

Cats and dogs can develop masses associated with the skin. Masses can also grow inside a body cavity and can be serious or life-threatening.

Mass removal surgery is a fairly common procedure for both cats and dogs.

Sometimes, foreign objects are ingested or can get stuck inside a cat's or dog's body.

Whether your pet has eaten an object they shouldn't have or an accident has left them injured, we can perform foreign body surgery to remove it.

Pet surgery may necessitate the use of specialized skills or equipment in some cases. If this is the case with your animal, your veterinarian will refer you to a cat or dog surgeon near Pflugerville and collaborate with your veterinary surgeon to ensure that your dog or cat receives the best care possible.

Wounds occur when living tissue has been cut, broken, burnt, torn, or otherwise damaged.

It's imperative that these wounds be cleaned, disinfected, and appropriately cared for by a qualified veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Orthopedic surgery treats injuries and diseases of your pet's bones, ligaments, joints, tendons, and other skeletal structures. If your dog or cat has a condition or injury that necessitates advanced specialized care, your vet will refer your pet to a veterinarian near Pflugerville.

Our veterinarians provide dental surgeries for dogs and cats. These surgeries can range from tooth extractions to gum disease treatment and jaw fracture repairs.

Most cats do quite well after neuter surgery. If yours does not, please call and let us know what is going on. There should be no sickness, he should feel good, he should eat well, and his incisions should not be red, swollen, or oozing. Problems would include vomiting, lethargy, poor appetite, or leaking or oozing from the incision. If there are any problems, please call and let us know.

Most cats go home on pain medication. Buprenorphine or Onsior is a pain medication that is given orally.

There is no need to restrict your cat's exercise. However, it is a good idea to keep him confined for a few days so you can be sure to give the pain medication.

At least once a day look at his incision. Make sure he is not chewing or licking it. The incisions should be dry and clean. Do not put anything on the incisions. I do not recommend cleaning them, as that can slow down healing. No bathing for two weeks.

There are no stitches.

Most cats do quite well after spay surgery. If yours does not, please call and let us know what is going on. There should be no vomiting, she should feel good, she should eat well, and her incision should not be red, swollen, or oozing. If she vomits, does not seem to feel good, does not eat well, or has problems with her incision, please call and let us know.

Most cats go home on pain medication. Buprenorphine or Onsior is a liquid pain medication that is given orally.

It is important to restrict her activity for the first week. For most cats, it is best to simply confine them to inside the house for one week.

At least once a day look at her incision. Make sure she is not chewing or licking it. The incision should not appear red or infected. It should be dry and clean. Do not put anything on the incision. I do not recommend cleaning it, either, as that can slow down healing. No bathing until the sutures are removed.

The stitches will need to be removed in 2 weeks. This is a free visit, but we do ask that you call ahead and schedule an appointment.

Most dogs do quite well after neuter surgery. If yours does not, please call and let us know what is going on. There should be no vomiting, he should feel good, he should eat well, and his incision should not be red, swollen, or oozing. Occasionally there will be some swelling in the scrotum, and it may even look like the testicles have not been removed. Rest assured that they have. This swelling, while not something we want to have to happen, generally resolves itself without any major problems. Problems would include vomiting, lethargy, poor appetite, or leaking or oozing from the incision. If there are any problems, please call and let us know.

Several pain medications may be prescribed. Read and follow the label directions carefully, and call if you have any questions regarding your dog's pain medication.

Exercise restriction is important for the first week. Moderate exercise is good, but we recommend that you avoid strenuous activity. It is best not to let him run free. A kennel, garage, or inside works well.

At least once a day look at his incision. Make sure he is not chewing or licking it. The incision should not appear red or infected. It should be dry and clean. Do not put anything on the incision. I do not recommend cleaning it, either, as that can slow down healing. No bathing until the sutures are removed, and no swimming until two weeks after surgery.

The stitches will need to be removed in 2 weeks. This is a free visit, but we do ask that you call ahead and schedule an appointment. If your dogs’ sutures were buried deep to the skin, there will be no sutures to remove as they will dissolve on their own.

Most dogs do quite well after spay surgery. If yours does not, please call and let us know what is going on. There should be no vomiting, she should feel good, she should eat well, and her incision should not be red, swollen, or oozing. If she vomits, does not seem to feel good, does not eat well, or has problems with her incision, please call and let us know.

There are several pain medications that may be prescribed. Read and follow the label directions carefully, and call if you have any questions regarding your dog's pain medication.

It is important to restrict her activity for the first week. The rules are: no running, no jumping, no rough playing, and only a few stairs. Going up the back steps is OK, coming up from the basement is not. It is best not to let her run free. A kennel, air-conditioned garage, or inside works well. If your dog is too active, she will develop swelling at the incision site. Most of the time this is not a huge problem, but it is vital to differentiate the harmless swelling from more serious complications. If your dog develops swelling, please call and schedule a time to let us have a look. There is no charge for this kind of post-op exam.

At least once a day look at her incision. Make sure she is not chewing or licking it. The incision should not appear red or infected. It should be dry and clean. Do not put anything on the incision. I do not recommend cleaning it, either, as that can slow down healing. No bathing until the sutures are removed, and no swimming until two weeks after surgery.

The stitches will need to be removed in 2 weeks. This is a free visit, but we do ask that you call ahead and schedule an appointment. If your dogs’ sutures were buried deep to the skin, there will be no sutures to remove as they will dissolve on their own.

Probably the most common bit of oral surgery done in humans is wisdom tooth removal. I mention this only because many of us can either remember having our wisdom teeth out or at least know somebody who has. For those of you who have not had wisdom teeth removed, and do not know somebody who has, let me just point out that most people find that wisdom tooth removal is not fun in the short run.

Although we do a good job of pain management, there is nonetheless a definite recovery period during which most patients experience some discomfort. This discomfort may be evidenced by drooling, poor appetite, lethargy, etc. If your patient seems quite uncomfortable, please let us know. We provide pain medication suitable to the patient and the procedure is done, and usually, this controls their pain well. However, each patient is different, and some may need more medication. Please contact us if you have concerns.

Your pet has stitches in his or her mouth. Veterinary dentists use sutures more than human dentists. The reason for this is that veterinary dentists often remove more teeth at a time than human dentists do, and our veterinary patients are not able to understand directions to not chew on the extraction side, and rinse four times a day with salt water.

The sutures will dissolve in time, and do not need to be removed. However, they do need to be protected. Opening your pet's mouth, or handling his or her lips can put tension on the sutures and may cause them to tear out. Please avoid the temptation of looking at our work for at least two weeks. When medicating your pet, liquid medications will be dispensed where possible. Poke the tip of the dropper or syringe gently into the mouth without handling the lips.

During the recovery period, it is important to feed only soft food. This is to protect the incision and sutures. If your pet has lost a lot of teeth, it may be necessary to feed only soft food from now on. However, we encourage soaking your pet's current dry dog food in water to allow it to soften rather than switching food sources as it can lead to digestive issues or food aversion in the future.

How to tell if there are problems during recovery: Since you won't be opening up your pet's mouth to look for problems, it can be hard to tell if things are going well during recovery. If your pet doesn't eat well after a few days, drools excessively, or if there is a bad odor coming from your pet's mouth, we need to examine things as soon as possible.