Our Surgical Services
Your Pet’s Surgery
We understand that surgery is not an easy experience for you and your pet. At Hillside Animal Hospital we strive to ensure your pet’s surgical procedure is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. To that end, we also endeavor to provide our clients with a clear understanding of why a particular procedure is necessary, what the procedure entails, proper post-operative care, and convey any other information you may need to feel comfortable that you are making the right choice for your pet.
Staffed by a team of highly trained veterinarians and experienced certified veterinary technicians, we are proud of the quality of surgical care we provide and the wide range of surgical procedures we offer. Beyond spay and neuter surgeries, Hillside Animal Hospital performs an array of orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries.
Doctors Spencer, Houge and Chrouser perform the bulk of our surgeries with each handling his or her respective area of expertise, though they are all capable of performing many of the same procedures including perineal urethrostomy, abdominal exploratory surgeries for tumor removal, intestinal foreign body removal, gastric dilatation and torsion repair, feeding tube placement, some fracture repairs, femoral head ostectomies, lateral ear resections and major tooth extractions.
For some highly complicated procedures we work with Doctor Steve Timm, a surgical specialist who will come to our hospital to perform the procedure.
Anesthesia & Monitoring
Anesthesia and cardiovascular monitoring are important, integral aspects of every surgery we perform. For this reason, your pet has access to the best and most advanced anesthetic administration and cardiovascular monitoring equipment and protocols.
All surgical patients begin with a complete physical examination and blood panel to rule out the existence of any additional or underlying issues that may increase the risks of anesthesia or the surgery as planned. Each patient will receive a subsequent full examination just prior to anesthesia, which also allows us to personalize the anesthesia protocol based on your pet’s health, breed, size, and type of surgery.
During surgery and anesthesia, your pet is constantly monitored by a trained veterinary technician, using our advanced monitoring system. This system continuously monitors your pet’s arterial oxygen level, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and core body temperature. We also apply IV heat therapy to ensure a safe body temperature is maintained throughout the procedure.
Pain Management
Planned pain management is part of every surgical procedure prior to, during, and after each procedure. All hospitalized patients are monitored for pain. We have many options that can be tailored to keep all patients comfortable.
At discharge, we may send additional pain management medication home with you and your pet after providing a thorough explanation of its proper use and dosage.
Preoperative Care
Our certified veterinary technicians call at regular intervals once our patients go home to ensure they are recovering properly and that the client's concerns are being addressed. One of our doctors is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address any complications or concerns that arise.
At Hillside Animal Hospital, our main concern is your pet's safety, comfort, and the best possible outcome from the surgical procedure. Every patient that requires anesthesia receives the following care:
- A pre-operative blood chemistry panel is performed to assure that there are adequate blood sugar and protein levels for post surgical recovery and healing. It also checks kidney and liver function to ensure these organs are functioning normally to safely metabolize anesthetics.
- A pre-operative CBC (complete blood count) is performed on every patient. The red blood cell count assures that there are an adequate number of red cells to carry oxygen. The white blood cell count and differential assures that there are no signs of infection or inflammation.
- All cats receive a pre-operative EKG (electrocardiogram) to aid in preventing and reducing the risk of anesthesia for cats with underlying heart disease.
- An IV catheter is placed in every patient that is going to be anesthetized to allow for rapid administration of fluids and medication. A small area is shaved to ensure proper visibility of the catheter placement. IV fluids are administered during and after the procedure to aid in maintaining blood pressure and fluid volume.
- Pre-operative pain medications are administered to reduce the depth of anesthesia required for many procedures and to make recovery more comfortable.
- All patients have an endotracheal tube placed to aid in air exchange and the inhalation of gas anesthesia. Occasionally there is some tracheal irritation with the tube placement. If you notice excessive coughing at home please let us know.
- Gas anesthesia is used for the rapid control of the patient’s anesthetic depth and for rapid post surgical recovery.
- A Certified Veterinary Technician monitors every patient from the time it is anesthetized until they are fully recovered. During post surgical recovery, the patient’s body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate are monitored very closely. We use warm IV fluids and a warm water pad to aid in rapid recovery.
- Post operative pain management is provided and tailored to each patient’s needs. Pain medication will be sent home in most cases to help them feel better and recover more quickly.
- Please do not feed your pet after 10:00pm the night before the scheduled surgery; water is okay.
At the time of your discharge appointment after surgery, your technician will go over post-operative instructions. Should any questions arise after you leave, our doctors and staff are available to answer any questions you may have simply by calling us at 608-788-3425.
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