Surgery

We have a fully equipped surgical theatre and a dedicated surgical team.

Surgical cases (those needing operations) include pets suffering from trauma, from cuts and lacerations to road accidents, who may need emergency surgery performed in life threatening circumstances, fracture fixation, removal of foreign bodies e.g. from the bowel, treatment for cancer, and other diseases affecting the ear, nose, throat, chest or abdomen. 

During the consultation, the vet will take a history of the problem, when it occurs and what it relates to as well as performing a thorough clinical examination of your pet. This will enable the vet to assess the problem and the animal's overall health status. Careful manipulation of all limbs in lameness cases will reveal the source of pain and indicate the joints and bones which require further investigation.

Before undertaking any surgical procedure, the vet will discuss with you likely costs involved and possible outcomes. It may be necessary to perform diagnostic techniques such as blood tests, biopsies, X-rays, ultrasound scans and endoscopy to arrive at a diagnosis before planning the surgical procedure. The general anaesthetic techniques that we use are identical to those used in medical hospitals, and anaesthesia is monitored closely throughout the operation by our trained veterinary nurses. Our ward nurses then care for the patients as they recover and ensure they are comfortable and pain free.

Orthopaedic surgery at the hospital uses state of the art equipment for internal or external fixation and can range from simple fracture fixation to complex reconstructions in animals involved in severe trauma. A very common orthopaedic condition in the dog is cruciate ligament rupture.

Oncology, or treatment for cancer, usually involves surgical removal of the tumour and reconstruction of the defect. This may be coupled with chemotherapy depending on the type of tumour. Our surgeons have carried out cancer curative surgery on most parts of the body, including kidney, lung and liver.

After your pet’s surgery he will receive the best standard of care. All patients will go into heated kennels with supplemental oxygen if required postoperatively, where they will be looked after by our dedicated ward team.