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SURGERY

We believe surgical procedures performed on your pet are as serious as those performed on humans. Any time a pet is administered anesthesia and undergoes surgery, our staff abides by strict protocols to ensure that stress and discomfort are minimized and your pet’s safety is assured before, during and after the procedure. The following are brief yet through descriptions of our surgical protocols and how they benefit your pet.

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Exam: We require each pet to have a pre-op exam prior to the surgery. The doctor needs to access your pets’ health and ensure that your pet can undergo the procedures. At this time we need your pets’ vaccine history, ALL pets having a procedure done must be current with his/her vaccines. For dogs this means the DHPP, Bordetella and Rabies vaccines must be current. For cats, they must have the FVRCP and Rabies vaccines.

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Pre-Anesthetic Blood Panel: We require mandatory blood tests for all our surgical patients prior to general anesthesia administration. Our in-house laboratory can provide us with blood panel results before surgery begins and allows our staff ample time to notify pet owners of any blood abnormalities before anesthesia and surgery is performed. These pre-anesthetic panels can provide vital information about a pet’s liver, kidney, blood sugar levels, red blood cell count and platelets. These results allow our staff to tailor your pet’s pain management treatment and anesthetics accordingly.

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IV Catheter and Fluids: All surgical patients receive an intravenous catheter to enable our doctor and staff to administer medications more comfortably and allow easy access to a vein should an emergency arise during surgery. Every patient receives IV fluids during surgical procedures to maintain blood pressure and proper blood flow through the kidneys, as well as to replenish normal fluid loss during anesthesia.

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Anesthesia: Based on the individual needs of each patient, our doctor chooses from a number of sedatives, local and/or general anesthetics and pain management medications to make certain that the surgery is performed safely and the patient remains comfortable during and after the procedure.

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Surgical Monitoring: All patients under anesthesia are monitored with an ECG, blood pressure, pulse oximeter (measures oxygen saturation in the blood) and respiratory monitor. All surgeries are performed on a heated surgery table and after the procedure our staff ensures that your pet remains warm and comfortable in our recovery area. Throughout the entire surgical process, a surgical assistant monitors and records the patient’s vital signs and remains with your pet until fully recovered.

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Pain Management: Proper pain management involves not only anesthesia, but also a variety of additional medications given to relieve the pain associated with surgery. Based on your pet’s individual profile, our doctor chooses the safest and most effective pain medications to ensure pain and discomfort are minimized during and after surgery.

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GASTROPEXY: A procedure to take a portion of an animal’s stomach and suture it to the inner wall of the abdomen. This prevents a condition referred to as GDV (gastric dilation and volvulus); also known as “bloat or stomach flipping”. This is recommended for all dogs 40lbs and up. We can perform this surgery at any time. However, it is recommended to have it done when they are spayed and neutered.

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PATELLA LUXATIONS: Small breeds (Yorkies, Miniature Poodles, Shihtzus, Cavalier King Charles, Maltese, etc.) are predisposed to have problems with their knee cap (or patella). This is a common malformation of their rear knee joint that they are born with. It allows the patella to move freely in and out of position which inflicts pain. We grade patella luxations 1-4. Any dog with a Grade 3 or Grade 4 needs to have surgical correction of their knee.

 

ACL TEAR: Just like humans, dogs and cats can often tear their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) which is located in their knee joint. This can happened during times of rough play or just running around. Often the animal will hold up the leg as if in pain and become reluctant to bear weight. Unfortunately, when this happens it becomes a surgical condition.

 

SOFT PALATE/NARES REDUCTION: Short faced dogs (Pugs, Boxers, Bulldogs, Shihtzus, Boston Terriers, etc) often have a breed predisposition for respiratory or breathing problems. Often their nostrils are too narrow to allow air to flow through. Another common condition is an elongated soft palate (the soft palate is a part of their normal anatomy.) However with those breeds, it is too long and can trap their airway which causes respiratory difficulty. We can surgically correct both of these conditions to help your pet have a better quality of life.

 

Please do not hesitate to 864.234.4600 if you have any questions related to any of our surgical services

Procedures

THE HOSPITAL

111 Ebenezer Rd

Greer, SC 29651

Email: staff@rockycreekvet.com

Tel:  864.234.4600

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Veterinary Services

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Mon-Fri: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Sat: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

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