Surgery

At OSSVH, we perform a wide range of basic and advanced surgical procedures for pets including:

Elective surgeries, such as spays and neuters.
Soft tissue surgery, including lump removal, docking dewclaw and tails, and ear surgery.
Abdominal surgery, including foreign body intestinal surgery, splenectomy, bladder surgery, and surgery for pyometra.
Dental procedures, such as dental cleaning, tooth extractions, and oral surgery.
Orthopedic surgery, including procedures to fix simple fractures, ruptured ligament surgery, and patella surgery. More complicated cases are referred to board-certified orthopedic surgeons.

Anesthesia and Patient Monitoring

Surgical risk and anesthetic risk are different. Some patients have a higher anesthetic risk due to their body size, age, or physical condition even though the surgical risk for a procedure may be minimal. In contrast, certain surgical and diagnostic procedures carry an increased anesthetic risk in all patients due to the nature of the procedure.

At OSSVH we use the safest anesthetic options available and provide thorough monitoring of all anesthetized pets. We have state-of-the-art anesthesia monitoring equipment and well-trained veterinary assistants to monitors your pet's heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level, and other vital signs while your pet is under anesthesia. Anesthetic protocols are tailored to optimize the anesthetic experience of each patient based on their individual risks and the surgical or dental procedure required. We will always make sure your pet recovers from surgery in a warm and comfortable way while being cared for by a compassionate, trained professional.

Pain Management

OSSVH is dedicated to keeping your pet as pain-free as possible before, during, and after all surgical and dental procedures. It is our goal to preempt pain, preventing discomfort before the body has a chance to recognize it. We obtain successful pain management by starting the process before, rather than after, your pet's procedure. We will be sure to send you and your pet home with adequate pain medication following any surgical procedure.

For those pets that experience chronic pain due to osteoarthritis, we have many pain management and physical therapy options that can help them live a higher quality of life. There are many safe and effective medications that may be prescribed. Pets that experience osteoarthritis should continue to have a controlled regimen of exercise to maintain muscle tone and strength. Alternative modalities such as acupuncture, laser therapy, massage, and chiropractic treatments may be beneficial to pets with chronic pain. We can make the appropriate recommendations based on your pet's needs.

Laser Therapy is an FDA-cleared modality that reduces inflammation and that results in pain reduction. Laser Therapy is effective in treating acute pain, chronic conditions, and post-operative pain. At OSSVH, we treat most elective surgical incisions with laser therapy to speed healing. We also find it very effective as an adjunct therapy for managing trauma, back pain and some forms of chronic osteoarthritis.

Please see the following links for more information on anesthesia and pain management:

I do not live close enough to OSSVH to use them as my regular vet office, but have been there many times for reproductive issues and would never go anywhere else for that. I have done 5 frozen semen breedings there and had 100% success.