Cat & Dog Surgery
We offer a variety of surgical procedures for Knightdale cats and dogs while following rigorous surgical protocols.
During each and every surgery, your pet will be observed by a dedicated nurse who will administer their anesthesia and monitor your pet's vitals using electronic patient monitoring equipment. Your pet will also be provided with pain medication.
Post-operative monitoring and making sure your pet is not feeling any pain is our number one priority after surgery. Your vet will also provide you with thorough home care instructions.
What to Expect from Pet Surgery
We will only recommend surgery if it's absolutely necessary and provide you with a detailed pre and post-operative care guide. We practice the highest standards of guidance and surgical protocols at our clinic.
Veterinary Surgical Procedures
At Smithfield Road Veterinary Hospital, PLLC, we perform medical and emergency surgeries to help treat disease and conditions in pets or to repair injuries sustained from trauma.
Our Knightdale vets routinely perform the following elective and non-elective pet surgeries:
- Soft Tissue Surgery
For pets suffering from ear, nose, and throat disorders, we offer soft tissue surgical procedures.
These procedures are also available for hepatic, urogenital, oncological, cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders.
- Spaying & Neutering
When we spay or neuter a cat or dog, we surgically sterilize them to prevent disease and provide them with an extended life expectancy.
- Dental Surgery
Our veterinarians provide dental surgeries for dogs and cats. These surgeries can range from tooth extractions to gum disease treatment and jaw fracture repairs.
- Mass Removal
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.
- Foreign Body
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.
In some cases, specialized skills or equipment are needed to perform pet surgery. If that is the case for your animal, your vet will refer you to a cat or dog surgeon near Knightdale and work closely with your veterinary surgeon to ensure that your dog or cat receives the very best care.
- Wounds
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.
- Aural Hematoma
An aural hematoma is a collection of blood within the cartilage of the ear and the skin. It usually arises as a self-inflicted injury from your pet’s scratching and head shaking. Surgery to fix this typically includes making an incision on the underside of the ear flap to drain the fluid and followed by placing several sutures to prevent fluid from building back up.
This condition is most commonly found in pets who experience chronic external ear infections.
- Feline Frontal Declaw (onychectomy)
Our top priority is providing the highest-quality veterinary care to each pet we care for. Every policy and medical procedure supported by our practice has been put in place with the health and wellness of pets in mind.
Our veterinarians will remove the front claws if they believe that a cat cannot be trained to refrain from using its claws destructively in the home, or poses a danger to family members.
Unfortunately, all cats are not receptive to behavior modification or training and we believe that this surgical procedure will result in fewer cats being abandoned or euthanized. We also believe feline onychectomy should be performed only with the medically appropriate use of anesthetics and analgesics and adherence to careful surgical and post-surgical protocols.
The Surgery Process
We understand that the prospect of bringing your pet in for surgery can be frightening. Please be assured that we recommend surgery only when it is in the best interests of your furry companion.
We will ensure that you fully understand why we are recommending surgery and that you are comfortable making the decision to move ahead.
If your pet requires advanced care, our vets will refer you to a veterinary surgeon near Knightdale, and work closely with your vet surgeon to ensure that your pet receives the best possible care.
Surgical protocols at our veterinary clinic include:
Pre-surgical assessments. We will confirm the specifics of the procedure, complete a physical examination of the patient, and make sure blood tests have been completed and reviewed by the vet in order to determine if your pet faces any risk of anesthesia-related complications.
Dedicated surgical suites. Surgeries are performed in a dedicated surgical suite. This room is kept completely sterile to prevent infection and cross-contamination.
Surgical attire. Our staff wears disposable caps and masks at all times when they are in the surgical suite. Those involved in the procedure itself will also wear sterile gowns and single-use gloves.
Sterile packs and equipment. We carefully clean, sterilize and wrap our surgical instruments and equipment prior to every surgery.