Surgery

At Alouette Animal Hospital, we offer both soft tissue and orthopedic-related surgical services.

What types of surgical services do you provide for dogs?

Soft Tissue

We perform many types of soft tissue surgeries at our hospital. Soft tissue surgeries are those that are not associated with bone. These surgeries can provide many benefits to pets.

Probably the most common soft tissue surgery performed on pets is the removal of masses or lumps. Most of these masses, once removed and tested, are found to be benign (non-harmful); however, occasionally they are more serious. Early removal and accurate diagnosis of a lump are necessary to improve the outcome in your pet if the mass is cancerous.

If your dog suffers from frequent ear infections, surgical intervention can reduce their occurrence by improving airflow into the ear canal.

Surgery can also help resolve several problems related to the eyes. Tearing in your pet’s eyes can mean an infection is present or may be a sign that the cornea (outer layer of the eye) has been damaged. Surgery may allow the cornea to heal faster with less scarring, improving your pet’s ability to see. In some pets, the eyelashes may damage the cornea. Surgical intervention improves comfort in these pets, reduces the chances of corneal scarring, and enhances the pet’s vision in the long term.

Orthopedics

We perform many types of orthopedic (bone) surgeries. As we want to ensure that our patients receive the best possible outcome, we may refer them to board-certified orthopedic surgeons. They perform back surgery and other more complex surgeries.

Leg fractures are the most common orthopedic problem presented at our clinic and usually result from a mishap with an automobile. They can be treated in a variety of ways depending on the location and type of fracture. We can apply a cast to treat certain fractures. However, many fractures will require surgical intervention:

• Pinning stabilizes the fracture by inserting a long stainless-steel rod into the middle of the bone across the fractured area.
• Plating involves attaching a flat stainless-steel plate to the bone using screws on either side of the fracture.
• Cruciate Ligament Repair using modern TTA and TPLO procedures as well as traditional lateral stabilization technique.
• External Fixation stabilizes fractures using a series of pins on the outside of the leg that pass through the skin and into the bone on either side of the fracture.

We also perform a lot of orthopedic surgeries related to hip dysplasia and disc disease. Please contact us if you have any questions about these procedures or if you think your pet might benefit from them.