Surgical Care
Expert surgical care and advanced anesthetic and monitoring protocols are available to your pet at Cherokee Animal Clinic. Your pet's safety and comfort are our highest priority and it is the goal of our experienced veterinarians and specially-trained veterinary technicians to make your pet's surgery as safe and stress-free as possible.
Your pet has access to the latest veterinary surgical procedures at Cherokee Animal Clinic. Along with routine soft-tissue surgeries, such as spay/neuter procedures and tumor and mass removals, our veterinarians are experienced in performing advanced orthopedic procedures, including:
- Anterior cruciate repairs
- Patella repairs
- Most fracture repairs (depending on location and severity)
- Bone plating
- Joint surgeries
- Many more
Laser Surgery
Cherokee Animal Clinic employs advanced laser surgery equipment for all spay/neuter procedures and feline declaws. However, we recommend the use of laser surgical equipment for all surgeries. Surgical lasers help reduce swelling and bruising of tissue during the procedure and promotes rapid healing. There is a decreased risk of infection with laser surgery and your pet experiences less post-operative pain. We are one of the few veterinary hospitals in the area to offer this service.
Your Pet's Surgery
We want your pet to be as safe and comfortable as possible during his or her surgical procedure. A designated surgical technician is on hand to monitor your pet before, during and after his or her surgery.
Prior to every procedure, we conduct a thorough physical examination and blood screening in order to detect any potential problems that may cause complications from the use of anesthesia. We use this information to develop an anesthetic protocol that is specific to your pet. Cherokee Animal Clinic uses Isoflurane and Sevoflurane anesthesia.
During surgery, your pet's vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory rate and pulse are monitored using a pulse oximeter and additional sophisticated monitoring devices. Your pet is kept warm using blankets and a heating pad.
Pain management is an important part of our intra- and post-operative protocols. Your pet receives pain medication both prior to and following his or her surgery; we also send additional medication home with you. Less pain results in a faster recovery time for your pet.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pet's surgery, please ask us! We are happy to answer any questions you may have in order to make you and your pet as comfortable as possible.
