Surgery

What to Expect from Veterinary Surgery

We always keep you fully informed about why we are recommending a surgical procedure and regarding any post-operative care your pet will need at home. We practice stringent surgical protocols at our clinic.

Surgical Procedures

At Red Hills Veterinary Hospital, we perform medical and emergency veterinary surgeries to help treat disease and conditions in pets or to repair injuries sustained through trauma.

Our State of the Art Surgical Suite offers an elective CO2 Surgical Laser which decreases bleeding at site, pain, and healing time for all procedures listed.

Our Gillette vets routinely perform the following elective and non-elective 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. 

  At Red Hills Veterinary Hospital, we also perform spay and neuter procedures for some exotic pets. Spay and neuter procedures for exotic pets can have many of the same benefits as they do for cats and dogs. 

  Additional neutering procedures upon request:

  • Scrotal Ablation - removal of the scrotum in addition to testicles for a more aesthetically pleasing view.
  • Neuticles - testicular implants, must be pre-ordered with consult prior to the surgery date.
  • Complimentary ear notching for cats per request (barn and feral cats).

  Learn more

• C-Sections

  During Cesarean sections, we surgically remove puppies or kittens from their mother's uterus.

  C-sections are typically performed when the mother is unable to give birth naturally. 

• Gastropexy

  A gastropexy is a procedure that is performed in large breed dogs to prevent gastric dilation, otherwise known as bloat. During this procedure, the stomach is attached to the body wall to prevent it from twisting and creating a life-threatening emergency. 

  This procedure can be done in a healthy dog as a preventive measure, or can be done after a dog has experienced bloat to prevent it from happening again. It is typically done after the patient is greater than 9 months of age.

• 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.

• 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. 

• Orthopedic Surgery

  Orthopedic surgeries correct injuries and diseases of the bones, ligaments, joints, tendons, and other skeletal structures in your pet.

  One of the main orthopedic surgeries we offer is to correct the CCL (cranial cruciate ligament), which is one of the most common cause of hind limb lameness in medium/large dogs. This ligament is very similar to the human ACL. Our surgeon is certified in the corrective MMP (modified Maquest Procedule) Surgery, which is a minimally invasive produced that can repair your dog’s torn or ruptured CCL. The surgery works by redirecting the impact of the large quadriceps muscle to compensate for the injured cruciate ligament.

  If your dog or cat is suffering from a condition or injury that requires advanced specialized care, your vet will refer your dog or cat to a specialist orthopedic vet surgeon near Gillette.

  Learn more

• Dental Surgery

  Our veterinarians provide dental surgeries for dogs and cats. These vet surgeries can range from tooth extractions to gum disease treatment and jaw fracture repairs.

• Soft Palate/Nares

  Certain short-nosed breeds of dogs, including bulldogs and pugs, are prone to breathing difficulties because of the shape of their head, nose, and throat. This condition is called Brachycephalic Syndrome.

  Dogs with this condition may have an elongated soft palate that protrudes over the airway and/or stenotic nares—malformed nostrils that are too small or collapse inwards and make it difficult for your pup to breathe. 

  Both of these conditions can be corrected through surgery to widen the airway, remove obstruction, and help your dog to breathe more easily. 

• Vulvoplasty

  Vulvoplasty is a surgical procedure that your veterinarian may recommend correcting a structural issue with your dog's vulva known as a recessed vulva.

  Dogs with a recessed vulva have skin folds that hang over the vulva. This can lead to inflammation or infection in the skin folds and can also lead to chronic urinary tract infections. 

• Ear Crops

  Ear cropping (or trimming) is an elective cosmetic surgical procedure that involves cutting and shaping the floppy part of a dog's ear (the ear pinna). This is done, so the ear stands up and creates a look or standard for some dog breeds.

  This procedure must be completed while your dog is a young puppy in order to have the best chance of achieving the desired results.  

• Feline Declaws Front feet only

  While we will typically suggest alternatives to declawing, there are some situations in which the procedure needs to be done. For example, an immunocompromised owner who is at risk of severe infection due to a cat scratch.

  Declawing is best done while your feline friend is young, between 6 - 12 months. This is because young cats heal better and weigh less, putting less stress on the paws while healing. 

• Screw Tail

  A screw tail (also known as an ingrown tail or corkscrew tail) occurs due to the malformation of an animal's tail vertebrae. In some cases, the shape of the tail can create skinfolds that overlap the anus, causing feces and anal sac fluid to accumulate and cause a painful and itchy cycle of chronic infection. 

  The best way to stop the infection from occurring is to remove the tail and the skin fold completely, so the area can heal and remain clean. 

  Screw tail occurs most frequently in bulldogs, who are genetically predisposed to the condition. It can also rarely occur in other breeds such as pugs, Boston terriers, and Manx cats. 

• Cystotomies

  A cystotomy is a surgical opening created in the wall of the urinary bladder. This pet surgery allows the veterinarian to assess bladder health and can also be used to treat bladder problems such as the removal of bladder stones or bladder tumors. 

The Vet Surgery Process

During each veterinary surgery, a dedicated veterinary technician will administer anesthesia and continuously monitor your pet using electronic patient monitoring equipment. Pain management will also be provided. 

Post-operative monitoring and pain management are our priorities following surgery. Your vet will also provide thorough instructions for at-home care.

If your pet requires advanced care, our vets will refer you to a veterinary surgeon near Gillette, and work closely with your vet surgeon to ensure that your pet receives the best possible care. 

Surgical protocols at our 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.