When your pet needs surgery, you need to find a practice that can administer both gentle and effective treatment to your beloved companion. From routine procedures, such as spaying or neutering, to more advanced operations, your pet may need to undergo surgery for any number of reasons. Our staff at Goshen Animal Hospital is trained to give your pet the care and compassion they need to not only successfully make it through the operation but to lead a healthier and happier life when they return from our facilities.
See below for the Soft Tissue and Orthopedic Surgeries we offer but not limited to:
From simple spays and neuters to emergency, orthopedic, and soft tissue surgeries, our hospital is more than equipped to perform all of these important procedures. Before surgery, each pet receives an in-depth examination, and it is recommended that they also receive blood and urine testing. This allows us to form an anesthetic regimen that is appropriate for your pet.
We offer several different anesthetic protocols. We utilize advanced machines that administer isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia. We also use monitoring devices such as respiratory monitors, doppler blood pressure monitors, and other cardiac monitors.
Pain management is a large part of the process. All pets receive pain control medications to help make the procedure less uncomfortable. To learn more, please speak to our staff.
Perineal Urethrostomy Surgery in Cats: Male cats develop urinary obstructions much more readily than female cats due to differences in urinary tract anatomy between the two sexes. While the female urethra is relatively short and maintains a consistent diameter as it travels from the bladder to its external opening, the male urethra is slightly longer and, more importantly, it narrows as it enters the penis. This narrowing of the urethra predisposes males to urinary obstructions in which the urethra becomes blocked by stones, blood clots, mucus, or tumors. The first time a male cat has a urinary obstruction we will recommend to unblock as soon as possible and will place a urinary catheter to flush the urethra and bladder during hospitalization while monitoring kidney values. Kidney values elevate in obstructed cats. In repeat cases of blocked male cats is when a perineal urethrostomy can be recommended as it creates a new urinary opening that decreases the length of the urethra and allows urine to bypass this narrowed region. This surgery can decrease the likelihood of recurring obstruction.
Pre-scrotal urethrostomy for urinary obstruction in male dogs: If the obstruction is caused by urinary tract calculi, your veterinarian will try to flush the stones back into the bladder, where they can either be removed surgically or dissolved with medical management (depending on the type). If your dog is very sick, surgery may be delayed, and a urinary catheter left in the urinary tract to drain urine from the bladder for a day or two, until medical conditions have improved and your pet is stable for general anesthesia and surgery. To remove stones from the bladder surgically, a cystotomy procedure is performed. In this procedure, the dog is under general anesthesia. The bladder is accessed through a small abdominal incision. Then the bladder is opened, stones are removed, and the urinary tract is flushed thoroughly to make sure no stones are left behind. If stones in the urethra cannot be flushed into the bladder for removal, a separate incision into the urethra may be necessary. Stones removed at surgery are submitted for chemical analysis and in some cases, for bacterial culture as well. Biopsy of any abnormal bladder tissue may also be collected if necessary. Male dogs which have a urethral obstruction that cannot be unblocked, have a tumor of the penis, or are recurrent stone formers may require surgery to form a new permanent opening to the urethra, called a scrotal urethrostomy. Scrotal urethrostomies may be required because calculi in the urethra may become trapped in scar tissue and therefore cannot be removed. A scrotal urethrostomy allows urine to exit behind the os penis where the urethra is wider. An opening is created that small stones may pass through. Patients with a scrotal urethrostomy may still get urinary obstruction by very large stones in the bladder or upper urethra. For most dogs having a scrotal urethrostomy, the penis is left in place, so your male dog will look the same when he is walking down the street. However, he will urinate from the new opening in the location where his scrotum used to be. In dogs with penile tumors, a scrotal urethrostomy is performed and the penis is removed. Because the surgery site is in the area of the scrotum, dogs are neutered during the procedure.
Perineal Hernia in male dogs: A perineal hernia occurs when there is a weakening or traumatic tear in the muscles of the perineum which is the area between the anus and the scrotum, resulting in the bladder, intestines, or fat pushing through the muscle to an abnormal position just under the skin. Perineal hernias are most common in middle-aged or older unneutered male dogs. The most successful treatment of a perineal hernia is the surgical correction. These hernias may require abdominal surgery to reposition the herniated organs and suture them back in place to prevent those organs from herniating again.
Inguinal hernia: Inguinal hernias can occur in both dogs and cats. An inguinal hernia is a condition in which the abdominal contents protrude through the inguinal canal or inguinal ring, an opening which occurs in the muscle wall in the groin area. Treatment is surgical correction of the opening and replacement of abdominal contents back into the abdomen if necessary.
Umbilical hernias: An umbilical hernia is a condition in which abdominal contents (fat, intestines, etc.) protrude past the abdominal wall at the location where the umbilical cord was attached to the fetus. Congenital umbilical hernias are more common in puppies than in kittens. Umbilical hernias are diagnosed on physical examination. Hernias should be repaired surgically, because there is a risk that the abdominal contents inside the hernia sac could become damaged or strangulated. As long as the hernia is not causing problems for the puppy/kitten, the herniorrhaphy (hernioplasty, hernia repair surgery) can be delayed until the scheduled ovariohysterectomy or neuter. However, if strangulation occurs, the surgery becomes an emergency procedure.
Splenectomy: A splenectomy in dogs and cats is the surgical removal of the spleen. This procedure is common and is typically necessary after a dog is diagnosed with a splenic tumor. A splenectomy may also be needed if a dog is experiencing another condition, and the spleen has been damaged as a result. Other causes might include Immune-mediated diseases, Splenic torsion, where the spleen twists on itself, mostly seen with GDV, a traumatic event such as being hit by a car, Splenomegaly, often caused by bacterial, viral, or tick-borne diseases, or due to clots to the spleen usually seen in dogs with Cushing's disease or cardiovascular disease.
Gallbladder removal(cholecystectomy): A cholecystectomy is the surgical procedure used to remove the gallbladder as a result of gallbladder disease or conditions such as Cholecystitis or gallbladder mucoceles. The gallbladder stores bile created by your dog or cat’s liver, which is used to break down fats in your pets' digestive systems. Dogs and cats can function without this organ if removal becomes necessary due to disease or chronic obstruction.
Liver lobectomy: Liver lobectomy refers to the surgical removal of part of a liver lobe in dogs and cats. Their liver is made up of six separate lobes. This is most commonly performed to remove a large, solitary tumor located in the liver or to obtain a sample of liver for analysis. The healthy liver tissue has a strong regenerative capacity. Liver regeneration begins within hours after liver lobectomy.
GDV, bloat, flipping of stomach or twisting of the stomach and gastropexy: Bloat, also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) complex, is a medical and surgical emergency. As the stomach fills with air, pressure builds, stopping blood from the hind legs and abdomen from returning to the heart. Blood pools at the back end of the body, interfering with the working blood volume and sends the dog into shock. With this condition first we start by treating the shock. Once the dog is stable, they are taken into emergency surgery. Then two procedures are performed. First the doctor will decompress or deflate the stomach and turn it back to its correct position. The second part of the procedure is a procedure called a Gastropexy which is when we tack the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent it from being able to twist in the future.
Oral Mass Removal/Jaw Removal (Maxillectomy and Mandibulectomy surgery) in dogs and cats: Cancer of the oral cavity is a common occurrence in dogs and is less common in cats. No anatomic area is prone to such a wide variety of cancers with as varied a response to therapy. Preoperative biopsy and accurate staging are critical to proper treatment. Most oral cancers are treated with surgery, although radiation has a limited but definite role in management of radiation sensitive cancer, unresectable disease, or postoperative residual disease. The key to long-term remission is: 1) diagnosis at an early stage and 2) aggressive surgical resection at this stage, which is often curative. Wide removal of cancer of the mandible/maxilla is achievable with bone removal.
Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) in Dogs: The femoral head osteotomy (referred to as FHO) is the hip surgery where the head of the femur is cut off and permanently removed. There are many reasons why a pet might benefit from removal of the femoral head. Some typical reasons include a dislocated hip, a broken femoral head, Hip arthritis, or Legg-Perthes disease (a developmental hip degeneration). Ultimately, the goal of the femoral head osteotomy (FHO) surgery is to create a false hip joint that will be more comfortable and yield better mobility than the diseased joint the patient had before.
Cherry Eye (Prolapse of the Tear Gland of the Third Eyelid) in dogs and cats: The tear gland of the third eyelid is held in place by tissue fibers but some individuals have weaker fibers than they should, so the gland protrudes. This protrusion is called a cherry eye. In the smaller breeds - especially Boston terriers, cocker spaniels, bulldogs, and beagles - the gland of the third eyelid is not strongly held in place for genetic reasons. The gland prolapses (drops down) out to where the owner notices it as a reddened mass. Out of its normal position, the gland does not circulate blood properly, may swell, and may not produce tears normally. By far the best treatment for cherry eye is replacing the gland back into its proper location.
Eyelid Entropion in Dogs: Entropion is an abnormality of the eyelids in which the eyelid rolls inward. This inward rolling often causes the hair on the surface of the eyelid to rub against the cornea, resulting in pain, corneal ulcers, perforations, or pigment developing on the cornea, which can interfere with vision. The treatment for entropion is surgical correction. A section of skin is removed from the affected eyelid to reverse its inward rolling. In many cases, a primary, major surgical correction will be performed, and will be followed by a second, minor corrective surgery later. Two surgeries are often performed to reduce the risk of over-correcting the entropion, resulting in an outward-rolling eyelid known as ectropion. Most dogs will not undergo surgery until they have reached their adult size at six to twelve months of age.
Eyelid Ectropion in Dogs: Ectropion is an abnormality of the eyelids in which the eyelid (usually the lower eyelid) “rolls” outward or is everted. This causes the lower eyelids to appear droopy. Ectropion exposes the delicate conjunctival tissues that line the inner surface of the eyelids and cover the eyeball, causing drying of the tissues. This results in conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva). The surface of the eye or the cornea may also dry out, resulting in keratitis (corneal inflammation). All these conditions are painful. Corneal damage can also result in corneal scarring, which can impair or obstruct vision. In most cases, both eyes are affected. Ectropion is usually diagnosed in dogs less than one year old. The treatment for mild ectropion generally consists of medical therapy, such as lubricating eye drops and ointments to prevent the cornea and conjunctiva from drying out. Ophthalmic antibiotics may be recommended if corneal ulcers develop because of ectropion. If the condition is severe, the eyelids can be shortened surgically.
The modern amenities and pristine conditions of our surgical rooms enable our staff to function at peak capacity. We do everything in our power to streamline your experience so that all lab work and pre-surgical exams are completed in a timely manner. Our resources not only help our staff feel supported, but they can also help your pet feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar place. We recommend a follow-up with each of our clients so we can catch small problems before they turn into larger ones.
You can expect our staff's complete attention when your pet is in the surgical room. Veterinary surgery often requires multiple professionals working together, which is why we make sure your pet's temperature, IV fluids, and anesthesia are constantly monitored and adjusted by our surgical technicians. Our team works together to communicate any potential anomalies that may compromise the efficacy of the surgery.
Before the surgery, we use the conclusions from the pre-surgery exam and the accompanying lab work to determine which methods to use during the operation. After the surgery, we design pain management strategies specific to your pet's size, breed, and condition. It's Goshen Animal Hospital’s goal to give you all the advice you need to properly care for your pet from the moment they come home from the surgery. Taking an all-around approach to surgical care is the best path to achieving better pet health, and we want our clients to feel as empowered as we do to help.
Visiting our facility is the first step to learning more about how we manage to stand out. We can answer any questions you may have about the procedure your pet needs to help you feel comfortable about how your pet is and will be treated. From the type of anesthesia used to the length of post-care recovery, Goshen Animal Hospital will give you all the information you need to know so there are no surprises down the line.
