Surgery

We offer a wide variety of surgeries that include but are not limited to

  • Spays
    • Female cats and small breed dogs should be spayed around 6 months to help prevent
      • Mammary Tumors
      • Pyometra
      • Ovarian Tumors
      • Injury, stress or disease related to having puppies
    • Large breed dogs we recommend spaying between 6-12 months. Recent studies have shown that with larger breed dogs, waiting a few more months can help prevent ACL tears and allow them to reach skeletal maturity to help prolong arthritis. 
  • Neuters
    • Male cats and small breed dogs should be neutered around 6 months to help prevent
      • Testicular Cancer
      • Testosterone- induced diseases and behavioral problems
    • Large breed dogs we recommend neutering between 6-12 months for the same reasons as large breed dog spays. 
  • Exploratory Surgery
    • These are typically preformed when our pet's have eaten something they shouldn't have causing a foreign body that may become lodged or blocked somewhere that is unable to pass through without surgical intervention. Exploratory surgery can also be done in some cases of cancer or a variety of other Gastrointestinal problems.
  • Tumor or Mass Removals
    • Lumpectomies in dogs and cats is a surgical veterinary procedure to remove an abnormal growth or mass on the skin surface or below the skin. Lumps can appear anywhere on the surface of the skin, as well as be encapsulated or invasive and attached to underlying tissues or structures.
  • Patella Luxation
    • The patella, commonly referred to as the knee cap, is a small bone incorporated within the tendon of the quadriceps muscles (muscles on the front pat of thigh). There is a groove within the femur where the patella sits, but in the case of a Luxating Patella, the patella slips out of that groove which can cause discomfort, pain and limping. This surgery helps deepen the groove so that the patella can sit more comfortably and not slip in and out of place.
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL
    • The ACL is a tough band of tissue that connects the femur and tibia together at the knee. This ligament helps prevent excessive motion between these two bones. Rupture of this ligament is the most common orthopedic injury to dogs and results in a painful, unstable joint. If left untreated, this injury leads to arthritis. 
  • Fracture Repair
    • Fractures occur commonly in dogs and cats. There is a wide variety of different types of fractures, and can all have different treatments. Although having a fracture can be very traumatic for both pet and owner, with the correct treatment, most fractures in dogs and cats will heal well and most animals can regain normal use of their legs. 
  • Cystotomies
    • Preformed when there a single stone, or an abundance of urinary stones in the bladder. Sometimes this can be taken care with proper prescription diets, however if the stones are to large or there are simply to many, we need to surgically remove them.
  • Urinary Blockages
    • Urinary blockages are considered a medical emergency. This happens when urinary crystals or stones become lodges within an animal's urethra causing them to be unable to pass urine. Animals, like people, are constantly producing urine and must be able to urinate when the bladder is full. If the urethra becomes blocked, the urine is unable to pass and backs up to the kidneys, causing potential to rupture the bladder and kidney failure.
  • Ear Hematomas
    • When pets have a severe ear infection it causes them to itch their ears or shake their heads violently. Sometimes the blood vessels within the ear flap can rupture, causing the flap to swell up with blood. Many times this needs surgical intervention to drain the fluid.

We also work closely with Twin Cities Veterinary Surgery which is a mobile small animal surgical practice. Dr. Murphy and Dr. Hoffer are Board Certified Surgeons who serve the Minneapolis/St. Paul areas.