Animal Aid Clinic South offers a wide array of surgical services for dogs and cats. Spays (ovariohysterectomy) and castrations are done on a routine basis to help control the pet population. There are also many health benefits to these procedures such as reducing the risk of cancer, less behavioral problems and also decreased skin and allergy problems.

Dr. Nelson also does many orthopedic procedures including repairing torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) and fracture repairs among others.

Some of the most interesting surgeries that we perform are foreign body removal. Many dogs eat things they shouldn’t and these items become lodged in their stomach or small intestines and must be removed. You just never know what you will find in there. We have removed rocks, toys, carpet, blankets, plastic sacks, pacifiers, coins, and the list goes on and on.

What to expect when you drop your pet off for surgery

We ask that you fast your pet overnight and don’t offer any food after 6pm the night before surgery. Water is fine up until they arrive at the clinic at 8am. Just like humans, sometimes anesthesia may upset your pet’s stomach. Having an empty stomach helps decrease this complication.

When you arrive at the clinic, a receptionist will take a brief history from you about your pet and verify what they are here for. Options at the time of surgery include pre-anesthetic bloodwork and placing a microchip. The bloodwork checks your pet’s liver, kidneys and blood glucose to make sure there are no underlying problems. Next, a veterinarian will perform an examination on your pet to make sure they are healthy enough for surgery. Your pet will be given pre-anesthetic pain medications and will get an individually tailored anesthetic prior to their surgery. During surgery our highly-skilled technicians will monitor your pet’s heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen level, blood pressure and ECG. Once surgery is finished, the technicians continue to monitor your pet until they are fully awake. Additional pain medication is given as needed and will be sent home with you to keep your pet comfortable as they recover.