Our team is equipped to perform various elective and non-elective procedures and surgeries for your cat. We understand that the process of putting your pet under anesthesia for a procedure can be stressful and scary for both owner and feline patient. We promise to provide a gentle, compassionate and safe environment to minimize risks to your precious kitty.
Surgeries and Procedures That We Provide
- Spay and neuter
- Oral surgery with nerve blocks and dental radiographs, primarily for extractions of painful diseased teeth
- Note that diseased teeth are often found incidentally while performing a CORE dental (dental cleaning with Complete Oral and Radiographic Exam), which is part of why we strongly recommend these be performed annually to find and treat oral issues early in the disease process, as recommended by many diplomates of the the American Veterinary Dentist College (AVDC), the leading experts in veterinary dental care
- Mass removals
- Cystotomy (removal of bladder stones)
- Abdominal explore
- Laceration/wound/abscess repairs
- Some emergency procedures such as unblocking a urinary obstruction
- Soft tissue surgeries
- (We typically refer orthopedic surgeries to the very talented boarded surgeons at VRCCO)
What happens when your kitty companion comes to Feline Fine Vet Clinic for an anesthetic procedure or surgery?
- We will often prescribe gentle anxiety medication to our patients to be given prior to their arrival on the day of their procedure.
- We provide each feline patient their own personal roomy fear-free style cat cage, which includes non reflective surfaces and horizontal bars to decrease stress. Feliway diffusers are plugged in throughout the hospital to further calm our kitty guests, and relaxing music is played in the cat ward.
- If a pre-anesthetic blood panel has not been obtained recently, lab work will be run in our clinic the morning of the procedure to give us a better look at their kidney, liver, and heart function, along with their platelet and red blood cell counts. If any of these results are concerning, our doctor will call you to discuss options, up to and including canceling surgery that day if it is in the best interest of your pet (it is thus important that we have a working phone number for which to reach you on surgery days).
- Our talented team of cat whisperers will administer a pre-medication cocktail, typically in the form of an injection, to further relax your pet and minimize their sensation of any pain. Depending upon the type of procedure, an IV catheter will be placed. Your cat will then be induced for anesthesia and placed on oxygen, while we prepare their surgical site. We do not “box cats down” (put them in a box with anesthetic gas) for induction, as this is shown to be very stressful to cats along with increasing their chances of an anesthetic complication. When applicable, we use a device that blows hot air into a blanket, similar to a Bair hugger, to keep pets warm during their procedure.
- Our kitty patients’ vitals are carefully monitored with state of the art Cardell anesthesia monitors, which allow us to evaluate their oxygen saturation levels, heart patterns (EKG), blood pressure, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and depth of anesthesia.
- Our doctor will then perform the scheduled procedure.
- Post-operatively, a staff member will stay with your pet until they are awake enough to breathe safely on their own. They will then be provided with a low-stress environment in which to recover from anesthesia. Pain levels will be assessed regularly, and medications will be given as needed to maintain their comfort.
- A member of our team will call you after the procedure with an update, along with instructions for scheduling a pick-up time for discharge, typically later that afternoon.
Call us to schedule a surgery consultation for your feline companion.
