Care Animal Hospital's surgery team has been successfully performing advanced surgical procedures for over 35 years, including TTA, total hip replacement, and external skeletal fixation.

Elective surgeries, such as spays and neuters, are scheduled throughout the week, but our team is always ready to perform emergency surgery whenever needed, seven days a week. Dr. Christina Peavey, a board-certified surgeon, welcomes surgeries on a referral basis from area veterinarians.

Tibial Tuberosity Advancement is the most advanced surgical procedure available for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament injury in dogs. Most dogs bear weight on the affected limb within 24 hours of surgery, and many dogs are fully weight-bearing by 2 weeks. The cut bone requires roughly 3 months to heal, during which time exercise and activity are restricted. Full and unrestricted use of the affected limb can be expected within 4 months of surgery.

Dogs with chronic hip pain due to osteoarthritis may be candidates for Total Hip Replacement (THR). A canine THR is a prosthetic hip that replaces the worn-out arthritic hip. The diseased hip joint results in deterioration of the surrounding hip muscles and poor use of the affected limb; the goal of Canine THR is to eliminate pain and restore muscle mass, leading to normal functional use of the limb. There are two classes of hip replacements available for use in dogs, cemeted and cementless. The Zurich Cementless Canine THR was developed as an alternative to the use of cement for attachment of the implants to the hip bones.

External Skeletal Fixation is used in the repair of fractured bones and for correction of conformational deformities. This approach, of applying the orthopedic fixation device from outside of the limb, rather than directly against the bone, allows for improved healing and function of limbs with certain types of fractures. Skeletal fixators are especially suited for use in bones with severe fractures or with extensive damage to blood vessels. These devices are often the only method of repair available for bones that have been shattered or in limbs with large bone defects or tumors.

Arthroscopic surgery allows minimally invasive exploration and surgical manipulation in canine joints. Many disorders affecting the shoulder, stifle, and elbow joints can be evaluated and treated using small incisions into the joints and use of fiberoptic imaging of the magnified joint surfaces. Traditional open approaches to canine joints, arthrotomies, require longer healing time and result in more post-operative discomfort relative to arthroscopic surgical procedures.

There are three major joints that are amenable to arthroscopic surgery in the dog: the stifle in the hindlimb, and the shoulder and elbow joints in the forelimb. the ability to directly view the joint surfaces and structures within the joints greatly enhances the ability to diagnose and treat joint disorders.

Currently, arthroscopic surgical procedures are being used to treat injuries to the meniscus and cruciate ligament in the stifle joint, disorders of the tendon and ligaments that stabilize the shoulder joint, and osteochondrosis-type lesions affecting the joint surfaces (cartilage) of the stifle, shoulder, and elbow.

Laser Surgery is an option for certain surgical procudures, such as declaws. In many cases, the laser can replace the scalpel and provide a better alternative to traditional surgery.