Surgical Services

Whatever the surgery anaesthetic is essential

Anaesthesia is a very important discipline within a Veterinary Surgery. We use an advanced, referral level anaesthesia monitoring system; this provides our Vets and Nurses with constant measurements of an animal’s heart rate, blood pressure, ECG (heart electrical activity), oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and temperature.

We also routinely maintain all of our surgical patients on a “Bair Hugger” blown warm air heating system to stop the patient becoming cold during surgery.

To further increase patient safety, we suggest a pre-anaesthetic blood test in our in-house laboratory. If the test results are normal we can proceed with confidence. If not, the information allows the Vet to discuss the findings with the owner and alter the anaesthetic protocol accordingly to further protect your pet.

Dentistry

Croft Vets performs all aspects of small animal dentistry from a routine dental scale and polish to clean the teeth, through to surgical extractions if required. We have a full suite of dental equipment, including a state-of-the-art digital dental x-ray unit, high-speed air driven dental drill, ultrasonic tooth cleaning and tooth polishing equipment.

Of course, we all know that our pets might not always pass the fresh breath test. However, if your pet has consistently strong smelling or offensive breath this may be a sign of a more serious dental problem. It is currently estimated that 70% of adult cats and dogs suffer from dental disease.

Early signs of dental disease

Smelly breath
Eating problems
Rubbing at the mouth
Red and sore-looking gums (gingivitis)

If your pet is showing any of these signs it is time for a dental check up!
Dental disease occurs in stages. The first stage is the formation of plaque on the surface of the teeth. Over time minerals cause the plaque to harden and to form calculus which appears as a hard-brown covering over the teeth. The tartar and calculus is a perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria leading to the development of periodontal disease – the inflammation and infection of the gums surrounding the teeth. Periodontal disease can lead to serious health problems affecting the heart, liver and kidneys.

Please feel free to call the surgery to book a dental health check with one of our nurses.

The first line of treatment we can provide against established dental disease is a routine ultrasonic scale and polish of the teeth performed under a general anaesthetic. However, if the disease has been allowed to progress, some teeth may need to be extracted.

If you have any concerns, then do not hesitate to call one of our surgeries to book a check-up.

Keep your pet healthy and happy.

The Croft Club

Neutering

The most common routine surgery we perform are neuterings. This means the removal of the womb and ovaries in our female patients and the removal of the testicles in our male patients.

Spaying and Castrating

These operations can be done in all pets, dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs and our team are very experienced in them.
It is important that every pet has a pre-surgical consultation before the operation so we can assess their individual needs and talk you through the procedure. These can be done on the same day when they are admitted, or beforehand. Whichever you prefer.
Our charges for neutering vary depending on the size of the patient and the species. All our prices include pain relief and routine post operative check-ups.

FAQs

Do bitches need to have had their first season or a litter of puppies before being spayed?

No, there are no health-related reasons for waiting until after her first season before spaying a bitch. It is often in the first season that bitches get ‘caught’ as their owners haven’t realised they were in season!

Will a neutered dog put on weight?

No, dogs will not put on weight as long as they are fed sensibly and get enough exercise.

Is neutering natural?

In truth very little about keeping a domestic pet is natural. However, as owners and veterinary professionals who love our pets it is then our responsibility to make sure we do al in our power to ensure that those animals are given all they need to love a long and happy life. At times this includes elective preventative surgery and neutering falls into this category.

By neutering your bitch or queen you are helping to prevent health problems that can now arise in domestic pets such as pyometra and of course unwanted pregnancies.

What does neutering mean?

Neutering is a routine operation that prevents male and female dogs from reproducing by removing their sexual organs – for male dogs it is called ‘castration’, and for female dogs the operation is called ‘spaying’. Both are carried out under general anaesthetic.

Why should I neuter my dog?

The main reasons for neutering you pet are to reduce any potential health risks later in life and by doing this earlier in life you give your pet the best chance of a long, healthy, and happy life.
Neutering will also remove any risk of unwanted pregnancies which is turn can put undue risks on your pet, as well as emotional upset for you as his or her owner.

There is also much talk of neutering helping with behaviour issues, but this is not conclusive and whilst it may reduce the hormonal impact behaviour issues are best addressed as just that. Please feel free to call the surgery to speak to or arrange an appointment to discuss if you have any concerns.

Female dogs usually come into season for about three weeks, twice a year. This can affect their behaviour as it does for some people, but the main issue is keeping your pet away from male dogs during this period which can be challenging at times.

More surgical services from Croft vets:

Invasive Surgery

Our surgical suite is equipped with a complete range of surgical equipment and we now have a dedicated orthopaedic suite with state of the art theatre lighting, orthopaedic power tools and diathermy.

This allows us to perform all aspects of small animal surgery ranging from the routine, but highly important, neutering procedures right through to complex soft tissue and orthopaedic (bony) procedures.

Kieran Patel (MRCVS BVSc CertAVP) is our clinical director and carries out complex soft tissue surgeries as well as orthopaedic procedures. We are able to deal with fractures, cruciate ligament surgery, correction of medial luxating patella, BOAS and much more.

This means your pet can have expert care without having to visit an unfamiliar practice or people. As Kieran is based at Croft he can be called upon much quicker than a visiting surgeon to provide the best care for your pet.

Orthopaedic Surgery

We’re proud to be a centre of excellence in Orthopaedic care for dogs and cats. Our highly trained surgeons investigate and treat a wide range of Orthopaedic conditions in both cats and dogs on a daily basis.

Cases typically referred to us include all forms of lameness, trauma fracture repair (mostly road traffic accidents) and the correction of limb deformities.

If you have been referred to us with an Orthopaedic issue you’ll be glad to know you’re in safe hands. Our team knows that an accurate diagnosis is crucial to ensuring the correct advice and treatment is given. That’s why we always give a thorough 45-minute consultation.

On-site access to conventional x-rays, ultrasound, electromyography, arthroscopy, and we can refer to a specialist hospital for CT & MRI scanning. We ensure that an exceptional service is provided for every patient.

Before we begin any treatment, our vets will offer advice on your pet’s condition, the causes, the options for treatment, the prognosis and the costs that may be incurred along the way.

Please be aware our veterinary team are happy to discuss difficult cases with professional colleagues, but cannot discuss specific cases with pet owners without a formal referral from their primary veterinary surgeon.