Orthopedic Surgery
Orthopedic cases involve conditions that affect your pet’s skeletal system, including bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Orthopedic abnormalities can affect the mood and quality of life of your pet. These abnormalities may be a result of trauma, cancer, congenital disease, breed predisposition, as well as osteoarthritis, a progressive and degenerative disorder of the joints.
After a complete physical exam and diagnostics that include digital radiographs, our veterinarians will help determine the best course of action to help minimize pain and restore mobility.
Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery Services Available:
- Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)
- This surgery is a corrective procedure for a torn cranial cruciate ligament (in humans referred to as an ACL). We recommend this surgery for dogs 50 pounds or larger as it provides more stabilization than the extra capsular repair. TTA surgery falls into the same category as TPLO or CBLO surgery.
- Extracapsular Lateral Suture Stabilization (ELSS)
- This surgery is a corrective procedure for a torn cranial cruciate ligament (in humans referred to as an ACL). We recommend this surgery for dogs less than 50 pounds as it provides good long-term stabilization in medium to small dogs.
- Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO) Surgery
- This surgery is a corrective procedure for hip dysplasia. In this procedure, the femoral head is surgically removed to prevent pain and further osteoarthritis. Mobility is restored with very good results.
- Patellar Luxation Repair
- This surgery is a corrective procedure for luxating patellas (knee caps that slide out of place). Several techniques can be utilized based on the individual patient’s needs in order to keep the patella moving in the correct anatomical position.
- Fracture Repair
- In this surgery we use a combination of bone pines, plates, and wires to bring broken bones back into alignment and stabilize them. Specifics of this surgery are tailored to the patient’s needs and the requirements of the fracture.
- Limb Amputation
- This surgery is utilized in cases where a limb is broken beyond repair, or in cases of severe or aggressive cancer associated with a limb.
- Digit Amputation
- One or multiple toes may be removed in instances of cancerous lesions on the toes or significant anatomical abnormalities. In accordance with our Feline Friendly status and in congruence with AAFP standards, we do not perform elective de-claw surgeries in cats.
What we do differently
We are passionate about our surgical services. We offer and provide a comprehensive treatment plan with a strong emphasis placed on anesthetic safety, complete and proper surgical monitoring, pain management, and nutrition. All of these are essential to your pet’s recovery and healing. We customize our anesthetic plan to your pet’s current health status and with surgical laser and therapeutic laser capabilities, we can minimize your pet’s discomfort even more!
What you can expect:
First and foremost, we understand surgery and illness is stressful for both patient and owner. Members of our medical support team are Fear Free Certified and proudly offer many ways to reduce stress and anxiety for your pet.
Proper pain management starts before any surgical procedure. We tailor a pain management regimen for your pet based on current health status, severity of illness or injury, and expected recovery time. Medication is also administered to help eliminate nausea and prevent vomiting. As a result, many patients have a very healthy appetite after their surgery.
Pain management during the procedure includes CRI (constant rate infusion) where a continuous dose of medication is administered in their intravenous fluids for management of pain. We also administer a long acting, slow-release local anesthetic that is injected at the surgical site providing pain relief of up to 3 days!
Post-operative pain management is equally important. Therapeutic laser is an effective, non-invasive way to minimize pain and inflammation and help expedite the healing process. There are several different laser packages to choose from and will be discussed at time of surgery. In addition, your pet will go home with oral pain medication to help minimize discomfort.
Post-surgical physical rehabilitation will also be discussed at your pet’s follow-up visits. Rehabilitation is customized based on your pet’s surgery, healing progress, and comfort level. It involves a combination of in-hospital and at-home movements that help strengthen muscles and improve range of motion.
Contact Us
To schedule an appointment at our Newnan location, contact us at 770-253-3416.
Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Team Personal Statements
“Here at Dogwood Veterinary Hospital, we have a passion for patient care and comfort. Each patient is screened for underlying health issues prior to surgery, including a through physical exam and diagnostics such as heart screening and lab work. This allows us to tailor their anesthesia to each pet’s specific needs. While under anesthesia, we carefully monitor all vitals, including body temperature, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, oxygenation status, and carbon dioxide output. Not only do we use the safest anesthetics available, but we also go above and beyond to minimize pain in our surgical patients. Based on the patient’s needs, we are able to offer long-acting numbing agents at the surgical site, constant rate intravenous pain drips, surgical CO2 laser to reduce trauma, post operative therapeutic laser to promote healing and reduce inflammation, and post operative pain medications to keep our patients comfortable once they get home. Additionally, we strongly believe in rehabilitation therapy to get our patients back to running and playing like they did before they were injured. At Dogwood, we strive to make each surgical journey the best it can possibly be.”
Dr. Rachel Horsley
“Our orthopedic department goes above and beyond to make sure each patient gets the best care and comfort possible. We provide not only close monitoring and a unique anesthetic protocol tailored to each patient, but also intravenous medications during and after their procedure to keep them very comfortable. This helps them during their recovery as well. We strive to help our patients the best way that we can and provide the best medicine possible.”
Ashton Bigler, Surgery Technician
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What's Next
Call us or schedule an appointment online.
Meet with a doctor for an initial exam.
Put a plan together for your pet.
