Soft Tissue Surgery
Protect your pet’s health with professional soft tissue surgery, a safe procedure to address injuries, growths, or other medical concerns.
Surgical expertise extends beyond bones and joints to address conditions affecting your pet’s internal organs and soft tissues. Our surgical services include a wide range of soft tissue procedures to treat diseases and injuries involving organs, skin, and connective tissues throughout your pet’s body. Soft tissue surgery encompasses any procedure not related to bone, from mass removals to abdominal operations addressing bladder, stomach, and intestinal conditions.
Our doctors perform many soft tissue surgeries in house, bringing years of surgical experience to each case. We maintain advanced anesthesia monitoring equipment and follow strict sterility protocols to ensure your pet receives safe, effective surgical care in our familiar Montgomery facility.
Common Soft Tissue Procedures We Perform
Mass removals represent one of the most frequent soft tissue surgeries we conduct. Lumps and bumps develop on pets for various reasons, and surgical removal allows us to examine the tissue and determine whether the growth is benign or requires additional treatment. Early removal of suspicious masses provides the best outcomes, as smaller masses are easier to excise completely with clean margins.
Bladder stone removals, called cystotomies, address painful urinary tract obstructions. Stones form in the bladder when minerals crystallize in urine. These stones cause frequent urination, bloody urine, and straining. Surgical removal eliminates the stones and provides immediate relief, while analysis of the stone composition helps us prevent future recurrence through dietary management.
Splenectomy and Abdominal Procedures
Splenectomy involves removing the spleen, typically due to tumors or trauma causing internal bleeding. The spleen can develop masses that rupture without warning, creating life threatening blood loss. Emergency splenectomy stabilizes your pet and stops the bleeding. Many dogs live normal lives after spleen removal, as other organs compensate for its immune and blood storage functions.
We also perform various other abdominal surgeries including gastropexy to prevent stomach torsion in large breed dogs, exploratory surgery to diagnose abdominal problems, and procedures addressing liver, kidney, or intestinal conditions. Each surgery receives the same meticulous attention to detail and safety.
Pre Surgical Evaluation and Planning
Thorough pre surgical assessment ensures your pet can safely undergo anesthesia and surgery. We perform physical examinations and review your pet’s complete medical history. Bloodwork evaluates organ function, particularly liver and kidney health, which affect how your pet processes anesthesia medications.
Imaging studies like X-rays or ultrasound help us visualize internal structures and plan our surgical approach. For mass removals, we may recommend fine needle aspiration before surgery to gather preliminary information about the growth. This comprehensive evaluation allows us to anticipate potential complications and optimize surgical outcomes.
Ready to Meet Our Team?
We'd love to care for your pet. Call us to speak with our team or book your visit online — we're here Mon–Fri 8am–6pm & 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month: 8:00 am –12:00pm
Our Surgical Safety Protocols
Advanced monitoring protects your pet throughout surgery. One technician focuses exclusively on anesthesia monitoring, tracking vital signs continuously during the entire procedure. We measure heart rate with EKG, blood oxygen levels with pulse oximetry, and blood pressure to maintain stable circulation throughout surgery.
Every surgical patient receives pre anesthetic EKG evaluation reviewed by a cardiologist. This screening detects heart rhythm abnormalities before anesthesia, allowing us to adjust our anesthetic protocol if needed. Our tidal CO2 monitoring ensures proper ventilation, helping us maintain optimal respiratory function during the procedure.
Sterility and Infection Prevention
Strict sterility protocols protect surgical sites from infection. We follow veterinary surgical standards for instrument sterilization, surgical site preparation, and aseptic technique. Our surgical suite maintains proper air flow and cleanliness to minimize contamination risk during procedures.
Infection prevention continues after surgery with appropriate wound care and monitoring. We use antibiotics when indicated and teach you proper home care techniques to support healing. Most soft tissue surgeries heal without complications when proper protocols are followed.
Pain Management Approach
Multimodal pain control keeps your pet comfortable during and after surgery. We administer pain medications before the first incision, maintaining steady pain relief throughout the procedure and recovery period. This approach combines different medication classes to provide superior pain control with fewer side effects than single medications alone.
Post operative pain management continues for several days after surgery. We send pain medications home with you and provide detailed administration instructions. Adequate pain control helps your pet rest comfortably and promotes faster healing.
Post Operative Care and Recovery
Recovery requirements vary depending on the specific procedure performed. Most soft tissue surgery patients stay with us for observation following their operation. We monitor vital signs, manage pain, and ensure your pet remains stable before discharge. Some procedures require overnight hospitalization while others allow same day discharge.
Activity restriction protects healing surgical sites. Your pet needs to remain calm and avoid running, jumping, or rough play during initial recovery. We provide specific instructions about appropriate activity levels based on your pet’s surgery. Most soft tissue procedures require 10 to 14 days of restricted activity.
Follow Up and Suture Removal
Follow up appointments let us assess healing progress and address any concerns. We examine surgical incisions for signs of infection or complications. Suture removal typically occurs 10 to 14 days after surgery once incisions have sealed properly.
We send biopsy samples to a pathologist for analysis when we remove masses or abnormal tissue. Results usually arrive within one week of surgery. We contact you to discuss findings and any additional treatment recommendations based on the pathology report.
When Soft Tissue Surgery Becomes Necessary
Various conditions require soft tissue surgical intervention. Rapidly growing masses need prompt removal and evaluation. The bladder stones causing urinary obstruction demand surgical treatment when they cannot pass naturally. Traumatic injuries may require surgical repair of damaged organs or tissues.
Some soft tissue surgeries are elective procedures performed to prevent future problems. Gastropexy prevents life threatening stomach torsion in at-risk breeds. Prophylactic mass removal addresses benign growths before they enlarge and become more difficult to excise completely.
Schedule a Consultation at Fish Creek Animal Hospital
Your pet deserves skilled soft tissue surgical care delivered with compassion and attention to detail. We have served Montgomery and surrounding communities for over three years, building our practice on personalized, high-quality veterinary medicine. Our doctors perform diagnostic procedures in exam rooms whenever possible and follow up on all lab work personally, keeping you informed throughout your pet’s treatment.
Located across from the Woodforest neighborhood at 618 Fish Creek Thoroughfare Suite 400, we provide comprehensive soft tissue surgical services close to home. Our experienced team combines surgical skill with caring support to address your pet’s medical needs. Request an appointment today to discuss whether soft tissue surgery might benefit your dog or cat.
**Our accepted forms of payment include CareCredit, Scratchpay, cash, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.**
