Orthopaedic Surgery in Pets
What is Orthopaedic Surgery in Pets?
Orthopedic surgery in pets is the surgical treatment of any injuries, cancers or congenital problems that involve bones, joints, tendons and ligaments. It is a highly skilled and highly rewarding aspect of veterinary practice – taking an animal who can’t walk, either from a fracture or ligament injury, taking away their pain, and seeing them walk out of the clinic and return to normal function again.
Why Choose Wigram Vets
We are proud to offer veterinary orthopedic procedures for your pets in Christchurch, and our surgical team are able to repair most orthopedic conditions
Christina Morris, with over 10+ years of experience, has a special interest in orthopaedic surgery and has undergone further study in this area, completing her Masters in Small Animal Surgery as well as being a certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.
Geoff Mehrtens has extensive experience in orthopedic surgery and it’s unlikely there hasn’t been a fracture that he hasn’t seen before.
Along with personel, orthopedic surgery requires a specialised set of equipment and facilities.
Our hospital and surgical theatre is fully equipped for all that is needed for advanced pet orthopedic treatments in your pets, including
- Separate preparation room and surgical theatre to ensure sterility
- Specialised continuous anaesthetic monitoring equipment
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Electrocautery
- Suction
- Heating
- Fluid pumps for controlling blood pressure and delivering pain medication during the surgery.
- Large, comfortable cages with underfloor heating for recovery
- Most importantly, fully trained veterinary nurses, monitoring your patient to keep them safe and pain free before, during and after the procedure.
Common Orthopaedic Conditions We Treat
- TPLO: This is the gold standard for treatment of a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament in the knee
- Cruciate repair – Although TPLO is the gold standard, not all dogs require this technique, especially smaller dogs. We have alternative techniques for treating cruciate disease which can also get great outcomes.
- Medially luxating patellas – Where the kneecap pops out of the groove that it sits in.
- Arthrodesis – For repair/fusion of joints (usually ankles and wrists) if there has been a major injury to the ligaments.
- Amputations – Forelimb or hindlimb amputations are sometimes required if there have been injuries to the nerves, or for removal of bone and joint cancers.
- Hip dislocations – Some dislocations can be replaced without surgery but if there has been damage to the connective tissue as a result of the dislocation, then the leg can dislocate again. This can be fixed with surgery.
- Bone fracture treatment
Some orthopedic surgeries require specialist treatment with specialist surgeons. If we feel this is in the best interest of your patient, we are happy to refer and can help you with this process and keep your pet comfortable until the referral. Some of these conditions include:
- Congenital angular limb deformities
- Surgical correction of elbow and hip dysplasia
- Complicated fracture repairs
- Congenital cartilage disorders – OCD
The Orthopaedic Surgery Process: What to Expect
All orthopedic surgeries in pets require a plan and specialised equipment. Once a diagnosis has been made by x-ray, and sometimes CT, we will give you our recommendation and estimate of costs for the best option of repair, along with alternatives to align with your budget.
Pain control and anxiety is fundamental for your pets’ comfort, as well as speeding recovery. We provide multimodal pain relief, leading up to the surgery, prior to the surgery, during the surgery and in the recovery stage.
To minimise stress in your pets, most patients can go home on the same day as the procedure with multiple pain relief medications for you to administer at home. For some patients or procedures, we prefer them to stay overnight.
At home they will need some form of confinement. In dogs this could be a single room, or in cats they may need to be confined to a crate. They can be taken outside to toilet under supervision only
Some surgeries such as a TPLO for cruciate ligament repair in dogs, include a physiotherapy package. Post surgical rehabilitation makes a huge difference in speeding recovery. For other surgeries we would still recommend physiotherapy, but may not be included.
The recovery from most orthopedic surgeries usually takes 6-8 weeks with a gradual return to full function and becoming pain-free again. Usually repeat x-rays are performed within this period to check healing, and some implants may or may not need to be removed in a future surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Veterinary Surgeons have extensive experience performing a wide range of surgeries for cats and dogs. Please contact us if your pet requires surgery or if you have any questions