Soft Tissue Surgery
Soft tissue surgery on animals includes any surgery that is not related to bones (this is called orthopaedic surgery). Soft tissue surgery can include procedures such as lump removals, exploratory laparotomies, caesareans, wound stitch-ups, hernia repairs and many more.
Our most common soft tissue surgery for pets is the removal of lumps. While most lumps are benign (not harmful), a small number are more serious (malignant or cancerous).
We may recommend a biopsy prior to removal of the lump in order to help understand whether the lump is cancerous or not, as this will determine how extensive the surgery needs to be.
We may recommend that the removed lump is sent to an external laboratory for analysis, as the chances of a good outcome are maximized when the surgery is done early and when we have an accurate idea of what sort of lump we are dealing with.
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What to do before & after surgery
Before surgery:
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Please do not feed your pet after 8pm the night before the operation and do not leave food out overnight. You can leave water out overnight but please take it away when you get up on the morning of the surgery.
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One of our vets will give your pet a thorough physical examination before we administer any anaesthetic.
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Some pets (especially older or sick pets) may require intravenous fluid support during surgery. Intravenous fluids help to maintain blood pressure which drops during anaesthesia; they also help to flush the anaesthetic agent out of your pet’s body which helps with a quick and smooth recovery. If your pet requires intravenous fluids, it will be discussed with you prior to the operation.
After Surgery:
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Please keep your pet confined and quiet as it can take some time for the effects of the anaesthetic to wear off completely. Keeping your pet nice and quiet also gives the wound time to heal.
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Your pet may not want to eat a full meal so only give them a small portion of food and water on the night after surgery. Their appetite should be back to normal within a day or two.
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Please check the surgical incision and sutures at least once or twice daily for any signs of infection or inflammation (e.g. bleeding, swelling, redness or discharge). Make sure your pet is not licking or chewing the wound. Contact the vet immediately if you see any of these signs.
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We will tell you when to come back for any routine post-operative check-ups and removal of stitches.