Soft tissue surgery
Dental surgery[edit] Anesthetised dog with an epulis Common dental surgical procedures: Horses - Floating (grinding down) of uneven teeth edges and removal of wolf teeth.[11] Dogs - Dental prophylaxis is commonly performed to remove tartar and treat periodontal disease. This procedure is usually performed under anesthesia. Other common procedures include extraction of abscessed or broken teeth, extraction of deciduous teeth, root canals, and removal of gingival hyperplasia and epulides. Cats - Dental prophylaxis as described above for the dog and treatment and extraction of teeth with feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORLs).[12] Surgical oncology[edit] In older dogs and cats tumors are a common occurrence, and may involve any or multiple body systems: skin, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal tract, urogentital tract, reproductive tract, cardiovascular system, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, the spleen and the lining of body cavities. Common skin tumors include lipomas, mast cell tumors, melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, fibrosarcomas, and histiocytomas. Skin tumors are removed through either simple excisions or through excisions needing reconstructive plastic surgery. Common oral tumors include melanomas, fibrosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas, which are removed with as much surrounding tissue as possible, including parts of the mandible and maxilla. Other types of cancer requiring surgery include osteosarcoma, stomach and intestinal tumors, splenic masses, and urinary bladder tumors. Ophthalmic surgery[edit] Common ophthalmic surgeries in animals include: Enucleation of the eye to treat glaucoma or eye proptosis. Cataract surgery Entropion surgery Ectropion surgery Eyelid tumor removal Cherry eye surgery Exenteration (complete removal) of the orbit, especially for squamous cell carcinoma in the cat and cow. Orthopedic surgery[edit] X-ray of a dog with an artificial hip to repair hip dysplasia A healthy tortoise-mix cat healed and adapted quickly to her new mobility after a hind leg was amputated. Common orthopedic surgeries in animals include: Ruptured anterior cruciate ligament repair For hip dysplasia: Femoral head ostectomy Triple pelvic osteotomy Hip replacement Leg amputation Bone fracture repair Arthroscopy MPL - medial patellar luxation APL - anterior patellar luxation Other common procedures[edit] Caesarean section[edit] Caesarean sections are commonly performed in dogs, cats, horses, sheep, and cattle. Usually it is done as an emergency surgery due to difficulties in the birthing process. Certain dog breeds such as Bulldogs often need to have this surgery because of the size of the puppy's head relative to the width of the bitch's birth canal. Bloat surgery[edit] In dogs bloat or gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) is a common condition where the stomach fills with gas and commonly twists. If the stomach is torsed it requires immediate surgical intervention to prevent necrosis of the stomach wall. After radiographs to confirm the GDV and blood tests to determine the lactate and general health of the dog, surgical intervention is required. The stomach is put back into its normal position, deflated and tacked (gastropexy) to the body wall. Sometimes a splenectomy or partial gastrectomy is also required. Cystotomy[edit] Cystotomy to remove bladder stones A cystotomy is a surgical opening of the urinary bladder. It is commonly performed in dogs and cats to remove bladder stones or tumors. Wound repair[edit] Sutured wound on the teats of a cow Bite wounds from other animals (and rarely humans) are a common occurrence. Wounds from objects that the animal may step on or run into are also common. Usually these wounds are simple lacerations that can be easily cleaned and sutured, sometimes using a local anesthetic. Bite wounds, however, involve compressive and tensile forces in addition to shearing forces, and can cause separation of the skin from the underlying
