EXPERT SURGICAL CARE FOR YOUR PET
No one wants their pet to have to undergo surgery, but when they do, you want them in the hands of the most trusted veterinary surgeons in the Chicago area.
SPAY/NEUTER PROCEDURE
Our entire team at Harvester Veterinary Hospital strongly recommends that all pets be spayed or neutered unless they will be bred under the direction of an experienced and licensed breeder. Otherwise, spaying and neutering helps prevent unwanted pregnancies and unpleasant, and often dangerous, behaviors such as protectiveness, excessive barking, roaming, aggression, and more. Plus, spaying and neutering has been shown to help improve long-term health of pets in many ways, including reduced odds of certain cancers.
The spay/neuter procedure is highly routine and completely safe, and recovery time for your pet is relatively short. It will not change any of the personality traits you love most about your pet.
SOFT TISSUE SURGERY
Soft tissue surgery can range from removal of foreign bodies from your pet’s stomach to surgical procedures to repair damage from injury. Generally, soft tissue surgery can involve the cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, or urogenital systems, as well as the areas of the ear, nose, and throat.
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
Surgical oncology involves the removal of cysts and tumors in an effort to stop the spread of cancerous growths in the body. If we recommend surgical oncology, we’ll always discuss it in depth with you so that you understand the reasoning, risks, and potential benefits.
MASS REMOVAL
Sometimes we may discover a cyst or mass on your pet that isn’t cancerous but may be causing discomfort for your pet. In these cases, we may recommend removal of the mass if it is safe to do so. This is a focused procedure that surgically removes the cyst and immediately surrounding tissue.
GASTROINTESTINAL PROCEDURES
Gastrointestinal procedures deal with your pet’s digestive system and related organs. These often include surgeries to remove foreign bodies that your pet has swallowed from their stomach. As with all surgical procedures, we only advise gastrointestinal procedures when your pet’s health and safety are at risk and there are no non-invasive options that could prove effective.
SPLENECTOMY SURGERY
A splenectomy is the complete removal of your pet’s spleen, sometimes necessary as a result of spleen malfunction and certain cancers. It is a last resort when other methods of treatment have been ineffective, and we’ll always share the pros and cons with you so that you can make an informed decision on whether to go ahead with the procedure for your pet’s health and safety.
FOREIGN BODY REMOVAL
Our pets explore the world with their mouths and love to taste interesting items, even if they’re not actually food. This can result in a lot of indigestible items ending up in their stomachs. While ingesting small items can sometimes be harmless, others can lead to serious illness or even death if not removed.
Our entire team is deeply experienced with surgeries surrounding foreign body removal from dogs, cats, and other common pets.
