Surgery
We get many questions about surgery and general anesthesia because our clients care about their pet’s safety, stress, and pain level. At South Davis Veterinary Center, we want to hold your pet as if they are our own and optimize safety (with good training and equipment) and decrease stress (with excellent nursing and love). A technician is dedicated to the task of monitoring your pet during and after the procedure, to ensure your pet remains in a stable state during the transition from surgery to full recovery.
How we make it an easier experience for you and your pet:
- Pre-operative medications to help decrease your pet’s anxiety before coming into the hospital
- Education of our process from start to finish
- Our technicians use low-stress handling techniques during you pet’s stay
- Multi-modal pain control based on the needs of your pet
- Detailed post-operative care instructions to send home with you
Types of surgeries we perform:
- Spays and Neuters
- GI surgery
- Bladder Stone removal
- General Mass removal
- Some Orthropedic procedures
Specialist/Orthopedic Surgeons
We recognize the need for specialist surgeons in this area and we are happy to arrange for a board-certified surgeon to visit our hospital when necessary. Boarded specialists are veterinarians who have completed an advanced residency, and passed a national certification examination to certify their knowledge and competency in their area of expertise. We are very lucky to be in an area rich in veterinary knowledge, with UC Davis and a variety of other specialty facilities close by!
Please note that we do not have staffing overnight, so we may refer you to a facility that has overnight care for more advanced surgeries.
Some facilities require a referral from your pets veterinarian prior to scheduling an appointment, whereas others you can schedule with them directly. We will be happy to send your pets records to the facility of your choice or help guide you through the referral process.
Some specialists that travel to us:
To search for a specialist in your area, click here.
Declawing
In accordance with The Cat Friendly Practice and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) guidelines here, our veterinarians do not perform cosmetic cat declawing surgeries. For more information about safe alternatives to declawing, check out this information packet. As always, our staff is happy to answer any other questions or concerns you may have about this procedure.
Tail Docking & Ear Cropping
We do not perform canine cosmetic tail docking or ear cropping. We believe dogs need their ears and tails for communications. These surgeries are painful and not medically necessary. We can remove dewclaws when a pet is anesthetized at the time of a spay or neuter. We do not perform dewclaw removal on awake puppies.