Soft Tissue Surgery

We perform many types of soft tissue surgeries at our clinic. Soft tissue surgeries are those that are not associated with bone. These surgeries can provide many benefits to pets.

Probably the most common soft tissue surgery performed on pets is the removal of masses, or lumps. Most of these masses, once removed and tested, are found to be benign (non-harmful); however, occasionally they are more serious. Early removal and accurate diagnosis of a lump is necessary to improve the outcome in your pet if the mass is cancerous.

Surgery can help resolve several problems related to the eyes. Tearing in your pet's eyes can mean an infection is present or may be a sign that the cornea (outer layer of the eye) has been damaged. Surgery may allow the cornea to heal faster with less scarring, improving your pet's ability to see. In some pets, the eyelashes may actually damage the cornea. Surgical intervention improves comfort in these pets, reduces the chances of corneal scarring, and enhances the pet's vision in the long term.

Dr. Joshua Jackson and Dr. Jason Wheeler visit us from Bridger Veterinary Specialists in Montana monthly to perform the more complicated and advanced Soft Tissue surgeries such as Laryngeal Paralysis and other more complicated surgeries. Many cases we have traditionally referred out to places like CSU, Salt Lake and Boise can now be performed right here.

Please contact us if you'd like to discuss how soft tissue surgery might be able to help your pet. Soft tissue surgery refers to surgery on any body part excluding: bones/joints (orthopedic surgery), heart (cardiac surgery), or nervous system (neurologic surgery). Examples of common soft tissue surgeries include gastrointestinal surgery (to remove foreign objects or removed diseased sections of intestine), bladder surgery (to remove stones or polyps), liver surgery (to remove masses or diseased lobes), and spleen surgery (often to remove diseased spleens or masses).

There are many other soft tissue procedures performed and your veterinarian will discuss what your pet requires. Pain management medications are standard with all of our soft tissue surgery procedures to insure your pet's comfort and speedy recovery.