Surgery -This is a sterile surgery suite where we perform various operations (spays or ovariohysterectomies, neuters, cancer surgery, exploratory surgery, orthopedic procedures, etc). Animals are anesthetized and prepped for surgery in the outpatient treatment area (surgery site clipped and scrubbed with antibacterial scrub).

The anesthesia we use is gas and it is called isoflourane; it is one of the safest gasses available and may be what your surgeon would use on you. Gas allows us to control the level of anesthesia very accurately and rapidly. A pulse oximeter is attached to the patient’s tongue which shows us heart beat and oxygen levels.

The patient is then ambulated (a medical word for moving an anesthetized patient) into the surgery room.

Once in the surgery room the patient is placed under a sterile drape which only the surgeon who has ‘gloved up’ can touch.

Some of the equipment we use in a veterinary surgery suite are an electrocautery unit, suction units or even lasers.

Recovery from surgery or anesthesia is a very important time. Patients need constant monitoring and are kept here where we can keep a close eye on them.

Many post-op patients need a human hand to help them recover. A nurse will be assigned to your pet to be by their side and comfort them when they wake up. All surgical cases receive morphine or another strong pain medication.

Surgery and anesthesia are considered ‘routine’ because we do them almost every day but they are procedures we take very very very seriously. This is one of the most critical aspects of our job!!!

Dr. Sheldon prepares a patient for an abdominal exploratory surgery.

Young ‘surgeons to be’ explore the OR during Gypsum Animal Hospital’s Open House.