Elizabeth Animal Hospital | Surgery and Anesthesia


Anesthetic Safety is Paramount at Elizabeth Animal Hopsital!
In order to maximize safety and comfort, our standard of care for all pets undergoing anesthesia or prolonged sedation includes:
•	A pre-surgical exam
•	Preemptive and multi-modal pain management
•	Anesthesia monitoring
•	IV surgical support
•	Pre-anesthetic blood-work at doctor's discretion
Your anesthetized pets each have their own fully trained and experienced certified veterinary technician to monitor them during the entire anesthetic procedure. They continually evaluate patient anesthetic depth and vitals to assure safety and comfort during surgical procedures. Our CVTs continuously use their own trained eyes, ears, and hands to monitor anesthesia and assess your pet. All monitoring equipment below aids them in that job:
•	Doppler Blood Pressure: Monitors heart rate, rhythm and blood pressure to assure delivery of oxygenated blood to all tissues during anesthesia.
•	Pulse Oximeter: Monitors oxygenation of blood in real time.
•	ECG: Continuously displays electrical activity of the heart and warns if heart slows or becomes irregular, as well as monitoring breathing rate and rhythm.
•	Rectal Temperature: Helps ensure body heat is being maintained during surgery.
Intravenous fluids are essential for safe, smooth, comfortable anesthesia. IV fluids help maintain blood pressure, which is critical for the health of vital organs like the heart, brain and kidneys. IV catheters provide instant access to the bloodstream in case lifesaving drugs are needed during a procedure. Finally, IV fluids prevent dehydration and help maintain homeostasis, which allows for a quicker, smoother recovery.
	Elizabeth Animal Hospital requires the use of IV surgical support and anesthetic monitoring for all patients undergoing anesthesia or prolonged sedation.
We provide all of the following for a single charge:
•	IV catheter
•	IV fluids up to 500 ml
•	Doppler blood pressure, EKG, Pulse oximetry
The amount of the charge represents a significant reduction in the standard fees and reflects our commitment to anesthetic safety for all of our patients.

a cat in post-op after receiving anesthesia

The special care at Elizabeth Animal Hospital continues after surgery and anesthesia. Taboo is recovering from surgery still covered by his warm towel and with a hot-water bottle to help maintain his temperature. Taboo is still out, but cats are spooky; their eyes remain open even when under anesthesia.


Guidelines for Monitoring Canine Pregnancies and Deliveries
Most of the time nature takes a normal course and dogs have their puppies without our help. On occasion, whelping assistance is needed. Less often, a C-Section is necessary. It is important for you to know when assistance and/or a C-Section should be considered. Following are some of Elizabeth Animal Hospital's guidelines for your consideration:
•	Know the date your pet was bred. Gestation is 60-65 days in dogs.
•	Provide special nutrition for your pregnant dog. Her need for calories is greatly increased beginning on the day she is bred. Please contact us for our recommendations.
•	Closely monitor your pet near and on her due date.
•	Consider an X-ray within a week of her due date to get a close estimate of the number of puppies she is carrying, especially if this is her first litter.
•	Be available when she starts whelping to monitor her progress.
•	If she starts laboring and pushing and has not had her first puppy within 1 hour, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	In between puppies, if she is pushing for more than 45 min without delivering, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	In between puppies, if she goes more than 2 hours without pushing or delivering, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	Intervention is recommended sooner rather than later.
•	Fetal stress adversely affects having a healthy litter.
•	We have available much improved anesthesia and monitoring in the circumstance where a C-Section is performed.
Call us to ask about our discounts & special promotions for Pet Dental Health Month.

four healthy husky puppies were delivered with whelping assistance

This healthy litter of husky pups was successfully delivered with whelping assistance.


Guidelines for Monitoring Feline Pregnancies and Deliveries

Most of the time nature takes a normal course and cats have their kittens without our help. It is very rare that a cat would need whelping assistance or a C-Section, although the three Persian kittens above were delivered with whelping assistance. It is important for you to know when assistance and/or a C-Section should be considered. Following are some of Elizabeth Animal Hospital's guidelines for your consideration:
•	Gestation is 60-65 days in cats.
•	Provide special nutrition for your pregnant cat. Her need for calories is greatly increased beginning on the day she is bred. Please contact us for our recommendations.
•	Closely monitor your pet near and on her due date.
•	Consider an X-ray within a week of her due date to get a close estimate of the number of kittens she is carrying, especially if this is her first litter.
•	Be available when she starts whelping to monitor her progress.
•	If she starts laboring and pushing and has not had her first kitten within 1 hour, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	In between kittens, if she is pushing for more than 45 min without delivering, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	In between kittens, if she goes more than 2 hours without pushing or delivering, YOU NEED TO BRING HER IN.
•	Intervention is recommended sooner rather than later.
•	Fetal stress adversely affects having a healthy litter.
•	We have available much improved anesthesia and monitoring in the circumstance where a C-Section is performed.

This wet, bedraggled Persian kitten will one day grow to be a beauty thanks to being delivered safely with whelping assistance.


Emergency Surgeries
Emergency surgeries are required because your pet's life is in immediate danger. Following is a list of a few of the most common emergency surgeries performed by our veterinarians.
	•	C-Sections
	•	GDV—Gastric dilatation volvulus
	•	Intestinal obstruction
	•	Respiratory obstruction


Routine Surgeries
The veterinarians at Elizabeth Animal Hospital offer the following surgeries:
•	Neutering and Spays	•	Anal gland resection
•	Declaw	•	Lateral ear resection
•	Dewclaw removal	•	Eye enucleation
•	Skin mass removal	•	Aural hematoma
•	Tumor removal	•	Entropian


Spaying and Neutering Lead to Long-Term Health for your Cats and Dogs
A dog or cat can be spayed or neutered at almost any time after 4 months of age, depending on breed and physical condition. While both spaying and neutering are major surgeries and do require anesthesia and pain management medication, they are also the most common surgeries performed on dogs and cats at Elizabeth Animal Hospital. Your pet is given a thorough pre-op physical examination and the safest anesthesia and pain management available.
The Benefits for Your Female Pet
	•	Eliminates their heat cycle and its related behavior: Female dogs experience a heat cycle approximately every 6 months that can last as long as 21 days. During that time your female dog will leave blood stains in the house and may become anxious, short-tempered and actively seek a mate. Female cats can come into heat every 2 weeks during breeding season until they become pregnant. During this time they may frequently yowl and urinate in unacceptable places.
	•	Protects against future health problems: Removes the possibility of uterine infections and reduces the chances of breast cancer tremendously.
The Benefits for Your Male Pet
	•	Eliminates their breeding capabilities and its related behavior: Male dogs and cats are mature enough for breeding at 6–9 months of age. At that age they are likely to start "marking" their territory in virtually any part of the house. They may attempt to escape from home and roam in search of a mate. When seeking a mate their behavior may become aggressive.
	•	Protects against future health problems: Reduces the risk of prostate disease, testicular cancer, and infections.
The Pet Population Problem
Both spaying and neutering lead to improved long-term health, prevent unwanted litters and eliminate many behavior problems associated with the mating instinct. IN ADDITION, you will do your part to prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens that often end up in shelters and are needlessly destroyed.

What do you mean I didn't come in here to be tutored?


Orthopedic Surgeries
Fractures, ligament ruptures and dislocations are painful injuries that require proper surgical repair and pain management. We offer an extensive list of orthopedic surgeries to repair and stabilize these unfortunate injuries and give your pet their best chance for a full recovery.
	•	Cruciate Ligament Repair—traditional extracapsular and Tightrope CCL
	•	Fracture Repairs—wiring, pinning, external fixation, and bone plating
			Bone Plating—pelvis, femur, tibia, humerus, radius, ulna, elbow
	•	Medial and lateral patellar luxations
	•	Carpal arthrodesis for hyperextension injuries
	•	FHO—femoral head ostectomy


A Tale of Two Broken Legs
Our pets may seem tough, but sometimes they can be surprisingly easy to injure. Leah, a 15-week-old Shih tzu pup was just such a case. Two kids accidentally dropped her while playing and broke both her front legs.
She was brought to Elizabeth Animal Hospital for treatment. Her owners were not able to afford the surgery to repair her legs, but because they had always been conscientious about her care, they were referred to Ginger's Legacy, a non-profit organization serving the Front Range and dedicated to helping conscientious pet owners pay for unexpected or overwhelming veterinary bills. Leah was approved for an amount that covered most of the surgery and Dr. Morris proceeded to repair her front legs.
Once her bandages were removed, Dr. Morris slid some stockinette material over her legs to keep her from licking the stitches for a little while longer.
Cindy holds Leah to show off the stockinette on her front legs. This tale ended well


Two Doctors Repair a Broken Pelvis
CC, an English Cocker Spaniel, escaped from her home enclosure without her owner's knowledge when they were leaving for a trip. When the trailer they were towing ran over her, she suffered a badly-fractured pelvis. In shock and great pain, she was rushed to Elizabeth Animal Hospital.
After she was stabilized, Dr. Morris, our orthopedic specialist, was assisted throughout the long surgery by Dr. Anderson, along with several of the staff, because the fracture was so bad and CC's condition was tenuous.
The fracture required plating to hold the bone fragments together. Today CC is back to running and hunting, and her owners are very careful to make sure CC is in her enclosure before they move the trailer.

$X-ray of plated pelvic fracture$
X-ray of plated pelvic fracture.


Arthrex Tightrope® CCL Repair for Canine Knee Injuries
Tightrope® CCL repair in dogs is the newest surgical option available for dogs with cranial cruciate ligament injuries. The most common back leg injury causing pain and limping is the tear or rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament, commonly referred to as an ACL injury or knee injury. This new procedure is now being performed at Elizabeth Animal Hospital by Dr. Chris Morris, who attended one of the first training courses taught on Tightrope® CCL repair. Dr. Morris is one of the few veterinarians in Colorado to perform knee surgery on dogs using this procedure. The training was developed in conjunction with James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS Director, Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory, University of Missouri and Arthrex® Vet Systems.
Since receiving his training, Dr. Morris has performed a number of successful Tightrope® CCL repairs (see Kody's success story). Dr. Morris has been performing cruciate ligament repairs for over 20 years and is very impressed with the procedure and the results of the new Tightrope® CCL repair technique. The best outcome is achieved if the new surgical technique is coupled with post-operative knee physical therapy and pain management.
A Better Alternative for ACL Injuries
The innovative technique was developed to provide a minimally invasive method for extracapsular stabilization of the cranial cruciate ligament-deficient canine stifle. Because of the nature of these injuries, and their degenerative process over time, the Tightrope® CCL repair focuses on a technique used in human ankle joints using bone to bone fixation. This procedure is substantially less invasive than other canine knee injury repair surgeries, such as TTA and TPLO because they involve cutting and repositioning of bone. The Tightrope® CCL is also easier to perform than these other procedures, making the risk for complications and infection substantially lower. The Tightrope® CCL repair procedure has been shown to be very cost effective, although traditional extracapsular repair will be slightly less because nylon line is used to help stabilize the joint. All procedures for ligament repair need to be discussed and considered whenever this kind of surgery is required, but most cruciate ligament injuries can be repaired using the Tightrope® CCL procedure. Although leg and ligament problems are generally found in larger dogs, small active dogs can also suffer ligament tears. In these smaller dogs, Dr. Morris has used a related system from Arthrex® called the threaded Corkscrew and FASTak titanium anchor with FiberWire®, with the same success as the Tightrope® CCL procedure.

This Canine Injury is Similar to Those in Human Athletes
According to the National Institute of Health, ACL injuries occur in human athletes "coming to a quick stop with a directional change while running, pivoting, landing, or overextending the joint in either direction." Canine ACL injuries generally take place over a period of time. Overweight dogs are more at risk, but they can happen to any dog. The injury typically ranges anywhere between a partial tear to a full rupture of the cruciate ligament. The injured dog may improve with prescription anti-inflammatory drugs, nutritional support, weight loss and rest. You may elect to postpone surgery in these circumstances. However, this is now a weakened area and often surgery is needed several months later. Surgical correction is recommended when the CCL is fully ruptured. At the top of your surgery options should be the Tightrope® CCL repair.

an x-ray of a finished tightrope CCL repair


Elective Surgery Description Sheet (Spays, Neuters, Declaws)
One of our staff will call you the day before your pet's surgery to remind you of your appointment and the pre-surgery instructions. Do not give your pet any food, snacks, or treats after 8 p.m. the night before nor the morning of the surgery. Anesthesia often causes nausea and if your pet were to vomit during the procedure, the chance that some foreign matter could enter their trachea and cause respiratory problems or even death is high. Your pet can have water all night.
On Surgery Day
Please plan to leave your pet with us between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the day of surgery. Plan to spend a few minutes on paper work and last minute details. Your pet's surgery technician will call and let you know when your pet is out of surgery and in recovery. The technician will meet with you at a predetermined time to pick up your pet, go over post-op care, and review your bill. This is usually between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. the same day.
Description of Services
	Comprehensive Physical Exam
	Your pet will get a head-to-toe exam the morning of his or her dental to ensure all is well prior to anesthesia. Our established pets (ones we've examined in the last 12 months) will not be charged for this service.
	What is Included in the Surgery Fee
		IV fluid support: Maintains cardiovascular stability during surgery and recovery.
		Anesthesia: Medications before and during the procedure to ensure as low a stress level as possible and allow surgery to be performed safely. Blood oxygen, blood pressure and ECG are monitored.
		Fluoride Treatment: Fluoride treatment to strengthen enamel and improve tooth wear.
		Surgical Procedure: The surgery itself, recovery, hospitalization and care for the day.
		Pain Management: Medication before, during and after the procedure to minimize your pet's discomfort, encourage healing and prevent licking of the surgery site. E-collars (lamp shade) will be provided.
		For Cat Declaws: Post-operative bandages and a 2-night stay are included.
	Pre-Anesthetic Blood Testing
		Safety is provided beyond a physical examination and your observations at home with a panel to determine liver function, kidney function, blood cell counts and protein levels. Pets older than 6 months will require more complete bloodwork.
	Baby Teeth Extraction
		Our pets have baby teeth, too. Occasionally they will not fall out on their own.
	Spay in Heat
		When spayed, pets over six months old may be in heat causing a longer surgery time.
	IV Catheter and Fluid Support
		This service allows administration of intravenous medications as well as continuous drip fluid support during the procedure.
	Cryptorchid
		Male dogs may not have both testicles descended and additional surgery time is needed.
	Gastropexy
		Large breed dogs have a high risk of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV); i.e., twisting of their stomach. This is a life-threatening situation that must be quickly corrected to have a chance of survival. While spaying your pet, we can surgically attach your pet's stomach to their body wall (gastropexy), thus preventing this from happening.
	Dewclaws (dogs only)
		These appendages serve no purpose in our canine pets, but they can get caught while running through undergrowth causing a painful wound. Consult with your doctor to decide if their removal is warranted. Price includes one recheck and one initial bandage and one bandage change.
	Microchip
		This is a permanent identification in the form of a coded chip the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is placed under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades and most shelters and clinics now have scanners that can detect the chip and help you reunite with your lost pet. The fee includes implanting the chip, the chip itself, and the registration in your name.

Your pets are important members of your family and ours!

Dr. Morris performing a cryptorchid surgery

We take every precaution to ensure your pet's safety during surgery. Here Dr. Morris is performing a carefully monitored Cryptorchid surgery.