Developmental orthopedic issues, degenerative joint conditions, and injuries are extremely common in pets of all ages. Some conditions respond well to medical therapies, but others require surgery to restore a pet to their normal function and reduce chronic pain. A veterinarian must have advanced specialty training to perform orthopedic surgeries. In addition, orthopedic surgery requires special equipment, which most primary care veterinary hospitals do not have, necessitating referral to a specialized surgical facility. 

Our Neighborhood Veterinary Centers of Nederland team proudly offers advanced orthopedic procedures in-house, providing clients and patients across the Southeast Texas region specialty services, with no need for referral. Our approach to orthopedic surgical care is unique, because we handle every aspect of your pet’s care, from the initial visit, to surgery day, to postoperative rehabilitation. 

Common orthopedic conditions in pets

Pets with various orthopedic conditions can often benefit from surgery. However, the most common conditions our Neighborhood Veterinary Centers of Nederland team treats in-house include the following:

  • Luxating patella — Small-breed dogs often have this common joint condition, which causes their kneecap to pop in and out of place. Most dogs do well without treatment, but surgical repair is beneficial for larger dogs or those who are experiencing significant pain.
  • Hip or elbow dysplasia — Abnormal joint formation leads to early arthritis and disability in young or middle-aged dogs. Surgery can help correct abnormal joint mechanics.
  • Cruciate ligament tears — Multiple surgical techniques are used to repair this common knee injury in dogs.
  • Fractures — Fracture repairs often require pins, plates, screws, and other hardware to stabilize and heal the area.
  • Amputations — A toe or limb amputation may be required after significant orthopedic trauma or to remove a tumor.

Orthopedic examinations for pets

Our veterinarians are skilled in performing orthopedic examinations, the first step in diagnosing and treating your pet’s condition or injury. Our team uses hands-on palpation and joint manipulation to check for instability, pain, abnormal range of motion, and other injury or chronic joint damage signs. The orthopedic examination findings may prompt our veterinarians to order imaging to gather additional information.

Advanced pet imaging and surgical planning

Imaging is important for visualizing your pet’s bones and joints, which helps our team diagnose your furry pal’s exact injury and plan their surgery. To ensure every step of your pet’s procedure goes smoothly, we use computed tomography (CT) scanning and X-rays to take precise measurements. Imaging often requires that we sedate or anesthetize your pet to ensure they stay still and do not feel any pain as we manipulate the surgical area. A skilled, credentialed veterinary nursing team member will remain by your pet’s side throughout imaging and surgical procedures to ensure their safety at all times.

Specialized pet surgery facilities and equipment

Our veterinary hospital has in-house diagnostic capabilities to check your pet’s overall health before surgery and ensure their safety under anesthesia. Our team’s advanced surgical facilities provide state-of-the-art patient care in a sterile environment, and our orthopedic equipment allows for complex, stable repairs with minimal tissue trauma. Our surgical suite is large enough to allow multiple team members to move through the operating room to tend to anesthetized pets. Team members are extensively trained in monitoring pet vitals, adjusting anesthetic levels, keeping pets warm, and helping them recover safely after their surgery.

Pet surgical pain management

Pain management is provided for all patients undergoing surgery at Neighborhood Veterinary Centers of Nederland. Surgeries involving bones and joints can be particularly painful, so patients receive aggressive and continuous preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative pain medications. We adhere to a multimodal pain control approach, administering various drug classes together to improve patients’ pain control and minimize side effects. Most pets are discharged with pain and anti-inflammatory medications to help manage any discomfort at home.

Postoperative pet care, rehabilitation, and physical therapy 

Our team provides expert postoperative patient care immediately after surgery and in the days and weeks during their recovery. We use nursing care techniques, ice, range-of-motion, and laser therapy during the immediate recovery period to reduce pain and swelling before your pet goes home. Our veterinarians also provide you with detailed postoperative instructions, exercises you can help your pet perform at each recovery stage, and techniques to help get them back on their feet.

After the initial healing period, we can transition your pet to in-house physical therapy and rehabilitation, including the underwater treadmill, therapeutic exercise, and laser therapy. These treatment modalities help reduce your pet’s pain and swelling, rebuild and strengthen their muscles, restore range of motion, and improve long-term joint function. 

When your pet has an orthopedic injury, requires advanced imaging, or needs rehabilitation services to recover from chronic pain, look to our Neighborhood Veterinary Centers of Nederland team. We also provide primary veterinary care services such as wellness examinations, vaccinations, parasite control, and diagnostic screening tests. To learn more about our surgical services or to schedule a your pet’s visit, contact us.