Surgery FAQs

We know you want the absolute best care for your pet in the event of illness or injury. In addition to having the most board-certified surgeons on staff in the area, VSC provides patients with state-of-the-art facilities and technology, plus 24-hour care, seven days a week. Read more about what VSC offers.

VSC requires that every patient coming in for a consult have current blood work, medical record, and any X-Rays or biopsy results pertaining to the consult. Find details, forms, directions, and more on the Preparing for Your Appointment page.

We understand that surgery can be a stressful process for both you and your pet. If you are curious whether or not your dog’s post-op behavior is normal, call us.

VSC works closely with local area 24-hour emergency clinics. The best method to reach a surgeon after hours is to present the case to one of the emergency clinics. If the case needs a surgical or neurological consult, the on call doctor will be contacted. If the need for an emergency surgery should arise, the VSC doctor will arrive at that facility and perform the surgery with one of VSC’s highly trained anesthesia technicians. Contact one of the local emergency clinics.

Payment is due at the time services are rendered. We accept accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover), cash, check, Scratchpay and financing through Wells Fargo and CareCredit with approved credit. Find more information and apply now.

A board-certified veterinary surgeon is one who has undergone additional training after veterinary school in order to become a specialist. The training consists of a minimum of a one-year internship, followed by a three-year residency program that meets guidelines established by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

We prefer to receive patients through referrals so we can collaborate with you for their care. You may contact us by phone or fax or complete an online referral form. We need to build a client/patient relationship to ensure that all of the questions regarding your clients’ cases are answered and that the surgical procedure — including post-operative care and possible complications — are fully understood. Read more about how we work with referring veterinarians.

VSC employs a well-known team of board-certified surgeons and practitioners. No matter which location you call or what day of the week it is, you can rest assured you will receive the same level of dedication from every member of our staff. Read doctor’s biographies and more.

If there is an emergency and you would like the client/pet to be seen immediately, please give us a call and speak to one of our surgeons. It may be necessary for the pet to be admitted through the emergency clinic first to ensure stability of that patient before being seen by one of our surgeons. We will keep in contact with you during this process.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is made by concentrating the patient’s growth factor concentration that is found in regular blood to a greater concentration.

When the growth factors are injected to the site of an injury, they stimulate blood flow and signal cells crucial in the healing process to migrate to the site of the injury. These “healing” signals generate new tissue through matrix formation, which is the “groundwork” of soft tissue. This ultimately can help heal injured tendons & ligaments in soft tissues as well as bony injuries and can help heal cartilage by improving the environment inside an arthritic joint.

Painful tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and even nerves (i.e. arthritis, ligament/muscle/tendon tears, and nerve injuries).

We start with 2 treatments and see how well things heal. Sometimes repeat treatment up to 3 times spaced out every 3-4 weeks may be needed depending on the severity of the injury. PRP can truly heal injured tendons, but results vary based on other conditions treated.

This depends on the exact diagnosis and extent of degeneration. After the initial flare-up, it can take weeks to months to see optimal results. Repeat treatments may be needed depending on how well your pet heals. Ongoing improvement may be seen up to 6-9 months, although some studies suggest up to a year.

Please discontinue any non-steroidal/anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications OR any anti-inflammatory supplements 1 week prior & 2-4 weeks after the procedure. These include Meloxicam (Metacam®), Carprofen (Rimadyl®), Firocoxib (Previcox®), Deracoxib (Deramaxx®), Ketoprofen (Ketofen®), Boswellia, Omega 3 fatty acids, Turmeric, & Ginger. Alternative pain medications may be prescribed by your pet’s veterinarian following the procedure. Please offer your pet plenty of water prior to the procedure up until you bring them in.

Diagnostic Imaging (i.e. radiographs, musculoskeletal ultrasound, CT, or MRI) is sometimes performed to ensure PRP is the correct treatment.

6-30 mL of blood is drawn from your pet and is put into a centrifuge, which spins the blood at 3-5G's of force.

The patient is put under light sedation for the duration of the procedure.

Your pet will be dropped off in the morning and discharged later that afternoon.

Depending on the specific injury being treated, ultrasound guided injections are sometimes performed to ensure the extent of the injury is treated.

Like any injection, this procedure may involve some minor discomfort afterwards typically only lasting up to 72 hours post procedure. Following the procedure, your veterinarian will prescribe appropriate medications for pain.

For the first 48 hours following injection, your pet should be rested. This is best done in a crate or small room with outside bathroom breaks for 5 minutes, 2 to 4 times per day. The activity for the first 4 weeks following the injection should be limited to leashed walks 2 to 4 times daily for between 5 and 10 minutes to start. Each week, the total time during each walk can be increased by 3-5 minutes as long as your pet tolerates it. After 4 weeks, your pet can gradually return to his/her normal activity. The progression can be discussed with your veterinarian based on your pet's progress and response to treatment. In most cases, your veterinarian may recommend rehabilitation to optimize the procedure’s outcome. Following the procedure, no NSAID’s or anti-inflammatory supplements should be given for 2 weeks. Additionally, no Class IV laser, ice packs, or therapeutic ultrasound therapy should be used on any of the injected joints for 2 weeks following the procedure.

Some insurance companies still consider PRP too new of a treatment to be covered. However, some insurance companies are recognizing the value of PRP treatments and are providing owners with reimbursement. Please check with your insurance provider to see if this will be covered. We are happy to provide any necessary documentation for them.

There are a variety of measures that can be used to measure progress. While pain improvement may be a part of the goal, it is not often an objective way to measure progress. Initially, strength and stability followed by an improvement in function are most common. Improved functional movement and tissue healing then hopefully lead to a significant reduction in pain.