Surgery

Surgery at Veterinary Specialty Center brings experience in advanced surgical techniques to the care of your pets. We work with you and your primary care veterinarian to get your family pet through their surgical experience with as little discomfort and stress as possible. In our facility we routinely work with specialists in Oncology and Internal medicine for those patients having more complicated medical needs. Our experienced emergency doctors are here 24/7 for continuous care of our surgical patients in the postoperative period.

VES Surgery Services:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Hepatobiliary Surgery
  • Gastrointestinal Surgery
  • Urogenital Surgery
  • Oral, Head & Neck Surgery
  • Oncologic Surgery



Specialty Soft Tissue Surgery

Your primary care veterinarian likely performs many routine soft tissue surgeries such as spay, neuters, bladder stone retrieval, skin mass removals, and repair of wounds. Advanced soft tissue surgeries are available at VES/VSC because of our additional training, extra personnel, specialized equipment, an in-house blood bank, and the availability of 24-hour postoperative care.

Our surgeons have specialized training to perform:

  • Abdominal surgery
  • Urogenital surgery
  • Head, Neck, and Airway Surgery
  • Hernia Repair
  • Emergency surgery and trauma
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Amputations
  • Anal Gland Surgery
  • Oncologic (Cancer) Surgery
  • Plastic and reconstructive procedures such as:
    • Wound Management
    • Burn Treatment
    • Skin Grafting
    • Tumor Removal

Orthopedic Surgery

Dogs and cats can be very "creative" in finding ways to injure themselves. Pets that suffer from fractures or tendon/ligament injures may require orthopedic surgery. Our goal is to restore comfortable weight-bearing on the injured limb as soon as possible.

VES/VSC has the equipment and expertise to repair a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems, including:

  • Fracture Repair of limbs, pelvis, spine, skull, and jaw
  • Tendon and Ligament Injuries
  • Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture
  • Congenital Orthopedic Conditions
  • Degenerative Joint Conditions/Limb Salvage

If your pet suffers from an accident or trauma resulting in any visible wound or bone fracture, you should take him to your veterinarian for examination immediately. VES is also open 24/7 for after-hours emergency evaluation. Even if your pet doesn't display any outward signs of physical harm, your doctor can help to determine whether internal injuries or other damage are present.

Neurosurgery

Certain dogs, such as dachshunds, pugs, shih-tzus, and other toy breeds, may be at increased risk for spinal cord problems due to intervertebral disc disease. Urgent evaluation is critical to preserving spinal cord function in these patients. At VES/VSC we have the ability to perform myelography with high-quality, digital radiographs. This is a contrast dye study of the spinal canal which can pinpoint the location of a herniated disc and help plan an emergency surgery.


Who are the Surgeons?

Dana King, DVM, DACVS

Dr. King attended Middlebury College in Vermont, studying biochemistry and religion, before receiving her doctorate from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. She started her career as a large animal surgeon in a job at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and received the College's award for the best clinical publication.

Dana S. King



Tobin Eshelman, DVM

Limiting Practice to Surgery

Dr. Eshelman joined us in February 2008 and offers specialty surgical services. These services include orthopedics, neurosurgery, oncologic surgery, and general surgery. His research interests include knee injuries in dogs, fracture repair and healing, intervertebral disc disease, and the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO).

Tobin P. Eshelman




Surgery Videos






Questions?

If you have any questions about orthopedic, neurologic, or soft-tissue surgery for dogs and cats, please feel free to speak with your veterinarian or contact us at the Veterinary Specialty Center.