Surgery

Vet Surgery & Hospital in Townsville


Providing Simple to Complex Surgeries


At Hammett Street Veterinary Surgery in Townsville, we provide routine pet surgeries through to complex and life saving emergency surgeries. As pet owners ourselves, we understand how worrisome it can be to drop off your furry friend for surgery. That’s why our friendly team will sit down with you and explain the procedure to help with alleviating anxiety. 


Our veterinarians can assist you with routine procedures such as desexing right through to complex and life saving surgeries. Moreover, our veterinarians and nurses often attend conferences and undertake courses so that we are always up to date with the latest medical advances for pets.


For more information or to book a consultation, contact us today on (07) 4725 7691.

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Desexing

Eye operations

Dental Surgery

Surgical Procedures We Offer

Our surgical procedures include:

Desexing: We can spey & neuter pets to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This is a routine, day procedure. You can have your pet desexed from 6 months old.


Dental work: Our veterinarians can clean your pet’s teeth, as well as conduct advanced procedures like teeth extractions.


Eyes: We can conduct entropion surgery to prevent inward pointing eyelashes/eyelids from damaging eyes, We are equipped to perform some eye surgeries and enucleations, We can also remove eyelid tumours and more.


Lump removals: Our team can remove all manner of lumps and test them for whether they are benign or malignant.


Specialist referrals: If your pet has developed an illness or injury requiring specialist care, we can provide you with a referral.


Frequently Asked Questions


  • Do I need to bath my pet before their procedure?

    We recommend that you bathe your pet before surgery as we need them to be clean and parasite-free. It is also beneficial as they cannot get wet or be washed for ten days post-op while their surgery site heals.

  • Will my pet be able to walk after having an anaesthetic?

    In most cases, your pet will have had enough time to recover after their procedure and will have been taken for a toilet walk before you arrive to collect them. If their procedure was done later in the day or if they are taking a little longer to recover, we will call you to arrange a later discharge appointment time.

  • Can my pet still have an anaesthetic if they are old?

    In most cases they can, although we will insist on doing pre-anaesthetic bloods first to evaluate the risk of anaesthetic complications. Understanding your pet’s organ function will help your vet select the best medication and treatment plan to reduce the risk of complications or side effects. If your pet has a specific health condition that you are already aware of, your vet will be able to discuss the risks with you prior to the procedure so that you can make an informed decision.

  • Why should I do preanesthetic bloods?

    Pre-anaesthetic bloodwork is typically recommended for all animals undergoing anaesthesia. This bloodwork allows us to assess your pet’s overall health and ensure that they are a safe candidate for anaesthesia. If any abnormalities are detected, these can be addressed prior to their procedure by adjusting their treatment or medication plan. In some cases, these can be corrected prior to the planned procedure to ensure your pet is as medically stable as possible before undergoing anaesthesia. In other cases, more significant abnormalities on bloodwork may warrant postponing surgery until additional treatment or testing can be performed. 


    Even if your pet appears perfectly healthy, knowing your pet’s baseline values will help your veterinarian determine if any changes in future bloods are significant. Many diseases begin before your pet appears sick. Early identification of a problem allows for early treatment and improved outcomes for your pet.


    Need help understanding your pets blood results?


  • Will my pet be given pain relief?

    If your pet undergoes any procedure that can cause pain, they will be given an injection of pain relief that will last for 24 hours. In many cases, your vet will also dispense extra pain relief or anti-inflammatories for the following days after surgery.


    If you are concerned about your pet feeling pain or want to know how to tell if your pet is in pain, please don’t hesitate to call the clinic for advice or book in with your vet.

  • Will my pet be able to eat the night after the procedure?

    You should offer your pet a small dinner the night after their anaesthetic or surgery but be aware that they may still be feeling nauseous and may vomit. It is important that you just offer them their normal food as they may have a sensitive stomach.

  • Will my pet be able to eat and drink with a cone (Elizabethan collar) on?

    Your pet should be able to eat and drink with their cone on, but you will have to keep their water bucket full so that the cone doesn’t prevent them from reaching the water. You may have to guide your pet over their food as they might flick it everywhere, especially if they are an enthusiastic eater. Otherwise, you can remove the cone for feeding, as long as you are watching them, then put it straight back on once finished.

  • Why wasn’t my dog’s scrotum removed when he was desexed?

    We do not routinely remove the scrotum during a standard castration. The reason for this is because there are many blood vessels in the scrotum, and this prolongs the procedure. We heavily discount the price of desexing to keep it as affordable as possible. You can choose to remove the scrotum during the procedure at an additional cost. The vet can provide you with a quote for this during consultation.

  • Why does it cost more to desex my pet if he only has one testicle?

    If a dog (or cat in very rare cases) has only one descended testicle, this is called cryptorchidism. It can be just one or both testes that do not descend into the scrotum. In these cases, the vet will need to locate the undescended testicle/s by exploring the abdomen. This will extend surgery time as the internal testicle can be difficult to find. Your pet will have more than one incision site and will likely need to wear an Elizabethan collar after surgery. It is important to remove undescended testicles as they have a much higher chance of becoming cancerous. We also recommend that you do not breed from these pets as the condition is hereditary.

  • Can my pet be desexed if she is in heat?

    Yes, she can. However, we recommend that you wait until the season has passed and the swelling of the vulva (in dogs) has gone. The reason for this is that during a heat cycle, the blood vessels associated with the uterus are enlarged, and the chances of excess bleeding and tissue tearing during surgery are increased. This can result in an increased risk to your pet’s health and surgery time, therefore growing time under anaesthesia. 

     

    If you choose to desex your dog or cat during her season, you must pay a surcharge due to the extra surgery time. You also need to be aware that she will still smell like she is in season to males, so she is at an increased risk of a male mating with her and damaging her internally post-surgery. She will need to be kept in a very secure environment while she is healing, where males cannot access her, including strays.

  • Can my pet be desexed if she is pregnant?

    Yes, we can desex your dog or cat while she is pregnant. This procedure takes more time, and you will be charged a surcharge. The surcharge will be charged depending on the time taken and how far along the pregnancy is. Please call the clinic to book an appointment to discuss this with your veterinarian.

  • Why does my pet need an anaesthetic to have a dental?

    Doing a thorough assessment of an animal’s mouth and dentition can be very uncomfortable and frightening for your pet when awake. During consultation, it is impossible to see the extent of dental disease and the degree of intervention required. Your veterinarian will need to assess the surfaces of your pet’s teeth, the soft tissue of the mouth, back of the throat and also probe the gum line to look for signs of disease. A scale and polish requires an ultrasonic scaler and polisher above and below the gum line. This procedure can be lengthy and require the vet and nurse to open the mouth wider than your animal will tolerate when awake. 

     

    Doing this procedure under general anaesthesia removes your pet's fear, pain and anxiety and makes it a much safer and more thorough procedure. Your pet is also intubated during the procedure with a gag placed at the back of the throat to stop any water and numerous bacteria from plaque and tartar travelling back into the lungs and causing serious infection. If they have had any painful dental work done, they will wake up with pain relief already on board, and in most cases, they will go home with ongoing pain relief or anti-inflammatories. 


    Dental disease is a serious and painful condition that can lead to serious health complications in the future, such as heart and kidney disease. It should be treated as soon as possible to minimize these risks. Prevention with a regular prophylactic scale and polish is highly recommended to prevent and minimise the severity of dental disease and reduce the future cost to you.

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