There are many reasons your cat may need surgery during their life. From spays and neuters to swallowed toys to broken legs, there are some things that only surgery can fix. We offer soft tissue surgeries weekly and can offer orthopedic or specialty surgeries performed by a board-certified surgical specialist as needed.
At Silvervine Cat Clinic in Woodbury, MN, safety is our primary concern with every surgery we perform. Below are some of the key protocols we have in place to maximize safety for our cat patients before, during, and after surgery:
To minimize anesthesia risks, we will examine your cat and run blood work to assess their health.
We will place an IV catheter while your cat is under sedation so that we can quickly administer fluids and medications if needed during surgery.
Our team will monitor your cat's vitals throughout their anesthesia, keeping an eye on heart and breathing rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and more.
We will use socks, blankets, heating pads, and our heated surgery table to help your pet stay warm and maintain a healthy body temperature.
We will continue to watch over your cat when they are out of surgery and waking up from anesthesia in our dedicated surgery ward.
Pain management is provided before, during, and after surgery, and we will send your cat home with additional pain relief medication as needed.
What's the Deal with Declawing?
Declawing is a major surgical procedure. It is the amputation of the last bone from multiple toes on multiple feet, and it is not an appropriate treatment to stop cats from scratching.
Scratching is a normal feline behavior. It is done both to sharpen claws and to communicate with other cats. Allowing a cat to scratch is important to their emotional wellbeing.
Declawing of cats is falling out of favor because there are risks inherent to the procedure. Aside from immediate surgical complications that can include severe pain, bleeding and infection, declawing can cause long-term nerve pain, lameness, and behavioral problems. These aren't side effects that any cat lover wants for their pet.
Instead of declawing, we recommend avoiding damage to your furniture by including appropriate scratching places in your home and teaching your kitty to use them. To prevent injury to people, it is important to teach children and adults to respect a cat's boundaries. Cats are very good using their voice and postures to tell you when they are not happy.
If you have additional questions or have tried some declawing alternatives and aren't seeing the results you want, please give us a call! We would love to have you and your cat in for a visit to work through your difficulties.
Is it time for your cat's surgery?
Call us at 651-705-PURR or make an appointment today!