Surgery for Pets in Boulder, CO | Colorado Animal Specialty & Emergency (CASE)

Many pets are extremely active and don’t always know when their bodies have had enough. From falls and accidents to overexertion or even genetic abnormalities, your pet may experience an orthopedic injury at some point in his or her life, through no fault of your own!

We offer experienced orthopedic surgeons, all of whom are board-certified, to get your pet back on his or her paws in the event of a mobility-reducing condition or injury. Our 24-hour facility provides around-the-clock pain management and postoperative care for your pet throughout his or her recovery, as well as a physical rehabilitation team that is available to work with him or her on safely regaining strength and function.

If you notice your pet limping, shifting weight, favoring a certain limb, or that certain areas on his or her body are sensitive to touch, your pet may have experienced an orthopedic injury. While some injuries will heal on their own, it’s important to always bring your pet to a veterinarian if you notice any of these changes, as an injury that requires surgery should be addressed right away to avoid further damage. Once referred to our hospital for a consultation and procedure with one of our surgeons, we work closely with you and your veterinarian to get your pet back to enjoying the best quality of life.

COMMON ORTHOPEDIC PROCEDURES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS INCLUDE:

Arthroscopy (minimally invasive joint surgery)
Biceps release
Meniscal injury treatment
Elbow dysplasia treatment
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) treatment

◦ Osteochondral Autograft Transfer System (OATS™) and SynACART

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) for cranial cruciate ligament rupture
CORA Based Leveling Osteotomy (CBLO) for cranial cruciate ligament rupture
Hip dysplasia treatment
Fracture repair
Angular limb deformity (ALD) correction
Patellar luxation correction
Joint luxation repair
Limb amputation
Tendon and ligament injury treatment/repair
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY RESOURCES

Soft Tissue Surgery

Using state-of-the-art tools, our soft tissue surgeons are experienced in repairing or removing a wide variety of injuries, conditions, and congenital defects that affect a pet’s organ structures, including skin and reconstructive surgery, tumor removal, laryngeal paralysis repair, and much more.

We utilize the most advanced technology available for safe and effective pain management before, during, and after your pet’s procedure, and closely monitor his or her post-operative progress until he or she is ready to come home. Our physical rehabilitation team also is available to work with your pet on regaining strength and function safely after a surgery.

Whenever possible we use minimally invasive procedures like thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, and arthroscopy. During these procedures, we create a small incision, often roughly the size of a pencil eraser, and insert specially designed surgical instruments and scopes with precision control to perform any needed repair. Minimally invasive procedures result in a shorter recovery time and are often performed on an outpatient basis, so your pet can spend more resting in his or her favorite chair and less time at the hospital.

COMMON SOFT TISSUE PROCEDURES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS INCLUDE:

GI (esophagus, stomach, and small intestine) surgery
Urogenital (urinary and reproductive systems) surgery

◦ Stone removal surgery
◦ Subcutaneous ureteral bypass surgery (SUB)
◦ Ureteral stent placement

Cardiothoracic (heart, lung, and chest) surgery
Airway surgery

◦ Brachycephalic airway syndrome correction
◦ Laryngeal paralysis correction

Liver surgery

◦ Tumor removal
◦ Portosystemic shunt correction

Tumor removal surgery
Reconstructive surgery
Wound care, including vacuum assisted wound closure (“VAC”)

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Whenever possible we use minimally invasive procedures like thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, and arthroscopy. During these procedures, we create a small incision, often roughly the size

of a pencil eraser, and insert specially designed surgical instruments and scopes with precision control to perform any needed repair. Minimally invasive procedures result in less post-operative pain and a shorter recovery time and are often performed on an outpatient basis, so your pet can spend more resting in his or her favorite chair and less time at the hospital.

Laparoscopy (minimally invasive abdominal surgery)

Spay (ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy)
Total laparoscopic gastropexy
Liver biopsies
Gallbladder removal
Adrenal tumor removal
Hernia repair
Laparoscopic-assisted urinary bladder surgery

Thoracoscopy (minimally invasive thoracic surgery)

Pericardial window/pericardium removal
Vascular ring anomaly repair
Thoracic duct ligation (for treatment of lymph fluid accumulation)
Lung tumor removal
Thymic tumor removal
Lymph node removal

PRP Treatment

Blood is essential for the body's normal healing process, and it contains a variety of nutrients as well as healing, and growth properties. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a special concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood, and centrifuged to remove red blood cells. This results in a greater concentration of growth factors than whole blood, and has been used to encourage an improved healing response. PRP can also be further processed into an autologous protein solution that concentrates cells, platelets, growth factors, and anti-inflammatory proteins (including IL-1ra and other anabolic proteins), depending on your pet's needs.

PRP can be injected directly into an injury or joint over a series of treatments to mediate inflammation, potentially encourage a faster tissue repair, and decrease pain— all with minimal side effects.

WHO CAN BENEFIT?

PRP therapies and analogues have seen success in the human field and can used in conjunction with alternative and conventional therapies.
The following might benefit from PRP:
Pets who have undergone an orthopedic surgery or sustained an injury
Pets with osteoarthritis, tendon & ligament tears or injuries, and non healing wounds
Can be used with bone grafts or fractures
Pets with a joint disease or injury
Pets that are not responding to traditional anti-inflammatory medications or complementary therapies/nutraceuticals.
Pets that cannot tolerate NSAIDs.