Soft Tissue Surgery

Soft-tissue surgery involves any surgical procedure that does not involve bone.

Probably the most common soft-tissue surgery that we perform is the removal of  masses or 'lumps'. Happily, many of these lumps turn out to be benign (non-harmful), however there are times when histology reports show us something much more serious. Early detection, removal and diagnosis of any lump on your kitty will ensure the best possible outcome. 

Lacerations and abscesses are common occurences in outdoor cats and these often require debridement, cleaning and suturing under anaesthetic. We also routinely perform anal sacculectomies for kitties with chronic and painful anal sac impaction and infection.

Onychectomy (declaw)

Orchidectomy (neutering)

Orchidectomy (neutering) refers to the surgical procedure performed on a male cat to render him infertile. There are many benefits to neutering your male cat, not the least of which is making sure he is not contributing to cat overpopulation.  Secondly, neutering helps to avoid unwanted behaviours such as urine marking in and around your house as well as aggression Also, neutering will help to protect your friend from prostate disease and testicular cancer.

Neutering involves the surgical removal of both testicles. This can be performed using a variety of anaesthetics and with or without supportive therapies. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to ask about anaesthetic protocols and monitoring devices.  Here at the Cat Hospital we provide individualized anaesthetic and pain-management regimens as well as a comprehensive surgical monitoring by a registered veterinary technician.

Please feel free to contact our hospital with any questions you may have regarding neutering your male cat.

two brothers recovering happily together from their neuter surgery

Ovariohysterectomy (spay)

An ovariohysterectomy (spay) is the surgical procedure which renders a female cat infertile. There are many benefits to having your female friend spayed. First of all you will be making sure not to contribute to the very serious problem of cat overpopulation. Second, you will be avoiding the very disruptive heat cycles that will often attract intact males (toms) to your house from miles around -- these uninvited guests will be prone to midnight yowling serenades as well as spraying extremely pungent urine on your front step or shrubbery. Third, and most importantly, you will be protecting your friend from such things as pyometra -- which is a serious uterine infection -- and mammary cancer. Research has shown that having your cat spayed before 6 months of age reduces her risk of contracting mammary tumours by 50%.

Spaying involves the surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries. This can be performed using a variety of anaesthetics and with or without supportive therapies. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to ask about anaesthetic protocols and monitoring devices.  Here at the Cat Hospital we provide individualized anaesthetic and pain-management regimens as well as a comprehensive surgical monitoring by a registered veterinary technician.

Please feel free to contact our Hospital if you have any questions regarding our spay procedure.

an ovariohysterectomy involves an abominal incision, necessitating a full sterile technique

Specialty/Referral Services

Sometimes our patients require a service or level of care that we, as a general practice, are unable to provide. In such situations we are happy to refer our clients to a specialty practice. It is our experience that our patients and their people are well cared for by these wonderful facilities.

We are also very fortunate to have the wonderful services of a mobile board-certified Internal Medicine Specialist who provides ultrasonography for our patients.

Therapy Laser Treatments

The healing power of light...

As we all know, cats are incredibly unique as a species. Unfortunately, what makes them so unique can sometimes have disadvantages.   Because of their particular metabolic pathways, when we are faced with a medical condition that causes pain, we are much more limited in our ability to provide pharmaceutical relief  for our feline friends. Happily that is changing as drug companies recognize the importance of providing safe and effective medicine for our feline friends.

However, administering daily medication isn't always easy for some of our patients and their people! It has also been documented that using a multi-modal pain control regimen is far more effective than utilizing a single method.

This is where laser therapy comes in!  We were very excited in 2010 to introduce a  laser  therapy unit to our practice in order to treat both acute and chronic pain conditions, soft-tissue injury as well as to promote wound healing and post-operative care.

Low-level laser therapy utilizes  light energy  to stimulate healing and reduce pain and inflammation associated with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.  The mitochondria (energy-producing parts of the cells) absorb the photon-based energy and store it - enabling the cells and tissues to synthesize more of the chemicals and nutrients required to facilitate cell repair.  The laser light subdues inflammation by modulating the chemicals that cause it.

None of us want to see our beloved feline friends in pain, and truly, they do a marvelous job of hiding it when they are. Unfortunately, all cats will experience the pain and joint degradation of osteoarthritis beginning sometimes as early as age 3 - and definitely by their middle-to-late years. "Slowing down" need not be a part of their natural aging process anymore. By utilizing laser technology we can improve the quality of life for your cat by allowing them to live pain-free.



Benefits of laser therapy:

• it's a non-invasive treatment
• no sedation or restraint required -- most cats purr throughout their treatment!
• can be combined with other medications and therapies as needed. By providing this multi-modal approach, the use of medication can often be decreased or eliminated altogether.
• immediate results -- most cats feel relief after their first treatment and are noticably more mobile after three.
• speeds healing -- post-operative, wounds, soft-tissue injury (sprains, strains)

Nutritional Counselling

Here at the Cat Hospital we believe that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. We recommend a variety of veterinary diets to ensure optimum nutrition for your feline friend. 

From kittenhood through the senior years, appropriate nutrient proportions and calorie content are important to contribute to the ongoing health of your cat. Certain disease conditions, including obesity, may warrant a change of diet over the years and by using a veterinary product you can be assured of consistency of ingredients, nutrient proportions and feeding amounts.

Obesity is a growing concern among our feline friends. High quality diets and the lazy indoor lifestyle have contributed to added pounds. As with humans, overweight cats are vulnerable to serious disease conditions.  We can tailor a veterinary-supervised weight management program for your kitty -- it is imperative for the health of your cat that weight loss is slow, gradual process.

Senior Wellness

Once your cat has turned 7 years of age, we recommend that he or she undergo a thorough wellness exam and diagnostic work-up.  Even though your kitty may seem perfectly healthy, there are several serious disease processes that do not produce outward signs until the disease is quite advanced. More advanced disease is harder to stabilize and may not be as responsive to treatment as those diagnosed early.

Early detection of such things as kidney and liver disease as well as thyroid dysfunction will allow us to begin treatment that will extend both longevity and quality of your kitty's life.



In addition, many symptoms that have been historically attributed to "just getting old" are both preventable and treatable ie. pain due to osteoarthritis.

Please feel free to contact us regarding a senior wellness exam for your feline friend. The golden years can be exactly that!

Adult Wellness

We recommend yearly physical examinations and vaccines to all of our adult patients, regardless of whether they are strictly indoor-dwellers or go outside. Contrary to popular belief, an indoor life does not mean your cat is immune to illness, infectious disease and parasites.

A yearly examination helps us provide wellness care for your kitty. A full physical exam can detect problems before they become clinically apparent. We also offer wellness screens including, but not limited to: blood, urine and fecal testing. Being proactive in our care for your beloved friend, helps us to identify and treat early disease processes before they result in illness. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can mean a longer, healthier life for your cat.

We follow the AAFP guidelines concerning vaccination and deworming schedules. These guidelines are constantly under review as more and more is understood about how vaccines work with the feline immune system. As a result, we use only non-adjuvanted vaccines -- which remain effective for one year.  We can tailor a vaccine program specific to the needs and lifestyle of your cat to help maintain wonderful good health through adulthood.

Kitten Wellness

Adding a new kitten to the family is an especially exciting and joyful time for everyone. At the Cat Hospital, it is with a special fondness that we welcome these new additions.

Our kitten wellness program is designed to offer all the benefits of veterinary care available from the moment he/she joins your family. Our recommendations include a series of vaccinations -- a schedule  of which will be tailored to your unique friend -- although we follow the AAFP guidelines and begin vaccinating at 8 weeks of age and continue through 16 weeks and beyond.

In addition, your kitten will be tested for internal parasites and routinely treated for the most common parasites effecting kittens.  A microscopic fecal examination will help us determine the presence of other parasites that may not be covered by our routine medication. Many of these parasites are zoonotic -- meaning they can be transmitted to humans -- so it's of the utmost importance that we address this particular concern. It is our philosophy to be proactive in these matters, ensuring the health and well-being of all members of your household.

We will also offer testing for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This simple blood test will allow us to screen your kitten for these serious viruses and help you make important decisions regarding the future healthcare of your cat.

Here at the Cat Hospital, we believe that excellent nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. We will discuss in detail the special nutritional requirements of kittens and make recommendations on the best diet for your growing bundle.

Above all, we wish to provide you with everything you will need to enjoy your new friend for many happy and healthy years to come.

Dental Services

Dental cleanings are performed under a general anaesthetic. Using an ultrasonic scaler, gross tartar deposits are removed and then hand instruments are used for fine cleaning of teeth both above and below the gum line. Teeth are then polished and treated with fluoride.

the same instruments that are used by your dental hygienist are used for the care of your kitty's teeth - in the above photo, an ultrasonic scale removes built-up deposits of tartar and plaque





below, the narrow crevices between teeth and below the gum-line are cleaned using an assortment of hand-held instruments

We also perform extractions when indicated -- resorptive lesions, broken/abscessed teeth.

Throughout the procedure, your kitty is maintained on IV fluids to support blood pressure and help in elimination of anaesthetic agents and your beloved cat has all vital signs monitored by highly trained personnel. Appropriate pain protocols are tailored individually to ensure your friend is happy and comfortable both before, during and after the procedure.