Cat and Dog Surgery in Chicago with Compassion and
Precision

At South Loop Animal Hospital, our surgical teams are dedicated to every pet’s successful procedure and full recovery. Our AAHA-accredited animal hospital brings only the best surgical veterinary practices to the table. We handle both planned and emergency cat and dog surgeries, so we’re here for you in any situation. We do everything we can to minimize risks and ensure your pet’s safety and comfort from start to finish.

Do you have questions about cat or dog surgery at South Loop Animal Hospital? Call us at (312) 753-5551 or book an appointment online.

Vet Examining a Dog Before Surgery in Chicago

On the Day of Cat or Dog Surgery

When you bring your pet in for surgery, we assign them a dedicated team for the entire procedure. First, before each dog or cat surgery, we perform a pre-surgical exam and pre-anesthetic bloodwork to ensure they are healthy enough for their anesthesia protocol. Each pet receives a personalized dose of the anesthetic tailored to their breed, weight, and health condition.

Comprehensive Monitoring During Cat and Dog Surgery

During dog or cat surgery, your pet receives fluids from an IV catheter which help stabilize their blood pressure and fluid balance throughout anesthesia. It also allows us to administer drugs immediately should the need arise. Additionally, we monitor your pet’s vitals including blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, body temperature, and respiration. Furthermore, a certified veterinary technician is on constant monitoring duty to catch any subtle changes throughout the entire dog or cat surgery.

Vet checking a cat's heart before surgery in south loop

Cat and Dog Surgeries We Perform

We have the ability to perform most soft tissue procedures ourselves and we work with a number of board-certified surgeons in the Chicago area to refer your pet for any specialty surgery.

Our list of surgeries includes:

  • Mass removals
  • Laceration repair
  • Soft tissue biopsy
  • Ear hematoma repair
  • Umbilical and inguinal hernia repairs
  • Stenotic nares repair (widening the nostrils of brachycephalic breeds)

We also perform abdominal and ophthalmological dog and cat surgeries such as:

Abdominal:

  • Cystotomy (bladder surgery)
  • Splenectomy (spleen removal)
  • Gastrotomy/Enterotomy (stomach and intestine exploration)
  • Gastropexy (to prevent bloat and flipping of the stomach)

Ophthalmology:

  • Ocular enucleation (eye removal)
  • Eyelid tumor removal
  • Third eyelid gland reduction (cherry eye treatment)
  • Third eyelid gland reduction with cartilage

Dog and Cat Pain Management and Post-Surgical Care

Every dog and cat surgery comes with some level of pain, so we aim to make your pet as comfortable as possible. We administer pain medication before surgery and will send you home with at-home medication, too. Pet surgery recovery times may vary, so the amount and we'll tailor the type of pain medication to your pet and their procedure.

Additionally, we send you home with detailed instructions on how to ensure a full and timely recovery. Our team even follows up with a phone call to check in about your pet's condition. If you have questions or concerns about our pet surgery procedures, give us a call at (312) 753-5551.