Pet Surgery Pricing

The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), also known as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans, is found in the knee (called the stifle in pets). When this ligament is torn, an abnormal shearing force occurs causing pain and arthritis over time. The lateral suture surgical technique places a false ligament on the outside of the joint to stabilize the knee allowing return of function and slowing the progression of arthritis. Pets must have strict rest post-op to allow scar tissue to form. Crate rest is the only way to ensure pets will lie still and rest. A crate is required, and the pet must stay in the crate, other than to go to the bathroom, for the first 2 weeks. It is up to you to keep your pet calm and under control. It is the pushing off / accelerating forward/ jumping motion that can cause your pet to damage the repair. Even after the crate rest period, no exercise should be allowed for 6 weeks. Pets must stay on a short leash when outside and under control at all times to prevent above mentioned movements. Crate rest should be used for a longer period if your pet will not behave calmly out of the crate after the first 2 weeks. Learn More and Watch our ACL Video (Cruciate ligament repair done with the lateral suture technique)

The most common reasons for amputations include growths, trauma, and dislocation. Pets are not vain and do not care how they look as long as they continue to receive love. Pets do very well with only 3 legs.

The most common reasons for tail amputations include growths, trauma, and malformations.

Animals have 3 eyelids. The same two lids (upper and lower) that we have, and a third that crosses from the nose side. This third eyelid contains a gland that produces tears to keep the eye moist. When this gland becomes inflamed, it swells and has the appearance of a cherry sitting in the corner of the eye. The inflammation is usually caused by infection or irritation from hair, dust, etc. It is important to keep the hair trimmed around the eyes to help decrease irritation. To remove a cherry eye, we remove a portion of the gland so that enough gland is preserved to still make tears but not enough to swell outside of the pocket it normally resides in. It is extremely rare for dry eye to occur after a cherry eye repair, but if it occurs, moisturizing drops will be needed long term. We do not “tack” cherry eyes at Helping Hands.

Cryptorchid means a retained testicle that has not fallen into the scrotal sac. When this occurs, it is found either in the inguinal region or in the abdomen. No matter where the testicles are found, they are both removed when your pet is neutered.

Learn More and Watch our Dental Video (includes bloodwork, anesthesia, teeth cleaning, extractions of any teeth visually decayed or loose, and medications if necessary)

Helping Hands is pleased to announce that we are now offering the option of dental radiographs for your pet! Radiographs are beneficial in allowing us to visualize the parts of your pet’s teeth that are underneath the gumline. Being able to see this area allows a better assessment of the overall oral health of your pet. Some of the conditions radiographs allow us to assess include, but are not limited to: bone loss, tooth resorption, tumors, retained roots and fractures. Full mouth radiographs before and after a dental procedure can help diagnose pre-existing problems and ensure that all problem teeth are fully addressed. Learn More and Watch our Dental Video (includes bloodwork, anesthesia, teeth cleaning, extractions of any teeth visually decayed or loose, and medications if necessary).

Dewclaws are residual thumbs. The dewclaw nails do not make contact with the ground and tend to grow around and back into the paw if they are not kept trimmed. They can be found on either the front or rear paws, attached by bone or loosely hanging. Not all dogs have dewclaws. They are most often removed due to nail entrapment, infection, or if owners are unable to keep the nails trimmed.

Entropion is a rolling in of the eyelids leading the lashes to rub on the eyeball. This can cause minor irritation up to severe corneal ulcerations. The number of affected lids depends on your pet’s anatomy. A minor nip-tuck of the eyelid will allow the lid to unroll and relieve the irritation to the eye. It is best to slightly overcorrect the lid so that any future irritation will not allow the lid to roll back in. You may see a bit of pink in your pet’s eye once the lids are corrected. This is simply the conjunctiva around your pet’s eye. Sometimes visibility of the pink area will subside as the swelling goes down, other times you may continue to see the pink area. This is cosmetic only and will not negatively affect your pet. The fee for correction is per lid, not per eye. One to four lids can be affected.

Enucleation is removal of the eye ball. There are many reasons that the eye ball needs removal. Trauma, glaucoma, and cancer are the 3 most common reasons. When the eye is removed, the lids are closed and sealed. Hair will regrow over the area and the skin will usually lie flat. Pets compensate well with only one eye.

Helping Hands does not offer mesh for hernia repairs.

If a tumor is present, this price may increase. Neuter is the term used for removing the testicles in a male pet. The scrotal sac is retained and will usually shrink on its own over time. If you would like to have the scrotal sac removed, please discuss prior to scheduling with us, the fee for a scrotal ablation is posted above. This procedure is recommended for young pets as a preventative measure, not only to prevent pet overpopulation, but for many behavioral and medical reasons as well. Retained testicles, testicular cancer, testicular torsion, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, perineal hernias (due to straining from an enlarged prostate), and increased incidence of UTIs and urinary bladder stone formation. This list contains the most common medical concerns in unneutered males that we see on a daily basis.

A PU is the medical term, in cats, for shortening and widening the penis to make a larger opening for your cat to be able to urinate through to help decrease the chance of repeat urinary blockages. Medical management and working closely with your veterinarian after surgery is imperative. All cats are required to be neutered ($55) either prior to or at the time of this procedure. We require your veterinarian to rule out bladder stones via an x-ray or ultrasound (sometimes both are needed) prior to this surgery to determine if stones are present in the bladder and/or urethra. In some cases, a cystotomy is required in addition to a perineal urethrostomy. Learn more about Perineal Urethrostomy.

Pyometra is a life threatening infection of the uterus. If left untreated, the uterus can rupture and your pet will die. Early spaying is recommended to prevent this life threatening condition. Pyometra most commonly occurs in an unspayed pet within a few weeks of your pet being in heat.

Spay is the term used for removal of the uterus and ovaries. This procedure is usually recommended for young pets as a preventative measure, not only to prevent pet overpopulation, but for many medical reasons as well. Pyometra (infected uterus, a life threatening condition), uterine and ovarian cancer, prolapsed uterus or vagina, dystocia (puppies trapped in the birth canal requiring emergency c- section), and breast cancer (85% higher incident in unspayed females). This list contains the most common medical concerns in unspayed females that we see on a daily basis.

Splenectomy is removal of the spleen. The spleen is an abdominal organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells and forms part of the immune system. Other organs take over these functions if the spleen is removed. The most common reasons we remove spleens are due to trauma (splenic rupture), cancer, and splenic torsion (twisting of the spleen cutting off blood supply). Some patients may require blood transfusions before, during or even after a splenectomy. Helping Hands does not offer blood products.

Stomach tacking is a preventative surgery to reduce the chance of bloat. Bloat is a surgical emergency to untwist the stomach that has been distended with gas and fluid. It occurs when a deep chested dog’s stomach fills with fluid or food and then twists and begins to distend with gas. When the stomach twists, it pulls the spleen along with it and can cause shock and then death. When the stomach is tacked preventatively, it will be unable to twist, therefore reduce the chance of the life threatening emergency known as bloat.

Excessive skin folds around the vagina can lead to chronic skin irritation and urinary tract infections. Removing this excess skin through surgery allows air to circulate and keeps debris from getting trapped between skin folds. This makes for a much happier and more comfortable pet. It is a requirement at Helping Hands that your pet be spayed for this surgery. See spay pricing if necessary.

Most often the vagina will prolapse when a dog is in heat due to swelling of uterine tissue or the presence of a mass. We require a spay for these pets to bring them out of heat faster so that the swelling will potentially improve. See spay pricing for details. Should treatment beyond a spay be necessary, pricing will be determined in person.

Wounds have many causes, sizes, and locations. They are usually treated by cleaning, debriding (removal of damaged tissue), and closing/suturing the wound. A drain may be placed in a wound if there is concern for fluid build-up under the skin. Instructions for care will be sent home with you.