Surgical Services

Is your dog having trouble defecating, or is he scooting himself along the floor on his bottom? He could be suffering from a painful problem involving the anal glands. These glands can become infected, abscessed, or even cancerous. Sometimes the most effective treatment technique is a procedure called anal sacculectomy. If your pet needs this form of surgical care, our Toronto veterinarian at Jane Animal Hospital can provide it.

Removal of the Anal Glands: Why and How?

Some animals have anal glands which are located in structures called anal sacs, with one anal sac on each side of the anus. The purpose of the anal glands is to release a fluid that leaves a scent on objects, allowing the animal to mark his territory. These glands are periodically emptied out during the action of defecation. If a blockage occurs in one or both of the glands, swelling, infection, pain, itching, and a foul discharge may result. Medical treatment can often resolve the problem, but if the condition has become very severe or occurs frequently, anal sacculectomy may be the smartest response.

Anal glands can also develop tumors, although usually only one anal sac at a time is affected. The tumors may create significant pain and swelling, and they may also metastasize (spread) to other tissues, potentially threatening your pet's life. An anal sacculectomy is the preferred treatment method for dealing with these tumors as decisively and effectively as possible.

Expert Surgical Care from Our Toronto Veterinarian

Anal sacculectomy are relatively simple procedures which can completely solve your pet's anal gland issues. Our Toronto veterinarian will perform a pre-operative evaluation to make sure that your pet is a good candidate for surgery. Once your pet is sedated and anesthetized, the tissue over the anal sac is carefully opened, and the entire anal gland is extracted. If the anal sac is infected, we may place a drain to help any infected fluid exit the body. Otherwise, we will close the entire incision and cleanse the area with an antiseptic solution.

Once your pet is out of surgery, we will prescribe antibiotics, painkillers, and daily monitoring of the incision site for any signs of post-operative infection. Don't be too surprised if your pet experiences some constipation during his recovery. We can recommend products to help soften his stools and encourage normal elimination.

We love our pets and in homes across the country, dogs and cats are beloved members of many families. Taking care of our fury family members is a big responsibility and for many breeds there are specific health concerns to be on the lookout for. But one medical condition that can affect any breed of dog or cat, especially as they age, is urinary incontinence.

What Are the General Symptoms?

There are a number of general symptoms to look out for that can indicate your pet has a problem controlling their bladder and is dealing with incontinence issues. Dripping urine is among the most common early indications of incontinence. The prolonged exposure to urine and the chronically wet skin can cause redness, irritation, rash, blistering, and tenderness. This is one of the most recognizable symptoms of incontinence, along with excessive licking of the private area. You may also notice that sleeping areas are often wet, or your dog or cat may start having more accidents and not be able to make it outside or to their litter box in time. Other symptoms can be behavioural changes such as lethargy, irritability, or seeming depressed and uninterested in things they normally enjoy.

What Should I Do if My Pet is Incontinent?

Consult with a veterinarian, who can diagnose the condition that is causing your pet’s discomfort and issues. The veterinarian will take a look over your pet’s medical history, past medical issues, current activity and eating habits, and any other things that can help pinpoint what the cause may be. Common tests that the veterinarian team may order include a urine culture, physical exams, blood work, radiographs, urine cultures, and ultrasounds, among other diagnostic testing. Your veterinarian team will then go over results with you and work up a plan to treat your dog or cat and their specific incontinence issues.

What Are Some Complications to Watch For?

Some attacks of urinary incontinence come and go and can be minor inconveniences that clear up or major problems that affect life for you and your pet. Serious incontinence attacks can progress and cause more serious bladder and kidney infections, which, if left untreated, can lead to blood poisoning and sepsis, which are serious and can lead to death. A skin infection may result in areas that are in constant contact with urine or that are subjected to constant licking. This is why it is important to take your pet to a local Toronto animal hospital at the first warning signs of urinary incontinence.

Is Bladder Surgery Needed to Treat This Condition?

In most cases, urinary incontinence can be treated without surgery. However, for extreme cases or when there are other underlying conditions present, bladder surgery may be the best option to bring relief to your pet. Here at Jane Animal Hospital of Toronto, we can help make sure pet is happy and healthy. Call today to schedule an appointment!

Here at the Jane Animal Hospital in Toronto, our staff of veterinarians is familiar with a wide variety of pet illnesses. The majority of our patients can be treated with veterinary care quickly and sent home happier and healthier. One of the more serious conditions we face is when an animal, most often a dog, comes in with an intestinal blockage. This blockage can occur for a couple of different reasons.

Causes of Intestinal Blockage

One of the biggest causes of intestinal blockage is your pet ingesting something that isn't meant to be food. This is seen more often in dogs than cats because some dogs will eat anything they can swallow. Poisoning is also a high risk for these animals. If an object is small, it may simply work its way through your pet's digestive system and be discarded. In some cases, it may become twisted so it doesn't fit through the intestine or it is too large to pass. This can cause extreme distress for your pet. In some cases, a blockage can happen when the waste matter inside your pet becomes hardened and can't be passed. Sometimes a laxative may help but in other cases, more drastic measures may be needed. In both cases, your veterinarian may need to perform an enterotomy.

Performing an Enterotomy

During an enterotomy, your pet will be given an anesthetic. Once asleep, the veterinarian will make an incision in the abdomen to access the small intestine. They will then make another incision where the foreign object is located and gently remove it. Next comes stitching up the incisions and recovery. Your pet will need to spend a couple of days in the animal hospital, so they can be monitored. Once you take your pet home, there will need to be a time of limited activity until the incision completely heals. Once given the okay after a follow-up visit, your pet should be able to do all the things they did before the surgery. The prognosis is typically excellent.

Your pet's eyes may be one of the most expressive things about them - but when one of those eyes has a serious injury or disease, it might have to go. Enucleation, the surgical removal of an eye, is not performed lightly, but under the right circumstances it can drastically improve your pet's everyday comfort or even save their life. We can perform this procedure safely and effectively here at Jane Animal Hospital in Toronto.

When Your Pet's Eye Must Be Removed

Your pet's eyes are just as vulnerable as your own to damage. Some pets have a higher risk than others. For instance, if you have a flat-faced or brachycephalic pet, his facial structure offers less protection against foreign objects or other causes of acute eye injuries. A sufficiently severe injury may render the eye unable to see while also introducing the risk of secondary infection. Certain eye diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma, can also rob an eye of vision.

Most pets who lose the use of an eye don't need to have that eye removed; they can simply go about their daily lives without a sense of depth perception (which requires two eyes working in unison). Sometimes, however, it is unwise to let the damaged eye alone. Problems such as glaucoma, cancer, or an uncontrollable infection can make retaining the eye a risky proposition for your pet's overall health. Other pets may find that their disabled eye causes them constant pain. If all less invasive treatment options have failed to solve the problem, our veterinarian may recommend surgical enucleation.

Expert Care From Our Team

We will run all the necessary pre-operative tests to confirm that your pet is a good candidate for the procedure and determine the right amount of anesthesia to be used. After we remove the damaged or diseased eye, we simply stitch the eyelids closed. (Some pets may also be able to receive a plastic prosthetic to fill out the socket behind the eyelids.) Your pet will then wear a neck collar while the eye heal heals to prevent scratching or rubbing. You may be pleasantly surprised at how easily your pet learns to get around with just one eye.

Eyelid tumors affect both dogs and cats, although they are more common in dogs. While the appearance of a tumor on a pet can be alarming, not all are cancerous; in fact, we frequently see benign eyelid tumors in dogs. No matter which kind of tumor a pet has, prompt treatment is essential to keep the tumor from growing too large and harming the eye. 

Eyelid Tumours in Dogs

An eyelid tumour is essentially a lump that can vary in size, and it is the most common type of tumour that affects the eyes in dogs. Veterinary care for eyelid tumours in dogs starts with the removal of the tumour. Depending on the size of the tumour, removal may be through surgery under full anesthesia or by freezing with liquid nitrogen under sedation. With removal, most dogs fully recover, and there is only a 10 to 15 percent chance of the tumour returning. After removal, we conduct a biopsy to determine the exact type of tumour.

Dogs are most prone to adenomas, which are benign, and adenocarcinomas, which are a form of cancer. Cancerous eyelid tumours also include mastocytoma (mast cell), melanomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Some dogs develop benign histiocytoma or papilloma.

Eyelid Tumours in Cats

Unfortunately, most eyelid tumours in cats are malignant or cancerous. Similar to in dogs, veterinary care for eyelid tumours in cats includes removal by surgery, freezing or even radiation. Although we can remove the tumour and provide supportive care to improve your cat's quality of life, life expectancy may be as short as one to two months after removal. A biopsy allows us to properly diagnose the tumour and then work with you to determine treatment going forward.

One of the most common types of eyelid tumours is the squamous cell carcinomas, which in addition to the eyelid, may affect the conjunctivae and the third eyelid. These tumours present with a pink colour and feel rough, irregular and thick to the touch. White cats with white or uncolored eyelid edges are most susceptible to such tumours. Other less common tumor types include basal cell carcinomas, denocarcinomas, fibrosarcomas and neurofibrosarcomas.

If you're a longtime pet owner, you may already know that some forms of pet surgery are preventative in nature, rather than a response to an existing health crisis. Spay and neuter surgery is a good example and gastropexy surgery is another. This procedure can stabilize the position of your dog's stomach to prevent a potentially deadly condition called gastric dilatation volvulus, better known as bloat. Having this surgery performed while your pet is healthy and happy could make a big difference in ensuring that he stays that way and we administer the procedure here Jane Animal Hospital in Toronto.

Gastropexies to Prevent Bloat

Some animals run into trouble when they eat, especially large and deep-chested breeds of dogs such as Standard Poodles, German Shepherd Dogs, and Great Danes. As these dogs consume a meal, the stomach dilates and then twists. The twisting shuts off oxygen and blood supply to the stomach. The bloated stomach may even press against other organs, including the heart, with enough force to limit blood flow as well. Symptoms of this medical emergency include:

• Retching or non-productive vomiting
• Abdominal distention
• Abdominal pain
• Drooling
• Agitation
• Abnormally fast breathing rate

Once a case of bloat has set in, emergency surgery must often be performed to untwist the stomach and save the animal's life.

Gastropexy is a surgery that prevents the stomach from twisting. It may be performed in the wake of an emergency treatment for bloat, or it can be performed preemptively in dogs who are at elevated risk for the condition. If you own a large-breed dog or a dog with a deep chest structure, your faithful friend may benefit from having this procedure performed at our veterinary hospital before trouble can strike.

What to Expect

Our veterinarians and the rest of the veterinary team can evaluate your pet to determine whether your pet is a good candidate for preventative gastropexy. We can perform the traditional open form of this surgery, or we can arrange for a minimally-invasive laparoscopic operation. In either type of procedure, the stomach is sutured onto the wall of the abdomen. This holds the stomach in one position so that it can't twist over on itself and produce a life-threatening case of bloat. We administer this surgery under general anesthesia.

If your pet has already experienced bloat, schedule a preventative gastropexy to prevent a second bout. Dogs who skip this procedure have a 70 percent greater chance of recurrence.

When searching for a veterinarian for your pets, one of the things you should look for is a veterinary office that can provide laparoscopic surgery. This is a minimally invasive procedure that has been used with humans for years and is making its way into the animal world and transforming the way that pets have surgery.

Our veterinary care team can perform laporoscopic spays and gastropexies.

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Limb amputations are more common in pets than you may think. Your veterinarian may recommend amputation if your pet has sustained a severe injury after being hit by a car or during an accident. This procedure can save a pet's life if they are suffering from bone cancer or another disease. If your pet has recommended amputation for your pet, it can be very scary. It is important to understand that your pet can adapt quite easily as long as you follow a few tips.

The Amputation Procedure

Limb amputation is considered a major surgery. The procedure is performed at a veterinary clinic or animal hospital. Your pet would be anesthetized during the procedure, and the recovery time is much longer than routine surgeries.

Building Strength

It is essential that you help your pet build strength in their remaining limbs. Your veterinarian will give you an exercise program to slowly increase their exercise program. Too much exercise too soon can be harmful to your pet and their recovery.

Don't Encourage Your Pet to Jump

Your pet may want to jump up on your bed, the couch, or wherever their favourite spot to sleep is located. You should discourage this. If they try to jump, they will be disappointed when they can't. This can result in depression. To make their favourite spots more accessible, place a set of doggy stairs in front of their favourite area. Climbing stairs is much easier than jumping for amputees. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend other ways to make areas accessible.

Protect Your Pet

After the surgery, your pet won't be able to escape from dangerous situations the way they once could. This means that you need to protect them. If you have a dog, they should always go out on a leash. If you have a cat that was once an outdoor cat, you will need to keep them inside after the surgery.

If you have other pets in the home, you should reintroduce them to your three-legged pet after the surgery. While reuniting your pets, you should keep an eye on them for the first few days.

Many pet owners have never heard of mast cell tumours. When our veterinarian makes a diagnosis of this disorder, one of the first questions that owners often raise is whether these tumours are malignant or benign. Understanding more about this condition and how our team treats it can help reduce owner stress.

Understanding Mast Cell Tumours in Cats

Mast cell tumours in cats take their name from the fact that they develop in the animal’s mast cells.  These cells arise in a cat’s bone marrow but actually mature in peripheral tissue.

One job linked to mast cells is manufacturing several important chemicals, among them neutral proteases and histamine.  Every type of feline tissue contains some degree of mast cells.  However, the three places where they proliferate the most are in the skin, the respiratory tract, and the digestive tract.

Our veterinarian notes that these tumours represent around 20 percent of the feline skin masses we see. Fortunately, about 90 percent of mast cell tumours prove to be benign. The growths are typically hairless, small, and raised and most often appear on the head, neck, or trunk.  Owners sometimes comment that they have observed their pets itching.

Up to half of these tumours are classified as visceral, most often affecting the cat’s spleen or intestines. The growths are actually less common in cats than in dogs.

Treatment at Our Animal Hospital

Diagnosis of mast cell tumours usually occurs at our animal hospital after our veterinarian performs a fine needle aspiration of a growth. Visceral masses sometimes require the use of sedation and ultrasound in order to reach them. However, most felines with skin tumours do not require any sedation.

For both visceral and skin tumours, the standard veterinary therapy is surgery followed by a biopsy. The biopsy might reveal that the animal would benefit from chemotherapy. 

Our doctor notes that if the tumour proves malignant, the prognosis could vary significantly.  Two important factors to consider before deciding on treatment are where the tumours are growing and if they have metastasized at the time of surgery.

Pets can develop several dental problems, sometimes as a result of poor growth or accident and sometimes, due to genetic issues. These problems can seriously affect the animal’s ability to feed normally. Oral surgery may be needed to correct dental issues. At Jane Animal Hospital, we provide oral surgery for pets with dental problems. 

Common Dental Problems That May Require Surgery

Decayed teeth, broken teeth, loose teeth, retained baby teeth, and other dental problems can make eating difficult. Pets can often have accidents that cause damage to the teeth, which must then be removed to allow normal feeding. Infections of the teeth or gums might also require surgery to eliminate the source of the problem and restore stability to the teeth. 

Symptoms of Tooth Problems

You may notice your cat or dog pawing at the mouth. The animal may drool excessively or may have bad breath. The mouth area may be swollen. The animal may refuse food or may drop it while eating. General health may be affected, and your pet may seem sluggish or depressed. 

What Happens During Pet Oral Surgery?

Before pet surgery, veterinarians generally do blood testing to ensure the animal is healthy enough to undergo the procedure. At the time of surgery, your pet will be given an anesthetic to ensure they are comfortable during the procedure. After the procedure is completed, the animal will be monitored to make sure the anesthetic wears off normally and to check for bleeding or other problems. 

Recovery After Oral Surgery

Our veterinarian will provide medications for you to administer to prevent infection and will give you instructions on what you should feed your pet while they recover. You should monitor your pet carefully after oral surgery for any unusual bleeding, foul odour coming from the mouth, or any signs of physical distress. Call us if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s recovery. 

At Jane Animal Hospital we meet dogs who come in with this serious infection more often than we would like. We are highly qualified to help alleviate your dog's symptoms and clear up the infection. If your dog has shown signs of infection in her reproductive tract, be sure not to delay treatment because this condition can become deadly if left untreated. The good news is that the infection can be cleared up with pyometra surgery.

What is pyometra?

It is an infection that occurs in female dogs caused by hormonal changes in their reproductive tract. It is a very serious condition that, more often than not, requires surgical intervention. This treatment removes all the infected areas and leaves your dog spayed. This condition is more likely in dogs who have never had a litter of puppies.

Will my dog's infection clear up on its own?

It is not impossible with strong antibiotics and treatment. However, in most cases of pyometra, the preferred course of action to save the dog's life and reduce the risk of reinfection is a full spaying.

What are the symptoms of pyometra?

In open-cervix pyometra, the symptoms include discharged pus on the pet's bottom, tail, or bedding. In closed-cervix pyometra, this sign will be absent. In both cases, the signs include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, listlessness, vomiting, and even weight loss at the end stages. It is important that pyometra is noticed as soon as possible. 

Surgery includes a wide range of procedures, from routine diagnostic or preventative procedures to emergency veterinary care. As new techniques have evolved, new technology has sprung up to make surgery easier and more accurate than ever. One such technology is radiowave surgery, a minimally-invasive method that helps your pet heal faster and more comfortably from many kinds of surgery. 

The How and Why of Radiowave Surgery

Traditional surgery has employed the use of scalpels, sutures, and other instruments to make incisions, seal wounds, and remove tissue. This method, while effective, can force the surgeon to cut away more tissue than is strictly necessary, which in turn promotes bleeding, discomfort, and slow recuperation. Modern-day alternatives, including laser surgery and radiowave surgery, use different forms of energy to do the work of the scalpel. While laser surgery still presents certain risks, such as the accidental burning of tissue, radiowave surgery offers an ideal combination of effectiveness and safety.

In radiowave surgery, the primary care or emergency veterinarian uses a special handheld instrument with a microfiber tip. This microfiber tip receives radio-frequency (RF) waves from the instrument and transfers them to tissues when placed in contact with the animal's body. These radiowaves can make precise, fine incisions while also closing off blood vessels, vaporizing bacteria, and causing minimal tissue damage. As a result, your pet experiences less bleeding, less postoperative pain, and faster, less complicated healing from his procedure.

One big advantage of radiowave surgery over other scalpel-free surgical methods is the fact that the microfiber tip does not emit any heat. This eliminates the charring or burning risk associated with laser surgery. The high-energy radiowaves interact with the tissues in a manner that allows for safe cutting, cauterization, and coagulation.

The Minimally-Invasive Solution to Many Surgical Needs

Our team may recommend radiowave surgery for a variety of procedures. Radiowave surgery can help us perform mastectomies, skin tag or tumour removals, fistula repairs, soft palate surgery, spay or neuter surgery, and removal of overgrown eyelashes. We can also use it to take biopsy samples for diagnostic evaluation during the course of a pet exam.

Soft Tissue Repairs

Soft tissue injuries are common in pets. Accidents, fight with other animals and getting into a hazardous situation due to curiosity can happen at any time. Veterinarians are trained to deal with these injuries, allowing your pet to get back to normal activities as quickly as possible. At Jane Animal Hospital, we have extensive experience performing soft tissue repairs in pets.

Types of Soft Tissue Repairs

Soft tissue injuries generally include those of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It can also include wounds on the skin surface or problems with the gums or other soft tissue in the mouth. Injuries can include deep cuts, severe abrasions, tearing or separation. The injury may affect the animal's usual behaviour, such as not being able to walk normally, eat properly or other dysfunction. However, some soft tissue injuries may not affect function, but they still require treatment to prevent more severe health issues.

Diagnosing Soft Tissue Injuries

The veterinarian will carefully clean the wound and examine the tissue to determine the extent of the damage. If the wound is close to the joints or spine, x-rays may be done to ensure the bones have not been involved. Arthroscopy is also used to diagnose problems related to the function of the joints.

Treatment of Soft Tissue Injuries

Your veterinarian may do a number of procedures to carefully clean the wound and determine how much tissue has been damaged. Repair may require adjusting the edges of the tissue and suturing or more extensive surgical procedures. In some cases, your veterinarian in Toronto may recommend physical therapy after a repair to restore full function to the affected area.

Recovery From Soft Tissue Repairs

When an animal is recovering from a soft tissue repair, the owner is likely to be asked to change the bandage, monitor the wound for signs of infection and keep the animal quiet during the initial stages of healing. You should keep your pet from disturbing the area or licking at the incision. Your veterinarian will provide antibiotics to prevent infection and instructions on administering them. Follow-up visits to the veterinarian will ensure that healing is progressing normally.

Soft Tissue Surgery

Even healthy pets may develop a problem that requires surgery on the soft tissues of the body. Unusual growths, wound care and removal of foreign objects are common problems that our skilled veterinarians deal with on a routine basis. Our team provides safe and effective soft tissue surgery to ensure your pet gets back to full health.

What Types of Soft Tissue Surgery Are Performed?

Soft tissue surgery involves all procedures that do not involve the joints or spine of the animal. This includes surgeries on the head, neck, upper airway, chest, gastrointestinal system, urinary system, reproductive system, nerves or skin. This type of surgery can include simple removal of growths to more complex, exploratory surgery and can use both standard and laparoscopic techniques.

Caring For Your Pet After Surgery

Your veterinarian in Toronto will provide detailed instructions for the care of your pet after soft tissue or orthopedic surgery. Generally, you will be required to keep the animal quiet, preferably in an area of your home that has less traffic. You will be given instructions for feeding, wound care, medications and what symptoms might indicate a problem with healing. You will also be provided with a follow-up appointment to have the animal checked to ensure proper healing.

There are 1.2 million dogs born worldwide every day. Sadly, many of them won’t live to enjoy a full life with a loving family because of overpopulation. People who choose to become pet owners need to do their part to help control the animal population by having their pet spayed or neutered. Here at the Jane Animal Hospital in Toronto, we want to make people aware of the benefits associated with spaying and neutering their pets.

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Pets can require internal surgery just as we humans sometimes do. Internal problems that require surgery include injuries or disorders of the spleen, a relatively large organ that performs several useful functions. In such situations, a surgical procedure called a splenectomy may be in order. If your pet needs their spleen removed, we can provide this form of care.

When Your Pet Needs Their Spleen Removed

The spleen is an internal organ located near the stomach. While it isn't necessary for survival, it is capable of several handy and fascinating tasks. For instance, the spleen filters and/or removes old or imperfect blood cells from the blood supply. There are times when this useful organ serves more as a liability than as an ally. A pet's spleen may experience such issues as:

• Rupture due to an acute accident injury or bloat
• Overactive removal of red blood cells, causing anemia
• Tumours and other growths
• Infections or abscesses

These cases, and many other scenarios in which the condition of the spleen endangers your pet's health, may call for a splenectomy. Pets can receive either partial or total splenectomy, although a total splenectomy presents a lower risk of hemorrhage complications. 

Expert Surgical Care from Our Team

Rest assured that your pet's spleen problem can be successfully addressed here at Jane Animal Hospital. Our veterinarian will first run tests and perform diagnostic imaging, or in some cases, tissue sample removal for biopsy, to diagnose the problem at hand. In cases of bloat, we may perform a gastropexy to correct the twisting of the stomach as well as a splenectomy. Following a splenectomy, some pets can go home the same day, while others may require overnight monitoring. Expect your pet's total recuperation to take about two weeks. A neck collar or other protective device can keep your pet from bothering the incision site and possibly infecting it. Don't be alarmed if your pet looks noticeably thinner after a splenectomy. It simply means that the organ we removed was unnaturally enlarged.

Stenotic nares is a condition that causes breathing problems for certain dog breeds due to the way their head, muzzle, and throat are shaped. But don’t worry, as this is a condition that can be fixed with surgery. At Jane Animal Hospital, our veterinarians offer this surgery to help pets with stenotic nares to breathe better. Here is a bit of information that explains more about stenotic nares.

What Does Stenotic Nares Refer To?

Stenotic nares is one of the possible conditions of brachycephalic syndrome, an ailment that is caused by a set of abnormalities in the upper airway of shortened head dogs. Stenotic nares, in particular, refer to the malformed nostrils that are partially collapsed or too narrow to allow for proper breathing. This condition is typically found only in certain dog breeds. However, it can be an issue with some Persian cat breeds, too.

Types of Breeds Stenotic Nares Affect

Dogs bred for shorter noses, or particular head shapes may be most at risk for stenotic nares, such as English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Pekingese.

Stenotic Nares Surgery

Stenotic nares is an uncomfortable condition that can cause breathing issues, sleeping problems, and a variety of other serious symptoms. The most effective solution is surgery. During surgery, a veterinarian will remove small sections in your dog’s nostrils where the folds make it difficult to breathe. By doing this, it essentially widens the inner nostril opening and makes it easier for your dog to breathe. 

You will probably notice that your pet’s nostrils look larger or “unblocked” after the surgery, but otherwise, your pet will still look the same.

When Your Pet Should Have This Surgery Done

The sooner your pet can have stenotic nares surgery done, the better it is for your animal. Most veterinarians recommend doing this type of surgery around the time your pet gets spayed or neutered. Leaving this condition untreated can create serious health problems as your pet grows.