Veterinary Surgery in Torrance

Surgical Procedures in Torrance

At Harbor Animal Hospital, we perform medical and emergency surgeries to help treat disease and conditions in pets or to repair injuries sustained through trauma.

Our Torrance vets routinely perform the following elective and non-elective surgeries:

• Soft Tissue Surgery

  For pets suffering from ear, nose, and throat disorders, we offer soft tissue surgical procedures.

  These procedures are also available for hepatic, urogenital, oncological, cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders. 

• Spaying & Neutering

  When we spay or neuter a cat or dog, we surgically sterilize them to prevent disease and provide them with an extended life expectancy. 

• Ocular

  If your pet is experiencing pain, redness, or other symptoms in or around their eyes, they may need ocular surgery.

  Eyelid tumor removal, cataract surgery, ectropion surgery, entropion surgery, orbit exenteration, and cherry eye surgery are all common ocular treatments for cats and dogs.

  If your cat or dog requires a veterinary surgical specialist to perform the surgery, our veterinarians will refer you to a pet surgeon near Torrance and work closely with your animal surgeon to ensure that your pet receives the best possible care. 

• Mass Removal

  Cats and dogs can develop masses associated with the skin. Masses can also grow inside a body cavity and can be serious or life-threatening.

  Mass removal surgery is a fairly common procedure for both cats and dogs.

• Foreign Body

  Whether your pet ate an object they shouldn't have or was wounded in an accident, we can conduct foreign body surgery to remove it.

  In some cases, specialized skills or equipment are needed to perform pet surgery. If that is the case for your animal, your vet will refer you to a cat or dog surgeon near Torrance and work closely with your veterinary surgeon to ensure that your dog or cat receives the very best care.

• Wounds

  Wounds occur when living tissue has been cut, broken, burnt, torn, or otherwise damaged.

  These wounds must be cleansed, disinfected, and properly cared for by a trained veterinarian as soon as possible.

• Urethrectomy

  During a urethrectomy, our vets remove all or part of the urethra.

• Cystectomy

  During a cystectomy, an incision is made into the dog or cat's urinary bladder to facilitate the removal of bladder stones and/or urethral stones.

• Orthopedic Surgery

  Orthopedic surgeries correct injuries and diseases of the bones, ligaments, joints, tendons, and other skeletal structures in your pet.

  If your dog or cat is suffering from a condition or injury that requires specialized surgery, our on-call surgeon, Dr. Zachary Smith, will be able to perform orthopedic procedures, including Tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO).

• Dental Surgery

  Our veterinarians provide dental surgeries for dogs and cats. These surgeries can range from tooth extractions to gum disease treatment and jaw fracture repairs.

The Surgery Process

We realize that bringing your pet in for surgery can be nerve-racking. Please be assured that we only propose surgery when it is in the best interests of your pet.

We will ensure that you fully understand why we are recommending surgery and that you are comfortable making the decision to move ahead.

If your pet requires advanced care, our vets will refer you to a veterinary surgeon near Torrance, and work closely with your vet surgeon to ensure that your pet receives the best possible care. 

Surgical protocols at our clinic include:

Pre-surgical assessments: We will check the surgery details, do a physical examination of the patient, and ensure that blood tests have been conducted and evaluated by the veterinarian in order to identify if your pet is at risk of anesthesia-related problems.

Dedicated surgical suites: Surgeries are performed in a dedicated surgical suite. To avoid illness and cross-contamination, this area is kept totally sterile.

Surgical attire: Our staff wears disposable caps and masks at all times when they are in the surgical suite. Those involved in the procedure itself will also wear sterile gowns and single-use gloves.

Sterile packs and equipment: We carefully clean, sterilize and wrap our surgical instruments and equipment prior to every surgery.