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SURGICAL CARE Today more than ever, pets are considered true members of our family.  Whenever they get sick or become injured, we want the best possible care for them.  Our hopsital is staffed by very skilled doctors and veterinary technicians.  The highest quality care and client satisfaction are our top priorities.  Our commitment to providing you and your pet with the most advanced surgery is second to none.  Switzerland Animal Hospital is fully equipped and prepared to perform most soft tissue surgeries ranging from neuters and spays to exploratory surgeries, elongated palate resection, and hernia repair.  We also routinely perform repairs for torn cruciate ligaments (ACL tears), patella luxations, hip surgeries, and bone fractures. Prior to any surgery, patients receive a thorough physical exam.  An intravenous catheter is placed, and fluid therapy is initiated.  This will help maintain proper hydration, nutrition, and blood pressure. We monitor carbon dioxide and oxygen pressure (pulse oximetry) as well as EKG and blood pressure (constant interval reading) to assure a safe anesthesia and surgery. Pain management is an integral part of our surgical protocol before, during, and after surgery.  We urge you to discusss any concerns you might have with any of our staff members. LASER SURGERY We have been offering advanced CO² laser surgery to our clients since 1997.  We were one of the first veterinary hospitals in Northeast Florida to offer this service.  Since then we have accumulated a wealth of experience that is truly benefitting our patients.  There are many cases where laser surgery is far superior to conventional (scalpel) surgery.  It led us to make it mandatory for declaw surgery in cats. We also use it for any type of soft tissue surgery including entropion and ectropion repair, skin tumors, soft palate surgery, and other oral and soft tissue surgeries. How it works: the laser is an intense beam of light that vaporizes the water in tissues.  The length of time that the tissue is exposed to the laser determines the amount of vaporization and precise depth of the cut.  The energy released seals the nerve endings and blood vessels therefore minimizing bleeding and postoperative pain. The Benefits:  •  Less pain – the laser seals nerve endings as it moves through tissue.  Your pet will feel less pain after surgery. •  Less bleeding and swelling – the laser seals small blood vessels and lymphatics during surgery resulting in a quicker procedure and less postoperative swelling.  •  Extreme precision:  the laser enables us to only affect or remove target tissue, leaving healthy surrounding tissue intact. •  Reduce risk of infection:  the high heat of the laser destroys bacteria and other microorgranisms as it moves through diseased tissue thereby reducing the chance for infection. Quick recovery: for the reasons outlined above, your pet’s comfort level after surgery will be higher and they will return to their normal activity more quickly.