* Our waiting room is closed, please stay in your car. All services will be done curbside.
Westborough, MA 01581
Surgery
Healthy Paws is equipped to perform a wide variety of surgical procedures, from routine spay & neuter surgeries, to more complex orthopedic procedures, & everything in between.
Services
Spay & Neuter
Mass removal
Abdominal surgery
Bladder surgery
Cesarean section
*orthopedic specialist available
At Healthy Paws Vet Center we are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care to all our patients. Our staff regularly participates in continued education trainings in order to perform advanced anesthetic procedures combined with cutting edge technology. Surgery teams include at least one doctor as well as two qualified veterinary technicians. Prior to surgery, all patients undergo a physical exam as well as lab testing to assess their general health. An IV catheter is placed in order to allow for rapid medication administration as well as fluid support throughout the procedure. During surgery, our technicians continuously monitor vital signs to ensure a safe anesthetic experience. Following surgery, each patient is carefully monitored to ensure a comfortable recovery. Once the procedure is finished a technician will call you with an update and to schedule a pickup time. Our team will be here for you and your pet every step of the way and we are happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Surgical protocols: What are they and why are they important?
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Pre-Operative Blood Work – Prior to anesthesia we run a CBC (complete blood cell count) to make sure the patient is not anemic and has plenty of white blood cells to fight infection and platelets to clot blood effectively. We also run a “mini” chemical profile (referred to as a chem 10) to make sure the liver and kidneys are functioning well and the blood sugar and protein levels are normal. Some pets can appear perfectly healthy, but have some problems only apparent early on in the blood work.
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IV Catheter – An IV catheter is placed to allow for continuous fluid administration during surgery as well as IV medication administration.
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IV Fluid Support – this helps support and correct when the blood pressure falls too low due to the anesthesia- this makes sure the brain, kidneys and other vital organs have normal blood flow and oxygen delivery to stay healthy during anesthesia.
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Anesthesia – all patients receive a pre-operative medication to help relax patients and start early pain control and allows us to use less anesthetic gas during the procedure. A breathing tube is placed in all patients which maintains an adequate airway and allows us to control the airway in the case of an emergency. Unlike injectable anesthesia, gas anesthesia allows almost instantaneous changing of the dose and rapid recovery from the procedure after surgery.
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Intra-Operative Monitoring – we have a dedicated veterinary technician constantly monitoring your pet- from the time the patient is placed under anesthesia through recovery- they are glued to your pet- checking vitals, monitoring blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, and making constant adjustments in the anesthesia gas level, IV fluid rat, giving forced breaths (for extra oxygen) if needed, etc. If the technician has any concerns, they know to consult the Dr immediately. This in turn allows the surgeon to be able to concentrate 100% on the surgery knowing that the technician will alert them if there is any problem with the patient.
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Bair Hugger – warming blanket used to support core body temperature.
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Post-Operative Pain Control – we send patients home with post-operative pain management. This is not an option; pain management is part of the package.
Spay & Neuter
Spaying and neutering your pets is an important part of wellness care. There are several well documented health and behavioral benefits of spaying or neutering your pet and leading veterinary experts all agree that the benefits greatly outweigh any perceived risk. We have developed a package price which includes all the components we feel is important to ensure the safety and comfort of your pet. This includes anesthesia, surgery, and post-operative recovery including pain control.
Benefits include:
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Better health for longer life – Spayed/Neutered pets have less chance of getting cancer, infections, and other health problems. On average spayed/neutered pets also have a longer life span.
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Reduced behavioral problems – Many unwanted behaviors like wandering, spraying and mounting are greatly reduced in pets that have been spayed/neutered. They’re also less aggressive towards other animals that they will encounter.
Questions & Answers:
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When should I spay or neuter my pet? Some situations may vary, but on average your pets should be spay/neutered between 6-12 months of age.
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What does the Healthy Paws package include? Pre-Operative Exam- the morning of the surgery, the patient is checked to make sure they are healthy and make sure there are no new problems that need to be addressed first or added onto the patient’s care. For example- does the patient have any retained baby teeth that should be extracted while the patient is under anesthesia?
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Can I get a spay or neuter cheaper somewhere else? Absolutely. There are a number of low cost spay neuter practices and groups. They do very high volumes of pets and cut corners to save money. They do not check pre-operative blood work, most do not place IV catheters or have pets on IV fluids. Most do not intubate patients and do surgeries under long lasting injectable anesthesia, and there is little to no patient monitoring.
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What is the recovery time? In general, animals’ recovery from most injuries faster than humans, but they will need some special care afterwards. Neutered males are generally fine after some rest the first day. Spayed females should be kept quiet for 3-5 days following the procedure. If appropriate we will work with you to give them pain management medication to keep them as comfortable as possible.
Visiting Orthopedic Specialist
Dr. Robert McCarthy, DVM, DACVS
Healthy Paws works with orthopedic specialist on a scheduled as needed basis. Dr. McCarthy is a veterinary surgeon specializing in both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. For Dr McCarthy's complete biography profile click HERE.
Education
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MS - University of Minnesota - 1992
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DVM - Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine - 1983
Board Certification
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American College of Veterinary Surgery