The practice performs a range of surgical procedures daily including:

• Emergency surgery – including but not limited to pyometra, internal bleeding, blocked urethras, and lacerations.
• Desexing operations – castration and spey for dogs, cats, rabbits, and small pocket pets.
• Cruciate ligament repair
• Lump removal – both internal and externally
• Soft Tissue Surgery – including but not limited to intestinal foreign body removal, intestinal resections, cystotomies, and internal biopsies.
• Orthopaedic Surgery – cruciate ligament correction, patella correction, simple fracture repairs and hip repairs.
• Exploratory surgery
• Routine dental procedures – oral assessment, radiographs, and extractions if indicated.
• Specialised oral surgery

Do you have questions about your pet’s surgery?

Don’t hesitate to call us on: 02-9416-1300 with any questions about your pet’s surgery. You can also easily book an appointment online to discuss surgery options or get a second opinion from our veterinarians. This allows us to get to know you and your pet before the procedure.

• Our great surgical team. Both our veterinary surgeons and nurses are experienced and qualified to perform or monitor routine and non-routine operations. We provide regular in-house and external continual education for our vets and nurses to ensure they are up to date with the ideal surgical and anaesthetic protocols for your pet’s procedure.
• Anaesthetic risk minimising protocols. All animals undergoing a procedure will have a pre-sedation and post-sedation check, at minimum a blood test to check hydration and red blood cell status, intravenous fluids throughout the procedure and ongoing monitoring both intra-operatively and post-operatively by a veterinary nurse. These measures reduce anaesthetic related complications associated with surgical procedures.
• Compassion. All the staff at The Ark have their own pets and understand the feeling associated with them undergoing an anaesthetic and surgery. We are happy to have you call to check how your pet is going and strive to keep you up to date with progress of their procedure.
• Collaboration with Specialists. If your pet requires a specialised procedure, we will suggest having our specialist surgeon visit to perform the surgery or we will recommend travelling a short distance to see them instead. Your pet is our priority and if our veterinary team feels they cannot perform a procedure we will inform you of the best path forwards.

‘Tumour’ is a scary word, which is why an unknown lump can be so frightening for an owner. If you notice a lump on your pet, it’s very important to notify your veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can investigate. Lumps are more common in older dogs and can be harmless (benign) or may be a consequence of cancer (malignant). Types of benign growths include slow-growing lipoma or cysts. In this case, lump removal is usually necessary if they restrict your pet’s movement, make them uncomfortable or they become irritated when your pet scratches them. Both internal and external malignant tumours can require removal to prevent them from getting larger or spreading. The most important thing is to bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as your notice an abnormal lump. Or an old lump that has changed suddenly, as they can determine the potential causes and work out the best treatment strategy.

To help plan a lump removal, often your vet will take a small sample of cells from the lump and send them for analysis to identify its cause. Some lumps need to be completely removed, with a clear margin of tissue around them (to reduce the risk that any is left behind). Others may only need to be removed so that they make your pet’s life more comfortable.

The surgery itself involves a pre-operation blood test to ensure that the anaesthetic can proceed safely and a general anaesthetic. So your pet does not feel the procedure. For external lumps, your vet may only need to make a surface incision. Internal lumps may require more than one incision to access the tissue where the lump is located. Either way, your pet will come home with some stitches covered with a bandage. They may need to wear a collar to prevent them excessively licking, scratching or pulling at them before the wound is healed.

Recovery from a lumpectomy can take 10-14 days. You may be sent home with some medication for pain relief in the days immediately following the surgery to make your pet more comfortable. It’s important to keep your pet quiet. Avoid any strain on the wound (such as jumping off sofas or into cars), and keep a close eye on your pet’s wound during this time. Keep it dry and clean, and notify your veterinarian if you notice any changes in your pet’s behaviour or changes at the wound site.

In an emergency, your primary concern is that your pet is going to be okay. At the Ark, we are equipped to perform emergency surgery on your pet and help them get back to their normal life.
These surgeries include:

Your dog or cat may require exploratory abdominal surgery for a number of reasons. Whilst blood tests, X-rays and ultrasounds provide us with diagnostic information, sometimes surgery is required to properly diagnose a pet’s illness. In exploratory surgery, your veterinarian will make an incision in the abdomen to examine their patient’s internal organs. From here, either the cause of the disease, such as a tumour or foreign body in the stomach, can be removed.

In some cases, a biopsy is taken, where a special tool, a bit like a hole punch, removes a small amount of tissue from the intestine or organ of interest. The hole is easily closed with a few sutures. The biopsy is then sent away for further analysis.  This can be vital in diagnosing conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or identifying the type and stage of a tumour. For this type of surgery your pet will be under general anaesthetic.

For more information on preparing your pet for anaesthetic and how to take care of them afterwards please check out our information on this page. It’s natural to be nervous if your pet requires surgery. Our veterinary team is always happy to answer any of your questions and alleviate your concerns while providing your pet with the highest quality of care. Both in identifying what is wrong and supporting them as they recover.

Soft tissue surgery encompasses the majority of surgical procedures that do not involve the bones and joints, and so covers gastrointestinal, urogenital, cardiothoracic as well as ear, nose and throat surgeries. The Ark is equipped to perform a wide range of these procedures, including but not limited to removal of intestinal foreign bodies, intestinal resections (where a portion of the intestine is taken out to remove a blockage) or taking an internal biopsy. The most common form of soft tissue surgery is the removal of lumps or cysts. Depending on your pet’s condition and the complexity of the surgery required, they may require a general anaesthetic and their recovery time will vary – on the whole, it’s important to keep any sutured wounds clean and dry and keep your pet quiet in the weeks following the operation. As always, the team at the Ark will provide you with everything you need so that you are prepared for the operation and your pet’s recovery goes smoothly.We are only a phone call away if you notice anything strange or have any concerns.

Surgical procedures that involve the bones and joints are referred to as orthopaedic surgery. Problems with the bones and joints are very common in our pets. Particularly as they age due to wear and tear, and can be extremely painful.

To help your pets live as comfortably as possible, the Ark conducts a variety of these procedures. Examples are; cruciate ligament repair, patella correction, hip repairs as well as the treatment of simple fractures. Patella correction prevents your pet’s kneecap from moving out of place, minimising knee pain caused by cartilage erosion. The cruciate ligament runs from the femur to the knee, and if torn causes lameness and a lot of pain.

Orthopaedic surgery can be complex and is often conducted under general anaesthetic. However the modern equipment and operating techniques used at the Ark give the best outcome for your pet. Following some surgeries, such as cruciate ligament repair, it is recommended that you get your pet moving after surgery (a sort of pet physiotherapy). Others, such as fracture repair and patella correction, require you to keep your pet as rested as possibly following their operation.

Our veterinary team will provide you with extensive, personalised aftercare notes and will help your pet recovery as comfortably and pain free as possible.