Common Dog Surgery Questions: Procedures, Anesthesia, Rehab & More

It's possible that your dog will need surgery at some point in their life. While the prospect of your beloved pooch getting operated on might seem scary, knowing the facts about dog surgery can help reduce your fear around this aspect of pet health care. Here are some of the most common questions that pet parents have regarding surgeries and their dogs:

What Are Common Surgeries in Dogs?

Surgery is an everyday occurrence in most veterinary hospitals, with some of the most common types being dental surgeries, spays and neuters. Whether or not a dog has to stay overnight at the hospital following surgery depends on the type of surgery they have and your dog's overall health.

Common Outpatient Dog Surgeries

These are some of the most common surgeries in dogs that usually allow them to go home the same day:

• Skin mass removal
• Wound repair
• Dental work
• Spaying and neutering
• Eye surgery

Surgeries That Might Require an Overnight Stay

Depending on the situation, your dog could be able to go home the same day of these procedures or might need to stay at the hospital or clinic for one or more days:

• Ear surgery
• Knee surgery
• Fracture repair surgery
• Limb amputation

Surgeries That Usually Require an Overnight Stay

Typically, these procedures require your dog to stay overnight:

• Abdominal surgery
• Nose or throat surgery
• Spinal or brain surgery
• Heart or lung surgery
• Anal gland abscess repair or anal sacculectomy surgery

Who Performs Dog Surgery?

All veterinarians are licensed to perform surgery and many are excellent surgeons. The types of surgery your vet performs will depend on their experience, comfort level and the equipment they have at their disposal.

Your dog might require a particular surgery that your vet isn't trained to perform or isn't comfortable performing. If your pet needs a complex or difficult surgery, your vet may refer you to a board-certified veterinary surgeon. Some surgical procedures, such as a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, can only be done by surgeons who are specifically trained and licensed to perform that surgery. For a list of other surgeries performed by board-certified veterinary surgeons check out this resource from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

What Type of Anesthesia Is Used for Dog Surgery?

The kind of anesthesia your dog will receive depends on the type of surgery and the vet's preference. Minor surgeries can be performed under injectable sedation. Most other surgeries use a combination of gas anesthesia, injectable anesthetic drugs and local nerve blocks with lidocaine or bupivacaine. Surgeons performing certain procedures, such as surgery of the spine, hip or urinary system, may also use a spinal or epidural block, which blocks pain from specific areas of the body.

What Is the Typical Recovery Time After Dog Surgery?

Your dog's recovery time will depend on their overall health, age and the type of surgery they receive. It may only take a day or two for a dog to recover from a minor surgery, such as a mass removal, neuter, dental surgery or eye surgery. It can take days to weeks to recover if your dog is already sick or if they undergo a more invasive surgery.

It generally takes dogs the longest to recover from orthopedic and spinal surgeries because bone and nerve cells take longer to repair themselves. In the case of hip or knee surgery, total recovery and return to normal function can take six to eight months.

Recovery is very dependent on your dog taking it easy and following your veterinarian's recommendation to the letter. Your dog should keep quiet or be crated to rest while recovering. It's also very important to follow your vet's advice on medication during the recovery period to avoid complications or extending the recovery period in general.