VetMedWear Gown - Sputer Shirt - VetMedWear Suit

 

• Ovariohysterectomy – This is a fancy word for Spay. It entails incising the abdomen and full removal of the patients uterus and ovaries. No babies or pyometras for these girls! (Bonus definition: Pyometra is a serious infection of the uterus causing it to fill up with purulent material and risk rupture. It can be fatal for these poor girls if left untreated).

 

• Orchidectomy – This is a fancy word for neuter! This surgery entails removal of both testicles. A small incision above the scrotum allows for removal of the testicles without needing to remove the scrotum entirely. Neuters are essential for population control! This procedure also reduces the risk of prostate cancer in the little dudes.

 

• Cystotomy - This is a fancy word which refers to the incising of the bladder. This procedure is warranted when a patient has uroliths. (Bonus definition: Uroliths are bladder stones). The surgeon will incise into the bladder and remove the stones. It also often involves placement of a urinary catheter.

 

• Exploratory Laparotomy – This procedure is when a surgeon incises into the patients abdominal cavity and does some exploring. This is necessary for various reasons. The most common reason is to discover and remove a foreign body causing a blockage in the gastro-intestinal tract. To avoid a procedure like this, hide your socks from your retrievers!

 

• Caesarean Section – Just like in human medicine, sometimes a caesarean section is required when an animal is having difficulty birthing their newborns unassisted. Unlike in human medicine, the caesarean usually results in 4-6+ little fur babies entering the world!

 

• Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV) – This condition is more commonly referred to as “Bloat”. It occurs when a patients stomach becomes so full of ingesta (food) and/or gas that the gastrointestinal tract is compromised. The build up of pressure can cause the stomach to rotate within the abdomen. This can cause interference of adequate blood flow through the body, rupture of the stomach, or pressure on the diaphragm inhibiting the patients ability to breathe. The surgeon will often incise into the abdomen and correct the situation. This condition can be fatal if not treated quickly.

 

• Gastropexy – A preventative treatment for the aforementioned GDV. While it does not prevent the occurrence entirely, it can reduce the likelihood in breeds that are predisposed to GDV. This procedure involves incising into the abdominal cavity and suturing the stomach to the abdominal wall to decrease the likelihood of it flipping. Breeds predisposed to the condition are those with a “barrel chest” such as Great Danes.

 

• Generalized Pruritis – Generalized pruritis is a term that refers to “all-over itchiness”. This is often seen in patients with allergies. Sometimes this can lead to excessive itching, causing damage to the skin and resulting in a skin infection or “hot spot”. The mechanical prevention of itching can be helpful in a patients treatment and recovery – at the advice of a veterinarian.

 

Each of the conditions and/or surgeries found above, could benefit from the use of either the VetMedWear Gown, the VetMedWear Suit, or the Sputer Shirt as e-collar alternatives. They can aid in the prevention of licking and chewing, therefore reducing the likelihood of infection or dehiscence (the undoing of sutures) at the incision site. All the while, your pet can remain comfortable and relaxed.

 

Hip and Thigh Protective Sleeve – Shoulder Protective Sleeve

 

 

• Tibial-Plateau-Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) – This procedure is usually done by a board-certified surgeon or specialist. It uses mechanical materials to stabilize the stifle (knee joint), after damage has occurred to the cruciate ligament (comparable to a torn ACL in human medicine – if you like sports, you know what this means!). The procedure is sometimes done to one limb, and sometimes both.

 

• Luxating Patella – Commonly referred to as a “trick knee”. This condition is fairly common in small dogs. It occurs when the patella (kneecap) dislocates in and out of position. There are varying degrees of severity to the condition. Mild conditions don’t require treatment. It can sometimes be managed with long term pain control as prescribed by your veterinarian or by aiding the little one in movement, with things like stairs and ramps. More serious conditions require surgery. This surgeon will change the bone structure of the stifle so that the bones fit more correctly into place.

 

• Amputation – A limb amputation can be warranted for a variety of reasons. One reason is the presence of an osteosarcoma (bone cancer). While the spread of bone cancer to vital organs can’t often be prevented, it can sometimes be slowed. This is a decision to be made by your veterinarian or oncologist. Another cause for limb amputation could be fractures to the limb that are just too difficult to repair. (Bonus fact: One of our office pets, Frisky, received a limb amputation after his femur was broken in 3 places. He is the coolest little tripod I know).

 

• Fracture Repairs – Some lucky patients don’t require amputations from a fracture. Rather the surgeon is sometimes able to incise into the limb and repair the fracture with pins or other magic as only surgeons can do! Other times a milder fracture may be treated with bandaging techniques or splinting.

 

• Mass Removal – Any pet owner who has cared for a senior pet has seen the miscellaneous lumps and bumps that develop! Sometimes they develop in younger pets too. Some of these lumps and bumps are harmless. Others cause issues with mobility or continue to rupture and bleed. Some are cancerous. It is up to you and your veterinarian to decide whether or not to remove some of these lumps and bumps.

 

Each of the conditions and/or surgeries found above, could benefit from the use of either the Hip and Thigh Protective Sleeve or the Shoulder Protective Sleeve. By protecting only the affected limb, the bulk of the patients body – including their other limbs, can be uncovered. This promotes comfort and a feeling closer to normalcy for these pets. All the while, providing protection to the affected area from environmental contamination, extreme weather, chewing and licking. No e-collar necessary!

Recovery Boot

• Torn Nail – It always seems to happen when nobody is looking. Cats and dogs return from wherever they were frolicking, and one of their nails is torn or broken. This can usually be fixed by cutting back the torn nail and cauterizing it. The trouble comes after when the pet wants to lick and chew at the area until it becomes a disaster area!

 

• Wounds – Of course, wounds can occur anywhere on the body, but they often do occur on the feet. Since our little furry friends don’t wear shoes, they sometimes wind up landing on a piece of glass or sharp rock. Again, the biggest issue is often the incessant licking of the wound!

 

Each of the conditions and/or surgeries found above, could benefit from the use of the Recovery Boot. Ditch the cone of shame! The boot offers an amazingly affective alternative.

V-Bonnet

• Aural Hematomas – Think of the flappy part of your pets ear as a quilt. There is layer of skin, a layer of cartilage, and another layer of skin. Between these layers, there are blood vessels. Should one of these burst (usually from scratching or head shaking), blood fills up the space between two layers. A veterinarian is required to drain the fluid buildup and repair the ear through a method of their choice. The most important thing after treating an aural hematoma is to keep the patient from scratching and head shaking in order to prevent recurrence!

 

• Laceration Repairs – As with wounds in general, lacerations can occur anywhere. But I have seen so many on the ears! When dogs fight, the ears are an area which is easy for them to clamp onto and causer some damage. Laceration repairs often involve sutures. As always, head shaking must be prevented, or further damage could be caused!

 

• Otitis Externa – Itchy ears! Itchy ears can be caused by allergies, ear infections, or an infestation of ear mites (otodectes). Otitis externa leads to head shaking, which leads to aural hematomas, which leads to head shaking, which leads to hematomas which leads to… I think you get the picture!

 

Each of the conditions and/or surgeries found above, could benefit from the use of the V-Bonnet! In addition to protecting any wounds, lacerations or incisions, the Bonnet prevents the action of ear flapping while the patient shakes its head. Preventing ear flapping is essential in preventing the recurrence of aural hematomas!

 

*Bonus – garments can be combined with other forms of protection or recovery aids such as compression bandages, gauze wrap, vet wrap, or drains.

 

*Photo courtesy of Hart Road Animal Hospital!