Veterinary surgery in Spokane for dogs and cats

Veterinary surgery at Glenrose, on Spokane's South Hill, covers the soft-tissue procedures a general practice should do well: spays and neuters, lump and mass removals, wound repair and dental extractions. Dr. Owen Marsh, who has a special interest in surgery, does most of them. When a case calls for a board-certified surgeon, we say so, refer it, and tell you why.

What we do here

• Spay and neuter. See our spay and neuter page for timing and recovery.
• Lump and mass removals, with the tissue sent to a lab so you know what it was.
• Wound and laceration repair after a fight, a fence or a bad landing.
• Dental extractions and oral surgery. See dental cleanings.

What we refer, and why

"We do a lot of surgery here. We don't do all of it. A young dog came in with a knee that needed a repair I'd want a board-certified surgeon doing, with the equipment that goes with it. We sent them to a specialty hospital, sent the records over that afternoon, and saw the dog for everything else afterward. I'd rather send a case out than do it second-best."

Dr. Karen Lindqvist

Orthopedic repairs such as a torn knee ligament, cardiac workups and other complex cases go to a board-certified specialist. The word "specialist" means something in veterinary medicine: the AVMA reserves it for board-certified veterinarians. Nobody at Glenrose is one, and we will not tell you otherwise. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons is the board that certifies surgical specialists.

Before, during and after

1. A checkup and a written estimate, including what could change it and how we would reach you if it does.
2. Pain relief planned in, never trimmed to make the estimate smaller.
3. Surgery under general anesthesia, with your pet watched from start to finish.
4. A call before your pet goes home. Someone walks you through the night ahead. Dr. Marsh often calls himself that evening.
5. A recheck to look at the incision and take out stitches if needed.

When cost is the hard part

If the estimate is more than you can do at once, say so. We split it into what has to happen now and what can safely wait, the same way we would for any other visit. Karen would much rather stage the care than have someone skip it.

Not sure whether your pet needs surgery? Start with a checkup. New to the practice? Here is how a first visit works.