Call us Request an appointment

Surgery for Dogs and Cats in Oakville

Whether your pet needs a routine spay or something more involved, our team in Oakville is here to keep them safe and comfortable, from the moment they arrive to the moment they're home with you.

The surgeries we perform

We handle a wide range of soft-tissue surgeries in our hospital, including:
  • Spay and neuter
  • Mass and lump removals
  • Foreign body removal (swallowed objects)
  • Bladder stone surgery (cystotomy)
  • Pyometra (a serious infected uterus)
  • Eyelid mass removals and entropion repair
  • Wound repairs
When your pet needs an advanced procedure we don't provide, we still stay involved. We refer orthopedic procedures and any pet who needs emergency surgery or around-the-clock monitoring to trusted specialists and referral hospitals nearby. If your pet would be better served somewhere with different expertise, we'll tell you up front, and we'll still be here to answer your questions and support your pet through their recovery.

Many pets who have orthopedic surgery elsewhere come back to us afterward for rehabilitation, where therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and laser therapy help them rebuild strength and get back to feeling themselves. A close-up of a cat with cream, brown, and white fur, eyes closed, and a pink nose, appearing relaxed and content. A golden retriever sits on green grass, looking up with a happy, open-mouthed expression. Sunlight highlights its fur, and scattered small leaves are visible around.

How we keep your pet safe during surgery

Surgery is only as safe as the team around it. What happens before, during, and after matters as much as the procedure itself. For every surgical patient, that means:
  • Pre-anesthetic bloodwork ahead of time, plus a hands-on exam by the doctor the morning of surgery, so nothing is missed.
  • An IV catheter and fluids in place for the whole procedure, keeping blood pressure steady and recovery smoother.
  • A trained technician monitoring your pet from first breath to recovery, tracking heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, temperature, ECG, CO2, and oxygen on dedicated equipment.
  • Pain handled before it starts. Your pet gets comfort medications the night before and the morning of, a local nerve block for every procedure, and pain medication to take home. For some pets we also use laser therapy to ease post-surgical pain and speed healing. Our perspective is to stay ahead of the pain rather than chasing it.
 A grey tabby kitten lies on its back, eyes closed, sleeping peacefully on a soft, white, fluffy blanket.

Your pet's day with us

Because we're a small, independently owned practice that has been part of the Oakville community since 1956, surgery here never feels like an assembly line. The same small team that admits your pet in the morning is with them all day, and we keep you posted from drop-off through recovery.
  • You drop off in the morning, and the doctor gives your pet a full once-over before anything begins.
  • Once they’re settled and waiting for their turn, a technician sends you a photo so you can see they’re calm and comfortable.
  • Recovery happens in a quiet ward with soft bedding, calming music, and a pheromone diffuser, plus a hiding tent for cats who’d rather tuck away. Someone is checking on them, and spoiling them the whole time.
  • Once the surgery is finished, the doctor reaches out directly to tell you how your pet did.
  • As soon as they’re awake and ready, a warm canned-food meal is waiting.
  • At pick-up, a technician sits down with you to go through the recovery plan in detail, so you leave knowing exactly what the next two weeks will look like.
  • The next day, we call to see how the first night at home went.
 A brown and white dog sleeps peacefully under a fluffy white blanket, resting its head on a pillow.

What to expect after surgery

For the first day or two, expect your cat or dog to be quiet and sleepy. Appetite is often reduced, and they may not have a bowel movement for a day or so, which is normal after anesthesia. As the medications wear off, some pets get a little vocal or seem disoriented. That’s usually the medication talking, not pain, so please don’t give any extra pain medication unless it’s written in your discharge instructions. Most pets come back in 7 to 10 days for a recheck and, if needed, suture removal. Anytime something worries you, whether your pet won’t eat, won’t settle, or just doesn’t look right, call us. If we decide they should come in, that recheck is on us.

Why rest really matters

Rest isn't just helpful after surgery, it's medically necessary. Healing happens at the cellular level, and movement disrupts it by pulling on sutures, increasing inflammation, and sometimes loosening a repair that depends on protected time to heal. Most complications we see happen at home, not in the clinic, and the biggest causes are too much activity, licking or chewing at the incision, and not enough rest.

Crate rest for dogs and a small, confined space for cats is how we prevent activity-based problems like a reopened incision, a seroma (a fluid pocket that forms when a pet moves too much), or re-injury. Cats deserve special attention, because they can jump even when they feel awful. Timelines vary by procedure: a routine spay or neuter usually means about 10 to 14 days of restriction, while a cruciate or major orthopedic repair can need 8 to 12 weeks. Keep your dog on a leash for bathroom breaks until cleared to prevent an unexpected case of the zoomies, and prevent other pets from licking their incision or instigating playtime. Your discharge instructions will have everything explained to you. A brown dog with a white stripe on its face is sleeping on a rug, lying next to a wooden surface in a warmly lit room.

Why the cone needs to stay on

The cone isn't cruel, it's protection. We know it’s no fun for you or them, but it’s a necessary part of healing. Pets instinctively lick, bite, and scratch at incisions, especially once healing starts and the site gets itchy, and even a few minutes of licking can cause an infection or reopen a wound that then needs emergency repair. We've seen incisions that looked perfect in the morning reopen by evening because the cone came off "just for dinner." Plan on the cone staying on around the clock for 10 to 14 days, including while eating, drinking, and sleeping.

Some pets do better with an alternative, like a soft fabric cone, an inflatable collar, or a recovery suit for body and belly incisions. Each has tradeoffs, and some let a determined pet reach the incision anyway, so please ask us before switching.  An orange tabby cat wearing a blue cone collar sleeps on a soft gray blanket.

When to call us

Pets tend to mask discomfort, so the quiet signals are the ones to watch. Cats often hide more, eat less, and groom less. Dogs may pant, hunch over, guard the surgical site, or act unusually clingy or withdrawn. Call us right away if you notice:
  • Bleeding, swelling, or discharge from the incision, especially if it’s yellow, green, or foul-smelling
  • The incision opening, or visible damage to the sutures
  • Vomiting or diarrhea that lasts beyond the first 24 hours
  • Not eating or drinking for more than 24 hours after surgery
  • Difficulty breathing, sudden lethargy, or trembling that gets worse
  • Pain that increases after the first few days, when it should be improving
  • Limping that worsens rather than slowly improving
When in doubt, call. That's what we're here for. A happy brown and white dog with floppy ears looks up at the camera, mouth open as if smiling, standing on green grass in bright sunlight. A close-up of a gray cat with closed eyes, relaxing while being gently petted on the head by a person’s hand.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Modern veterinary surgery and anesthesia are very safe, especially with the precautions we take. Every patient gets pre-anesthetic bloodwork, a morning-of exam by the doctor, an IV catheter and fluids, and a trained technician monitoring their vitals for the entire procedure, with the anesthesia tailored to your individual pet.

Age by itself isn’t a reason to avoid surgery; what matters is health, not the number on the chart. Older pets are often the ones who need it most, and the pre-anesthetic bloodwork and morning-of exam are exactly how we make sure your pet is a good candidate and tailor the anesthesia to them. If we ever have a concern, we’ll talk it through with you honestly before anything is scheduled.

We treat pain before it starts and stay ahead of it. That means comfort medication the night before and morning of surgery to reduce stress and nausea, a local nerve block for every procedure, and pain medication to take home. For some pets we also use laser therapy to reduce pain and inflammation. A comfortable pet heals faster.

We’ll tell you, and we’ll help. We refer orthopedic procedures, emergencies, and any pet who needs overnight or specialist care to trusted referral hospitals nearby, and we’ll make sure you know where to go and what to expect. Many of these pets come back to us afterward for rehabilitation.

It depends on your pet, mainly their size, age, and whether they’re male or female, so there’s no single flat price. A larger dog takes more anesthesia and more time than a small one, and an older pet sometimes needs a little extra care along the way. We’ll give you an exact estimate before anything is scheduled.

Surgical care at Trafalgar includes the procedure, anesthesia and monitoring, pain medication, a recheck, and suture removal if needed. What every pet needs is different, and costs range based on the procedure, your pet’s size, and the time it takes. You’ll always see the estimate and approve it before anything is scheduled, and LendCare is available if you’d like to spread the cost over time.

We’ll send you specific instructions ahead of time, and the most important one is usually when to stop food the night before. On the morning of, you’ll drop your pet off, the doctor will examine them, and we’ll go over everything with you before they settle in. If your pet takes daily medication, just ask us whether to give it that morning.

Ready to talk about your pet's surgery?

Trafalgar Animal Hospital provides safe, compassionate surgical care for dogs and cats in Oakville, Ontario and surrounding areas from Toronto to Hamilton. If your pet has surgery coming up, or you just got news you weren't expecting, we're here. We'll answer your questions, walk you through what to expect, and take good care of your pet from drop-off to recovery. Call us Request an appointment A person gently pets a content brown and white cat, which is leaning its head into the hand with its eyes half closed in enjoyment.