Laser Surgery

At Odyssey Veterinary Care, our focus and passion is providing the latest advances in veterinary care to our patients and the people who love them. CO2 laser technology has emerged as a breakthrough medical tool that minimizes the negative effects of surgical procedures and expedites cell repair and overall patient recovery.

In laser surgery, a very intense beam of highly focused light is used instead of a scalpel to cut through tissue. Lasers are highly efficient at making very precise incisions, which makes them ideal for surgery of the face, skin, oral cavity, and urinary and anal areas, as well as for major procedures like mastectomies and amputations. As the laser cuts, it seals small blood vessels and nerve endings around the incision, which means less bleeding, swelling, and post-operative pain for your pet.

Benefits of Laser Surgery Include:

• Reduced bleeding and swelling
• Minimized pain
• Lower risk of infection
• Quicker recovery time

Q: What Kind of Dogs Benefit From NARES Surgery (aka Doggie Nose Jobs)?

A: Brachycephalic breeds like pugs, bulldogs, lhasa apsos, Boston terriers, and shih-tzus often have very narrowed respiratory tracks that can significantly affect their comfort, activity level, health, and safety. Brachycephalic syndromes includes stenotic nares (very small nasal openings), thickened soft palate in the back of the throat, everted saccules (membranes that contribute to airway obstruction), and undersized trachea for the size of the dog. This combination causes difficulty in breathing and snoring (not so cute at 2 a.m.), but most importantly restricts the pet’s physical ability. These dogs also have a much higher risk of heat stroke since canines rely heavily on movement of air through the respiratory track for body cooling.

While our short-nosed friends may be anatomically disadvantaged, there is a very safe and effective laser procedure that can dramatically increase airway flow in these adorable flat faced pups. By removing a small amount of tissue in the nasal opening, the intake of air with each breath is increased and the negative pressure in the back of the throat is greatly reduced. By doing this procedure when the dog is young, the risk of progressive thickening of the palate is decreased and heat tolerance is increased. In addition to the safety benefit, dogs that have nares surgeries snore less and will be able to run and play much more comfortably.

The procedure is quick and has a normal cosmetic appearance and immediate recovery with very minimal post-op complications. This corrective surgery can be done at any age but has the most significant long-term effects when performed on young dogs.