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Surgical Conditions

  • The hip is a ball and socket joint of the hip and necrosis or death of the femoral head means that the ball part of the joint is no longer properly functioning. This is because during the growing phase the bone of the femoral head becomes deprived of its blood supply and dies.

  • Neuroendocrine cells produce rare tumours (carcinoids, Merkel cell tumours and neuroendocrine tumours). In general, the tumours are slow growing but will eventually spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

  • Chemodectomas are tumours of the chemoreceptors. They include both benign (non-spreading) adenomas and malignant carcinomas.

  • Neutering, or castration, offers a number of advantages, especially if performed at an early age (6-9 months). Following puberty, at approximately 8-9 months old, the male cat develops a number of often undesirable behavioural changes.

  • An epulis (plural epuli) is the clinical name for a swelling on the gums. Several different tumours share this name, often of different origins including the tooth-socket lining and lining epithelium of the mouth.

  • Oral fibrosarcomas are rapidly growing, malignant tumours originating from the fibrous connective tissue of the mouth. The tumours are rarely cured by surgical removal.

  • Oral melanoma (malignant melanoma or melanosarcoma) is a tumour of melanin pigment producing cells (melanocytes). The cancers are rapidly growing and unfortunately are rarely completely cured by surgical removal.

  • Oral papillomas are benign tumours of the epithelial lining of the mouth and throat caused by papillomaviruses. The viruses are specific for that species of animal and fairly site specific but can be transmitted to skin or eyes if the protective outer epithelium is damaged.

  • Squamous cell carcinomas are malignant cancers originating from the lining cells of the mouth. They are locally invasive and often recurrent.

  • Bilateral orchidectomy or castration, neuters or desexes the dog. Orchidectomy may also be performed for the treatment of testicular tumours and sometimes infections involving the prostate gland.