Referral Care
Providing Diagnostic and Surgical Services
If you are an animal owner insterested in learning more about our referral services, please phone or email our lovely reception team today. If you are a referring veterinarian, please fill in our referral form to discuss availability and estimates for services.
Accepting referrals from anywhere on Vancouver Island
All records from referral procedures will be promptly returned to your primary care veterinarian for follow-up care.
Orthopedic referrals are encouraged to return for surgical follow-up with our surgeons (there are usually several rechecks within the first 2-3 months post-surgery). We encrouage referral patients to continue using their primary care veterinarian for all issues that are not related to the referral surgery (ie- vaccines, medications, and acute problems).
Referral Services
i-Care Diagnostic Referrals
Laser Assisted Surgeries
- Stenotic nares correction
- Elongated soft palate resection
- Everted Laryngeal Saccule correction
- Mass removals
More Information
Benefits of Laser Assisted Surgery:
1. Minimized Bleeding - As it cuts, the laser beam seals small blood vessels. This drastically reduces bleeding, and improves visibility at the surgery site.
2. Reduced Anesthetic Time - Increased visibility and reduced need for ligation/suture placement means faster procedures. Shorter surgery time leads to shorter time under anesthetic and reduction in the risks associated with anesthesia.
3. Less Pain - The CO2 laser beam seals nerve endings and lymphatics, resulting in less post-operative swelling and pain.
4. Reduced Risk of Infection -The “Sanitizing Effect” is a unique feature of the surgical laser beam, wherein it efficiently destroys bacteria in its path.
5. Faster Recovery Time -Many factors contribute to reduced healing time including reduced risk of infection, less bleeding, reduced swelling, and less time under anesthesia.
6. Wider Variety of Procedures Performed -Laser enables a number of surgical procedures that are not practical or even possible with a scalpel, such as removal of large tumors with clean margins. Lesions in awkward locations such as inside the throat, nose, or oral cavity also become more feasible.
Ultrasound Services
- Single system US (ie- urinary, gastrointestinal)
- Full abdominal US
- Echocardiogram (cardiac US)
- US guided FNA
- US guided biopsy
More Information
All animals have an IV catheter placed and mild to moderate sedation administered to facilitate proper image collection. Additional diagnostics (such as blood work, x-rays, blood pressure measurments, etc may be recommended on a case-by-case basis).
The veterinarian performing each ultrasound will make a preliminary assessment of the case to determine if immediate intervention is necessary. All scans are then sent for radiologist review, with results typically available in one week.
Referrals
i-Care Surgical Referrals
Orthopedic Surgery
- Extracapsular cruicate repair
- TTA (MMP) cruciate repair
- TPLO cruciate repair
- Ridge Stop patellar luxation repair
- TCT patellar luxation repair
- Fracture repairs
More Information
Cruciate Repairs: Torn cruciate ligaments are one of the most common orthopedic diseases in our companion animals. Certain breeds are pre-disposed to this injury such as Labs, Pitbulls, and Rottweilers.
Once diagnosed through physical examination and x-rays, our veterinarians can discuss the different forms of treatment available.
1. Extracapsular (Tight Rope) repair: This procedure involves removal of any damaged tissue in the stifle joint including arthritic bone spurs. A heavy gauge suture is then passed around the fabella, and through a hole drilled in the front of the tibia, which tightens the joint to prevent motion.
2. Modified Maquet Procedure (MMP): In this procedure, stability is created by altering the angle of the patellar ligament. This is achieved by cutting and repositioning the tibial crest where the patellar ligament attaches, then implanting stainless steel hardware and bone grafts to stabilize the new angle.
3. Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy: This involves reduction of the tibial plateau angle by cutting and rotating the proximal tibia to eliminate dynamic joint instability (cranial tibial thrust). The desired tibial plateau angle is maintained using a stainless-steel bone plate. Damaged meniscal cartilage is also removed.
Patella Corrections: “Luxating Patella” occurs when the knee cap does not stay in the groove of the knee properly. This is a conformational issue that causes development of osteoarthritis, which leads to chronic pain and lameness.
Luxating Patellas are most common in small breed dogs. In many cases surgery is needed to help the knee cap stay in position and prevent degradation of the joint.
1. Ridge Stop: A prosthetic ridge is applied to the side of the patellar groove where the patella is dislocating. This procedure can be used as a stand-alone in select cases, or in combination with a TCT (and sulcoplasty if needed).
2. Tibial Crest Transposition (TCT): A TCT can be used as an adjunctive procedure in combination with a Ridge Stop if tibial rotation has occurred. This procedure allows removal of the tibial crest and movement back into a more normal anatomical location. A sulcoplasty procedure to deepen the patellar ridge can also be added if needed.
Fracture Repairs: In the event that your animal has a serious injury in which a fracture has occurred, our vets are available to help repair the damage. Casting is often difficult and unreliable in dogs and cats due to their anatomy and energetic life-style. As such, internal fixation is frequently recommended.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Laparoscopic ovariectomy
- Laparoscopic biopsies
- Laparoscopic-assisted Gastropexy
More Information
Use of laparoscopy to aid in a routine, prophylactic spay is a major advancement in veterinary surgical technique, and we are proud to offer it as an option for all pet owners on Vancouver Island.
Instead of one larger incision required in a traditional spay, 2 small incisions are created. This allows the Veterinarian to introduce a small camera and surgical instruments into the abdominal cavity. The ovaries are transected using electrocautery and removed. This technique involves far less stretching of tissues and better visualization than a traditional spay.
This laparoscopic technology can also be used to assist in the performance of gastropexies and any intra-abdominal biopsy.
We are currently the only clinic on Vancouver Island offering this service.
Soft Tissue Surgery
- Mass Removals (+/- skin flaps/other tissue-sparing closure methods)
- Exploratory Laparotomies
- Anal sacculectomies
- Rectal/Anal surgery
- vulvoplasty
- TECA/TECALBO/VBO
More Information
If there is a surgery that cannot be performed at your primary care veterinarian for any reason, please call us to see if we can help!
To Our Referring Vets…
Not Sure if a Case Needs Referral?
Or if this would be the right hospital for your patient? Please call us. Our vets are always open to discussing cases! Otherwise feel free to fill out the referral form below.
