Surgery for dogs, cats, and small pets

Call Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville to schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified surgeons, Mark Bohling, DVM, DACVS, or Megan Mitchell, DVM, DACVS-SA.

Man and Dog by Lake

Soft-Tissue and Orthopedic Surgery at ASEC Knoxville

Our board-certified surgeons treat a wide range of veterinary orthopedic, thoracic, abdominal, and soft-tissue conditions. We combine the expertise of our surgeons, specialists, and advanced technology to ensure your pet receives extraordinary surgical procedures and care.

Surgeries performed at Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville are:

Soft-Tissue Surgery:

Reproductive surgery

  • Ovariohysterectomy (OHE) revisions

Gastrointestinal surgery

Abdominal surgery

  • Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
  • Cystotomy (bladder stone removal)
  • Gastropexy (treatment or prophylaxis for Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) or dog bloat/gastric torsion)

Thoracic surgery

  • Mass removal
  • Biopsy
  • Pericardectomy (surgical removal of the pericardium)
  • Lung lobectomy

Upper airway surgery

  • Head and neck surgery
  • Brachycephalic syndrome
  • Laryngeal paralysis
  • Total ear canal ablation (surgical removal of the ear canal)

Neurosurgery

  • Intervertebral disc surgery (disc protrusion)
  • Hemilaminectomy (surgery to relieve excess pressure on the spinal nerves)
  • Dorsal laminectomy (surgery to remove a portion of the spinal vertebra bone)

Surgical oncology

  • Mass removal
  • Biopsy
  • Chemotherapy bead implantation
  • Reconstructive surgery

Endocrine Surgery

Urogenital Surgery

Trauma Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery:

dog with ecollar

Expert surgery with 24-hour care

Recovery is an essential part of any patient’s care, and our highly-trained technical staff continuously monitor your pet's anesthesia and post-operative care. Our surgical team works closely with you and your family veterinarian to achieve a successful surgical outcome for your pet. 

Here’s what you can expect for your pet's surgery at our hospital:

  • Expert consultation with board-certified specialists
  • 24-hour care
  • Specialized equipment not available in general practice
  • Special surgical expertise
  • Access to other specialists where appropriate

We understand that surgery is a stressful time for you and your pet. Our team is here to offer compassion, skill, and expertise. 

Paws in Hands

What we do

At Animal Emergency & Specialty Center of Knoxville, we’re committed to optimizing patient outcomes. Our surgical team works collaboratively with your neighborhood veterinarian and our entire specialty team works diligently to provide the best possible care for your pet. 

Our veterinary surgeons determine the least invasive and most effective procedures for your pet's condition before moving forward with surgery. We’ll try to recommend surgical alternatives to minimize discomfort and complications and maximize outcomes. Whether your pet needs back surgery for a slipped disc, abdominal surgery to remove a rock, or something else, trust our surgical team to provide care.

We’re experts in orthopedic conditions of pets, and we perform lameness exams and gait evaluation to assess the orthopedic or neurologic cause of an animal’s lameness. Depending on the cause of an orthopedic injury or change in gait, our surgeons may recommend surgical intervention or medical treatment and physical therapy.

Certain breeds of pets are predisposed to the rupture of disks in their spines, resulting in the need for surgery. Although not specialized in neurology, our doctors are experienced with both neck and back disk surgery in pets.

How to schedule surgery with our hospital

Please have your veterinarian call to arrange the referral of your pet to our surgery service. We can schedule a consultation with one of our veterinary surgeons to assess your pet's case. In an emergency situation, pets can be taken in through our 24-hour emergency service and then scheduled for a consultation with one of our surgeons.

For new clients

  1. Have your veterinarian schedule a consultation for your pet
  2. Your pet will be assessed in consultation with our surgeon
  3. The veterinary surgeon will discuss a treatment and diagnostic plan
  4. You’ll be given an estimate for treatment
  5. We provide care to restore your pet’s health

For referring veterinarians

Please contact our hospital or fill in the online form for the patient in need of a surgical consultation. Thank you for your referral.