As general practitioners at Animal Care Clinic, we all perform surgeries like spays and neuters. Sometimes we do more extensive surgeries like taking out a spleen (called a splenectomy), taking out bladder stones, or removing an object from the gastrointestinal tract that a patient shouldn’t have eaten! But sometimes there are surgeries that are better left to the hands of a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (DACVS). We generally refer to these veterinarians as “boarded surgeons.” This means that they have gone through at least 4 more years of training after vet school, honing their surgery skills. They then must publish articles and take a test to become a boarded surgeon.
At Animal Care Clinic, we are fortunate to have a working relationship with Dr. Greg Marsolais, MS, DVM, DACVS. Dr. Marsolais worked at Animal Care Clinic as a veterinary nursing assistant while he was a pre-vet student at Cal Poly. He then went on to receive his DVM and Master of Science Degree from Iowa State University. He did his surgical residency at the University of Illinois. He now runs his own practice called Pet Surgeons, Inc. He travels to clinics to provide consultations and perform surgeries. Because of his previous relationship with Animal Care Clinic, we are happy to be able to have him visit us to perform these services for our clients and patients.
Dr. Marsolais is generally at Animal Care Clinic at least once a month. He spends his morning doing consultations and meeting the clients whose pets are to have surgery that day. One of our Animal Care Clinic doctors are always involved with each case to be sure that we are in the know and can follow through once Dr. Marsolais leaves for the day. Our Animal Care Clinic doctor works with Dr. Marsolais to create an anesthesia and pain management plan for each patient that is having surgery. Our staff monitors anesthesia for his surgeries just as they do for all of the surgeries our doctors perform. Many of the surgeries that Dr. Marsolais performs are orthopedic procedures, but he does many others as well.
Most of Dr. Marsolais surgeries spend at least one night in the hospital. This is so that our staff can monitor the patient’s vital signs and control any post-operative pain. We discourage owners from visiting patients post-operatively because it often excites them too much, and they can become very distressed when their owner leaves. This can put patients at risk for post-operative complications. Patients are generally discharged with very specific post -operative instructions and medications, and our doctors are always able to contact Dr. Marsolais regarding his cases for further follow-up.
If your pet has any issues that you think may warrant a consultation with Dr. Marsolais, please contact us so we can help schedule an appointment!
