Each surgery at Cat Clinic of Cobb begins with a complete physical examination.  We like for the little boys to weigh at least four pounds at the time of neutering.

We use an otic thermometer to check temperatures.  Ninja doesn't look too pleased here, but it's a lot better than using the other end!

Pre-operative examination includes carefully checking the heart and lungs for any abnormalities that might make the patient an increased surgical risk.

We always recommend pre-operative blood work for our patients.  By drawing a small sample of blood, we can evaluate red and white blood cell counts as well as blood glucose and kidney function to help assure that the patient will handle the anesthesia well.

After the blood sample is drawn, our licensed veterinary technicians perform in-house diagnostic tests. We are able to run complete blood chemistries in less than 30 minutes.

Once the physical examination and lab work are completed, our patient is anesthetized with an intravenous injection of a short-acting anesthetic.

The IV injection relaxes the cat just enough to allow the doctor to pass an endotracheal tube.  This will enable us to maintain an open airway and deliver measured amounts of isoflurane gas anesthetic.

The intubated cat is hooked up to one of our positive-pressure ventilators, a computerized gas anesthesia delivery system that breathes for the patient to ensure adequate oxygenation during surgery.

Breaths per minute, oxygen flow rates, isoflurane gas anesthetic delivery rates, and pulmonary ventilation pressures are all controlled and monitored by the computerized anesthesia machines.

The patient is then connected by leads to a state-of-the-art surgical monitor, which tracks temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and percent oxygenation of the blood.  It is set to sound an alarm if any parameter drops below normal.

The hair is then removed from the surgical site, and the skin of the scrotum is sterilized using multiple surgical scrubs.

Next our cat is positioned in a surgical cradle to give the surgeon the best access to the surgical site.  The sterile pack containing autoclaved surgical instruments and drapes is placed on the surgery table next to the patient and partially opened.

The veterinarian, wearing a surgical cap and mask and sterile surgical gloves, completes the opening of the pack.  No one is allowed in the surgery suite at this point unless they wear a surgical cap and mask.

Technicians monitor vital signs displayed by the EKG, pulse oximeter, and ventilator from outside the surgery suite, and record these values on the patient's record.

A sterile, fenestrated drape is removed from the pack and attached to the patient, isolating the sterile surgical field from the rest of the cat.

Here the surgeon makes an incision through the skin of the scrotum, exposing the first testicle.

The testicle is gently manipulated out of the scrotum...

and pulled to stretch out the spermatic cord, containing the spermatic artery and vein and vas deferens.

The spermatic cord is knotted around the sterile hemostats...

and the testicle is cut from the end of the cord.  

The surgeon will hold the cord for a minute to be sure that there is no bleeding, then release the tied-off cord back into the scrotum.

Next, the other side of the scrotum is incised, and the second testicle is exteriorized in the same method as the first one.

Again, the second testicle is knotted around the hemostat and excised distal to the knot.

Here we see the scrotum after the testicles have been excised and the surgical drape has been removed.

A veterinary technician monitors the patient after surgery.  Though the gas anesthesia has been turned off, he will continue to get oxygen and be electronically monitored (note the little blood pressure cuff) until he is breathing on his own.

Cats' nails are always trimmed after anesthesia, just to be sure they do not scratch themselves when they are waking up.

Often we take advantage of an anesthetic episode to place a microchip under the cat's skin.  Here a veterinary assistant uses an electronic scanner to be sure the patient does not already have a chip...

then the microchip is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades.

Once the patient is breathing on his own, he is moved from the surgery suite to a recovery cage, where a veterinary technician sits with him until he is awake enough to have his endotracheal tube removed.

Our patients are wrapped in warmed towels until they are up and moving around.  Normally our neuter cases are eating two hours after surgery, and most of these boys go home the same afternoon.