If surgery is recommended for your pet, Dr. Eckermann will order a pre-surgical exam and blood tests to assess the animal's worthiness to receive anesthesia and undergo the procedure.

Just as you would expect from your human surgeon, patients are consistently monitored throughout the surgical procedure and the post-operative period. The animal's health status is carefully tracked with the use of diagnostic tools such as pulse oximetry (percentage of oxygen in the blood), ECG (electrocardiogram of the heart and vessels) and Doppler blood pressure equipment.

Among the surgical services that Dr. Eckermann provides are:

• abdominal and exploratory procedures
• biopsies
• de-clawing
• dew claw removal
• ligament and luxation (dislocation of a joint) repairs
• neutering (males)
• skin lesion resections
• spaying (females)
• tail docking
• tumor excisions

Post-operative care is closely managed by Dr. Eckermann; should your pet require monitoring following the procedure, in-patient medical boarding is available. Dr. Eckermann maintains a close relationship with specialists in dermatology, internal medicine, radiology and ultrasonography in Omaha and at the Iowa State University. If necessary, she will refer patients to these veterinary specialists.