Soft tissue surgery
From lump removal to reconstructive, eye and airway surgery, most soft tissue procedures are carried out here in Thurles by our surgical team.
Lump, mass & tumour removal
We remove all types of tumours. Every mass removed is sent for histology so you know exactly what it was and whether further treatment is needed.
Skin & subcutaneous masses
Lumps in or under the skin, from benign fatty lumps (lipomas) to mast cell tumours and soft tissue sarcomas.
When it’s needed: Any new lump, or one that grows, changes, bleeds or bothers your pet. A needle sample beforehand often tells us what it is.
What we do: Removal with appropriate margins for the tumour type, and reconstruction where needed to close the wound.
Recovery: Usually home the same day; stitches out after 10–14 days.
Mammary tumours
Lumps in the mammary chain, most common in unspayed or late-spayed female dogs and cats.
When it’s needed: Any lump along the belly or near the nipples. In cats, mammary lumps are often malignant, so act early.
What we do: Removal of the lump or part or all of the mammary chain, often combined with spaying. Chest X-rays beforehand to check for spread.
Recovery: Rest and wound care for around two weeks.
Splenic masses
Masses on the spleen, which can bleed suddenly into the abdomen.
When it’s needed: Collapse, pale gums, a swollen belly or weakness. Sometimes found on ultrasound before signs appear.
What we do: Removal of the spleen (splenectomy), with assessment of the abdomen and chest for spread.
Recovery: Usually hospitalised for monitoring; then a few weeks of restricted exercise.
Abdominal & internal masses
Masses of the liver, intestines, bladder and other organs.
When it’s needed: Weight loss, vomiting, poor appetite, or a mass found on ultrasound or blood tests.
What we do: Surgical removal of the mass or affected section of organ, with histology to guide next steps.
Recovery: Hospital care after surgery, then a gradual return to normal diet and exercise.
Anal sac & perianal tumours
Tumours around the bottom, including anal sac adenocarcinoma and perianal adenomas.
When it’s needed: A swelling near the anus, straining, or a raised calcium level on blood tests.
What we do: Careful removal of the tumour, with castration where hormone-driven.
Recovery: Soft diet and wound care; follow-up checks.
Ear & aural masses
Growths in or around the ear flap and ear canal.
When it’s needed: A lump on the ear, recurring ear infections or discharge on one side.
What we do: Removal of the mass, with surgery on the ear canal where needed.
Recovery: Cone collar and medication while healing.
Reconstructive & corrective surgery (“plasties”)
Surgery to repair, reshape or rebuild tissue, whether after tumour removal, injury, or a problem your pet was born with.
Skin flaps & grafts
Moving or transferring healthy skin to close large wounds, often after removing a tumour with wide margins.
When it’s needed: Large wounds, injuries, or tumour removal where the skin can’t simply be stitched closed.
What we do: Planned reconstruction using local skin flaps, axial pattern flaps or grafts.
Recovery: Bandage and wound checks over several weeks.
Vulvoplasty (episioplasty)
Removal of excess skin folds around a recessed vulva.
When it’s needed: Recurring urinary tract infections, skin fold infection or constant licking.
What we do: Removal of the fold of skin so the area stays clean and dry.
Recovery: Cone collar for around 10–14 days.
Skin fold resection
Removal of deep skin folds on the face, tail or body that trap moisture and become infected.
When it’s needed: Chronic infection or soreness in skin folds, common in Bulldogs and Pugs.
What we do: Surgical removal of the problem folds.
Recovery: Stitches out after 10–14 days.
Eye & eyelid surgery
Surgery around the eye and on the surface of the eye to relieve pain and protect sight.
Entropion & ectropion
Eyelids that roll inwards (entropion), rubbing hair on the eye, or droop outwards (ectropion), leaving it exposed.
When it’s needed: Squinting, watery or red eyes, discharge or recurring ulcers.
What we do: Corrective eyelid surgery to return the lid to a normal position.
Recovery: Cone collar and eye drops for around two weeks.
Eyelid masses
Growths on the eyelid margin, usually benign but often irritating to the eye.
When it’s needed: A visible lump on the eyelid, rubbing, discharge or redness.
What we do: Removal and careful reconstruction of the eyelid so it closes normally.
Recovery: Cone collar until stitches are out.
Cherry eye
Prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid, seen as a red swelling in the corner of the eye.
When it’s needed: A pink or red lump in the inner corner of the eye, common in young dogs.
What we do: Replacing the gland in its normal position, rather than removing it, to protect tear production.
Recovery: Eye drops and a cone collar while healing.
Corneal ulcer surgery
Ulcers on the surface of the eye that are deep, slow to heal or at risk of rupturing.
When it’s needed: A painful, squinting eye; an ulcer that doesn’t heal with drops; or a deep ulcer threatening the eye.
What we do: Depending on the ulcer: debridement and grid keratotomy for slow-healing ulcers, or a conjunctival graft or third eyelid flap to support deep ulcers.
Recovery: Frequent eye drops, a cone collar and regular rechecks until healed.
BOAS surgery for flat-faced breeds
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) affects breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Bulldogs. Surgery opens the airway so they can breathe, exercise and sleep more easily.
Nostril widening (nares resection)
Narrow, pinched nostrils that restrict airflow.
When it’s needed: Snoring, noisy breathing, exercise intolerance, overheating.
What we do: Widening the nostrils to let more air through.
Recovery: Usually combined with palate surgery; a short hospital stay.
Soft palate surgery
An overlong, thickened soft palate that partly blocks the back of the throat.
When it’s needed: Snorting, gagging, regurgitation, collapse in heat or with exercise.
What we do: Shortening and thinning the soft palate (palatoplasty).
Recovery: Close monitoring after surgery; soft food for a few weeks.
Laryngeal saccule removal
Small pouches in the larynx that turn outwards with long-term breathing effort and block the airway.
When it’s needed: Found during the airway examination under anaesthetic.
What we do: Removal of the everted saccules, performed at the same time as nostril and palate surgery.
Recovery: Restricted exercise while the airway heals.
Abdominal & emergency surgery
Urgent and routine surgery inside the abdomen.
Foreign body removal
Objects swallowed by your pet that block the stomach or intestines: socks, toys, corn cobs, stones.
When it’s needed: Repeated vomiting, not eating, abdominal pain, lethargy.
What we do: Removal of the object through the stomach or intestine, or removal of damaged bowel if needed.
Recovery: Hospital care, then a bland diet for a few days.
Bloat (GDV)
A life-threatening twist of the stomach, most common in large deep-chested dogs.
When it’s needed: A swollen belly, retching without bringing anything up, restlessness. This is an emergency: call immediately.
What we do: Stabilisation, untwisting the stomach and fixing it in place (gastropexy) to prevent it happening again.
Recovery: Intensive care in hospital, then gradual return to normal feeding.
Pyometra
A serious infection of the womb in unspayed females.
When it’s needed: Drinking more, vomiting, lethargy, vaginal discharge, typically weeks after a season.
What we do: Emergency spay to remove the infected womb.
Recovery: Hospital care, then two weeks’ rest.
Bladder stones
Stones in the bladder causing irritation or blockage.
When it’s needed: Straining, blood in the urine, frequent small wees. A blocked bladder is an emergency.
What we do: Surgical removal of the stones (cystotomy), with analysis to guide diet and prevention.
Recovery: A few days of medication; diet changes to stop stones re-forming.
Hernia repair
Umbilical, inguinal and perineal hernias, where tissue pushes through a weakness in the body wall.
When it’s needed: A soft swelling at the belly button, groin or beside the bottom; straining in perineal hernias.
What we do: Returning the contents and closing the defect.
Recovery: Restricted exercise for a few weeks.
Aural haematoma
A blood blister in the ear flap, often caused by head shaking.
When it’s needed: A sudden, soft, swollen ear flap.
What we do: Draining the haematoma and treating the underlying ear problem.
Recovery: Cone collar and treatment of the ear infection.
Surgical costs depend on your pet’s size and the procedure involved. We’ll give you a written estimate after examining your pet. Where a case needs equipment or expertise we don’t have on site, we refer to our dedicated specialist partners.
Found a lump, or worried about your pet?
Call us to book a consultation and we’ll examine your pet, explain the options and give you a written estimate.