No one ever expects to hear their pet needs surgery.
Whether you've just noticed a lump, your dog has swallowed something they shouldn't have, or your vet has recommended a procedure out of nowhere — the words "your pet needs surgery" are some of the hardest words to hear.
We know. Most of our team have sat on the other side of the consult table with our own pets.
That's why every surgery at Allambie Vet is built around one promise:
"We will care for your pet the way we'd want someone to care for ours."
Surgical Care Right Here on the Northern Beaches
Our experienced veterinary team performs a full range of soft tissue surgery in our fully equipped, hospital-grade surgical suite in Allambie Heights — so your pet doesn't need to travel far from home for advanced surgical care.
Below are the most common reasons families across the Northern Beaches bring their pets to us for surgery.
Lumps, Bumps & Tumour Removals
The most common reason pets come in for surgery.
If you've found a lump on your dog or cat, you're not alone and you're right to get it checked. Most lumps are benign, but early detection often means a simpler removal and a faster recovery.
At Allambie Vet, we offer:
- A thorough consultation and assessment of the lump
- Fine needle aspirate (FNA) or biopsy, often with same-day in-house cytology results
- Pre-surgical blood testing and a tailored anaesthetic plan — especially important for older pets or those with health concerns
- Surgical removal in our fully equipped theatre with continuous human-grade monitoring
- Lab analysis (histopathology) to confirm the diagnosis and ensure clean margins (meaning all the cancerous cells are removed)
- A detailed written estimate before any procedure — no surprises
Cancer surgery, handled with care and expertise.
Our experienced surgical team regularly performs more complex tumour surgeries — including mast cell tumours, soft tissue sarcomas, mammary tumours, lipomas, and skin cancers with careful surgical planning to achieve clean margins and reduce the risk of the tumour coming back.
For more complex cases, we work closely with veterinary oncologists and specialist surgeons to ensure your pet receives the right treatment plan — whether that's surgery alone, or surgery combined with further therapy.
We don't just remove the lump — we make sure you get answers, a clear plan for recovery, and peace of mind that your pet can get back to what they love (whether that's the beach, the dog park, or curled up on the couch).
Emergency Foreign Body Removal
Socks. Corn cobs. Toys. Bones. Fishing hooks. Stones. String.
If your pet has swallowed something they shouldn't have, time matters. Foreign body obstruction is a true emergency and one of the most common reasons dogs (especially young dogs) need urgent surgery.
Signs to watch for:
- Repeated vomiting
- Not eating or drinking
- Lethargy or hiding
- A painful, bloated, or distended abdomen
- Straining without producing stool
- Drooling or repeated unsuccessful attempts to vomit
Fast, accurate diagnosis — in-house.
When your pet arrives, our team can move quickly because everything we need is on-site:
- In-house digital X-ray and state-of-the-art ultrasound to locate the obstruction
- Full in-house pathology — including emergency blood work and clotting profiles to assess your pet's condition before anaesthesia
- An experienced surgical team ready to proceed without delay
The surgeries we perform:
- Endoscopic retrieval — for items still in the stomach, removed without surgery where possible
- Gastrotomy — surgical removal of objects stuck in the stomach
- Enterotomy — surgical removal of objects stuck in the intestines
- Linear foreign body surgery — string, thread, or fabric (especially common and serious in cats) often gets caught and "saws" through the intestines as it tries to pass. This is a particularly dangerous form of obstruction that requires careful surgical management
- GDV (Bloat) Surgery — Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus is a life-threatening twisted stomach emergency, most common in large, deep-chested breeds like Great Danes, German Shepherds, and Standard Poodles. GDV is a surgical emergency every minute counts. We perform gastric decompression, surgical correction, and gastropexy (a preventative procedure to stop it happening again)
The earlier we see your pet, the better the outcome.
If you suspect your dog or cat has swallowed something or if a large or deep-chested breed is suddenly bloated, restless, or trying unsuccessfully to vomit — call us immediately on 02 9905 0505. Don't wait to see if they pass it. Don't wait until morning. The window for the best outcome is often a matter of hours.
Wound & Laceration Repair
Dog park incidents, cat fight abscesses, accidental injuries — we're here when you need us.
Whether your dog has been bitten at the off-leash area, your cat has come home with an abscess, or there's been an accident at home, we provide thorough surgical repair, pain management, and gentle wound care to get your pet healing comfortably.
We treat:
- Dog bite wounds and lacerations
- Cat fight abscesses (drainage and treatment) — often more serious than they look on the surface
- Traumatic wounds from accidents
- Complex wound reconstruction, including skin flaps and grafts where needed
Not sure if it needs to be seen?
Wounds always look worse with fur shaved away — try not to panic. Call us, send a photo if you're unsure, and we'll guide you on whether your pet needs to be seen immediately. When in doubt, it's always better to have it checked early — small wounds can become much bigger problems if infection sets in.
Bladder Stone & Urinary Surgery
For dogs and cats with bladder stones, urinary blockages, or recurrent urinary problems.
If your pet is straining to urinate, producing only small amounts, has blood in their urine, or has stopped urinating altogether — please call us immediately. In male cats especially, urinary blockage is a true emergency and can become life-threatening within hours.
Signs of a urinary problem:
- Straining to urinate, with little or no urine produced
- Blood in the urine (pink, red, or brown tinge)
- Urinating in unusual places (especially in cats)
- Crying or vocalising when urinating
- Excessive licking around the genital area
- Vomiting, lethargy, or going off food (in blocked male cats — this is an emergency)
Bladder Stone Surgery (Cystotomy)
Bladder stones are more common than most owners realise and can cause significant pain, infection, and even blockage if left untreated. Our surgical care includes:
- Pre-surgical imaging (X-ray and/or ultrasound) to confirm the location, size, and number of stones
- Surgical removal of the stones (cystotomy) in our fully equipped theatre
- Lab analysis of the stones to identify the type (struvite, calcium oxalate, urate, or cystine) — essential for preventing recurrence
- A tailored long-term dietary plan based on the stone type
- Full follow-up care to monitor for recurrence
Most pets feel dramatically better within days of surgery — finally free from the pain and discomfort they've been silently carrying.
PU Surgery (Perineal Urethrostomy) for Blocked Male Cats
Male cats are particularly prone to urinary blockages due to their long, narrow urethra. For cats who have suffered repeated blockages — or have a blockage that can't be relieved with a catheter — perineal urethrostomy (PU surgery) can be life-saving.
PU surgery creates a wider, permanent opening for urine to pass, significantly reducing the risk of future blockages. It's a complex surgery that many general practices refer to specialists — but our experienced surgical team performs PU surgery right here at Allambie Vet, meaning your cat doesn't need to travel to an unfamiliar hospital during an already stressful time.
After surgery, most cats go on to live happy, comfortable, blockage-free lives.
When it's an emergency: If your male cat is straining unsuccessfully in the litter tray, vocalising, vomiting, or lethargic — call us immediately on 02 9905 0505. A blocked cat can become critically unwell within hours.
Splenectomy (Spleen Removal) — Emergency & Planned
A surgery where experience, equipment, and speed genuinely make the difference.
The spleen is a soft, blood-rich organ in the abdomen. Splenic disease — including tumours, masses, and bleeding into the abdomen — is most common in middle-aged and older large-breed dogs. In many cases, removal of the spleen (splenectomy) is life-saving.
Emergency Splenectomy
A splenic tumour can rupture without warning, causing sudden, life-threatening internal bleeding. Owners often describe their dog as "fine yesterday" and then suddenly collapsed, weak, or pale.
Signs of a bleeding spleen:
- Sudden collapse or weakness
- Pale gums
- Distended or painful abdomen
- Rapid breathing or laboured breathing
- Reluctance to move
When a dog arrives with a suspected bleeding spleen, every minute counts. Our team can move fast because everything we need is on-site:
- Immediate ultrasound to confirm internal bleeding
- In-house emergency blood work and clotting profiles (run in minutes, not hours)
- Stabilisation with IV fluids and (where needed) blood products
- An experienced surgical team ready to proceed without delay
Planned Splenectomy
In other cases, a splenic mass is found before it ruptures — often during a routine check, an ultrasound for unrelated symptoms, or workup for a heart murmur or vague illness. Planned splenectomy gives us the time to fully stage the patient, plan carefully, and operate under controlled conditions for the best possible outcome.
Why Our Equipment & Experience Matter for Splenectomy
Traditional splenectomy involves tying off each major blood vessel feeding the spleen, one at a time, with surgical sutures. It's effective but slow.
At Allambie Vet, we use two LigaSure vessel-sealing devices that allow us to seal those blood vessels in seconds. The result:
- An emergency splenectomy completed in roughly half the time of traditional techniques
- Significantly less blood loss during a procedure where the patient is already bleeding internally
- Less time under anaesthetic — safer for older, sicker patients
- A smoother recovery
For high-stakes surgeries like this, the combination of an experienced surgical team, in-house diagnostics, and advanced equipment can directly affect the outcome.
After Surgery
Most dogs recover remarkably well from splenectomy. They stay with us for close monitoring during the critical first 24–48 hours, with continuous nursing care, pain management, and IV fluids. Once stable, they go home with clear aftercare instructions and a follow-up plan based on the histopathology results.
If the mass turns out to be cancerous, we work closely with veterinary oncologists to plan any further treatment and give your dog the best possible quality of life going forward.
Eye Surgery
Eye conditions are often painful and early treatment makes a real difference.
Your pet can't tell you their eye is sore, but the signs are usually there: squinting, pawing at the face, holding the eye half-closed, redness, discharge, or a noticeable change in appearance. Eye problems can deteriorate quickly, so we recommend having any concern checked promptly.
Our experienced team performs a full range of eye surgeries in-house, including:
- Cherry eye repair — common in young dogs, especially Bulldogs, Cavaliers, and Beagles
- Entropion and ectropion correction — surgical correction of eyelids that roll inward or outward, causing chronic irritation
- Eyelid mass and tumour removal — with careful reconstruction to preserve normal eyelid function
- Corneal ulcer repair — including grid keratotomy and surgical techniques for non-healing ulcers
- Enucleation (eye removal) — when an eye is beyond saving, this surgery removes ongoing pain and dramatically improves quality of life. Most pets adjust remarkably well
For complex cases, we work closely with veterinary ophthalmologists to ensure your pet receives the right level of care — whether that's surgery here, a specialist referral, or shared follow-up.
We understand that the idea of eye surgery — especially enucleation — is upsetting for owners. Our team will take the time to talk through your options, what to expect, and what life looks like afterward. In our experience, pets bounce back faster and adjust better than their owners ever expect.
Other Soft Tissue Surgeries
Beyond the surgeries listed above, our experienced team routinely performs:
- Caesarean section (C-section) — for planned deliveries in at-risk breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, and other small breeds), and emergency C-sections when labour isn't progressing safely. We work closely with breeders and pet owners to plan ahead where possible — and we're here for emergencies day during opening hours
- Hernia repairs — umbilical, inguinal, and perineal hernias, repaired with attention to long-term outcome
- Ear haematoma repair — for the painful blood-filled swellings that develop in the ear flap, usually from infection or vigorous head shaking. We treat both the haematoma and the underlying cause
- Anal gland surgery — for pets with chronic anal gland problems, including complete surgical removal when medical management isn't enough
- Exploratory abdominal surgery — when something is going on internally and imaging alone hasn't given us the answer. Allows us to diagnose and treat in the same procedure
- Diagnostic biopsies — liver, spleen, intestinal, kidney, and skin biopsies for clear, definitive answers when your pet isn't well
Whatever your pet needs, our team will walk you through it clearly — what's involved, what to expect, and what it will cost.
