Surgery is stressful for pet owners even when the procedure is routine, and we built our surgical program around reducing that stress wherever we can. Rice Veterinary Clinic provides surgical care for dogs and cats from Rice, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, and St. Cloud, with patient safety, strict monitoring, and pain management treated as non-negotiable at every step.
From a routine spay to a torn ligament repair, our surgical team handles a wide range of procedures without needing to send you elsewhere for the basics.
Spaying a female dog or cat before her first heat cycle nearly eliminates the risk of mammary cancer and removes the risk of uterine infections entirely. Neutering a male prevents testicular cancer and reduces roaming behavior, marking, and some forms of aggression tied to hormones. We generally recommend the procedure between five and six months of age, though the right timing can shift depending on breed and size, especially for larger dogs.
Orthopedic surgery addresses bones, joints, and ligaments. ACL/CCL (cranial cruciate ligament) repairs are among the most common procedures we see, particularly in larger dog breeds, alongside fracture repairs and patellar luxation corrections for kneecaps that slip out of place. A dog limping on a back leg for weeks isn’t something that resolves on its own, and restoring that joint often means the difference between a pet who avoids stairs and one who’s back to normal within a couple months.
Soft Tissue Surgery
Soft-tissue surgery covers anything that isn’t bone or joint related — most of what falls under general surgery at our clinic. Common examples include:
In-House Specialty & Referral Surgery
For cases that need a board-certified specialist, we partner with Dr. Rachel Chmelovski of RCM Veterinary Surgery, who performs complex procedures right here at our Rice facility. That means your pet gets specialist-level surgical care without the drive to a metro emergency hospital, in a space they’re already familiar with.
Withhold food after midnight the night before, but water is fine to leave out unless we tell you otherwise. Plan to drop your pet off in the morning per the instructions we give at scheduling, and try to keep the morning low-key since some pets pick up on stress before they even get in the car.
A routine spay, neuter, or minor soft-tissue procedure has your pet mostly back to normal within 10 to 14 days, with an e-collar and activity restriction during that window. Orthopedic surgery is a longer road — strict crate rest and physical therapy for several weeks to a few months, depending on the procedure and how well your pet tolerates staying calm.
No. A trained veterinary technician stays with your pet through recovery until they’re fully awake, stable, and moving normally. This is when complications, if there are going to be any, tend to show up, so someone’s watching the whole time.
Yes, in writing, every time. You’ll go home with a schedule for any medications, instructions for wound or incision care, and a list of warning signs — swelling, discharge, lethargy — that mean you should call us right away instead of waiting it out.
Our team pairs surgical skill with the kind of gentle handling that keeps anxious pets calm, and we treat every patient’s recovery as seriously as the procedure itself.
Get in touch with Rice Veterinary Clinic today if you need to schedule pet surgery in the Rice area.