Soft Tissue Surgery
Soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats involves the investigation and treatment of conditions affecting the skin, head, neck, chest and abdomen. Our team is led by the experienced RCVS and European specialist Mickey Tivers.
Our soft tissue veterinary surgeons provide a comprehensive referral service for all surgical conditions. We commonly see dogs and cats suffering from the following problems:
· Breathing problems (usually in short-nosed / brachycephalic dogs)
· Ear problems
· Tumours of the skin and elsewhere
· Abscesses and foreign bodies (e.g. sticks or grass seeds)
· Stomach and intestinal problems (e.g. foreign bodies, tumours, biopsies)
· Difficulty passing urine or incontinence
· Wounds
· Critically-ill animals
Your initial consultation will usually last from 20 to 60 minutes, where we will take a thorough history and examine your pet. We will always discuss potential costs, outcomes and possible risks.
Your pet may need to stay with us for investigation and treatment after the consultation. We have extensive hospitalisation facilities to care for your pet if they do need to stay with us.
Unrivalled expertise
All soft tissue pet referrals benefit from a team of hugely-experienced and approachable clinicians.
We offer unrivalled expertise for management of congenital portosystemic shunts and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) surgery.
Cutting-edge treatments are also offered, including laser treatment of ectopic ureters, SUB devices for ureteric blockage, intrahepatic shunt surgery and laser treatment of BOAS.
Some of the other benefits to your pet include:
· Multi-disciplinary hospital with access to variety of other specialists, including specialist anaesthetists on-site for challenging cases
· Intensive care unit with dedicated nurses and back up from emergency and critical care (ECC) specialists
· 24-hour inpatient care from experienced and dedicated vets, nurses and ward staff
· Gold-standard facilities and equipment including CT scanner, MRI, two dedicated theatres, surgical staplers, keyhole surgery and laser
Animals are typically hospitalised for at least 24 to 48 hours after surgery for pain relief, observation and nursing care. We will call you daily with updates on your pet’s progress throughout their stay.
Soft Tissue Surgery Team
Mickey Tivers
BVSc (Hons) PhD CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS
Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons
RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
Head of Surgery
Mickey is an RCVS and European specialist in soft tissue surgery and joined us in late 2018 from the University of Bristol, where he was a senior lecturer in small animal surgery. Mickey’s main area of clinical and research interest is congenital portosystemic shunts and he has published widely on the subject. In addition, he has particular interest in BOAS and abdominal surgery. Mickey is passionate about providing an excellent and caring service to owners and their pets.
David Barker
BSc BVSc CertAVP(GSAS) DipECVS MRCVS
Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons
RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
David graduated in 2009 from the University of Pretoria, and worked in mixed practice in Lincolnshire before beginning post graduate training. He has completed a post graduate certificate and surgical residency at Paragon Referrals and is a European specialist in small animal surgery. David enjoys all aspects of soft tissue surgery, but has a particular interest in trauma management and surgical oncology.
He enjoys helping interns and junior surgeons reach their full potential. Outside of work, David enjoys travelling to far flung places around the world and is always happy to chat to colleagues about the next adventure.
Dan Kenny
BVSc CertAVP(GSAS) MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery
Dan qualified from the University of Liverpool in 2013 and gained valuable experience working in both England and Australia before joining the team at Paragon in 2018. He completed rotating and surgical internships at Paragon, followed by an ECVS Residency in Small Animal Surgery, which he successfully finished in December 2023.
In 2026, Dan became Paragon’s first homegrown EBVS diplomate and is proud to provide specialist-led care to patients within the surgical department.
Dan enjoys all aspects of surgery, with particular interests in head and neck procedures, thoracic surgery, thoracoscopic and laparoscopic techniques, and surgical oncology.
