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
Soft Tissue Surgeon and Head of Surgery
RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
EBVS® Specialist in Small Animal 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
Soft Tissue Surgeon
RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
EBVS® 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
Clinician in Small Animal Surgery
Dan qualified from the University of Liverpool in 2013. He worked in England and Australia before joining the team at Paragon in 2018. He completed his rotating and surgical internships at Paragon and went on to complete his ECVS Residency in Small Animal Surgery in December 2023. He is a certificate holder in Small Animal Surgery and currently sees both soft tissue and orthopaedic cases. Dan enjoys all aspects of surgery but has a particular interest in head and neck surgery, thoracic surgery, and surgical oncology.
Davide Malucelli
DVM CertAVP(GSAS) MRCVS
ECVS Resident in Small Animal Surgery
Davide qualified from the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of Milan. After spending a year working in Italy, he moved to West Yorkshire and worked in first opinion practice for three and a half years. Davide joined Paragon Referrals in 2020 and completed a rotating internship and a surgical internship. He then started a three-year small animal surgery residency in 2023. Davide enjoys all aspects of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery.
