How effective is surgery in dogs?

That's a great general question. So it depends on what type of surgery that is. We wouldn't recommend a surgery unless we thought it was effective for whatever the problem would be. But of course, some prognoses are better than others.

The effectiveness of the surgery depends on the procedure. In most cases, surgery will fix the problem. However, there are risks and complications, so it's not always 100% effective. In cases where we can't completely remove a tumor, the surgery will buy us time but may not be a complete cure. Procedures like toe or tail amputations, or removing bladder stones or intestinal blockages are typically curative.