Veterinary Hemostatic Forceps: Rochester, Carmalt, Mosquito Clamps for Animal Surgery

Controlling Bleeding in Veterinary Surgery: Choosing the Right Clamp

Hemostatic forceps are as fundamental to veterinary surgery as they are to human surgery. The same basic design principles apply — ring handles, ratchet lock, serrated jaws — but the size range, jaw length, and specific models used in veterinary practice differ significantly from human surgery sets.

Understanding which hemostatic forceps belong in a veterinary set — and how the same instrument types perform differently across species — helps veterinary practitioners and procurement teams build more effective instrument trays.

Mosquito Hemostatic Forceps in Veterinary Use

Halsted Mosquito forceps are the most heavily used hemostatic clamp in small animal surgery. The fine jaws and small profile are ideal for clamping vessels in cats, rabbits, small breed dogs, and exotic companion animals where vessel diameter is too small for standard Kelly forceps.

For a routine feline ovariohysterectomy, 4–6 curved Mosquito forceps are used: two or three on each side of the ovarian pedicle and one or two on the suspensory ligament. The fine jaw prevents tissue trauma in these delicate structures.

Available in 5″ (12.5 cm) standard length. The 3.5″ (9 cm) mosquito is used specifically in exotic animal and rabbit surgery.

Rochester-Carmalt Forceps: The OVH Workhorse

No instrument is more closely associated with routine small animal spay surgery than the Rochester-Carmalt. The longitudinal serrations with cross-hatching at the tip create a crushing grip on pedicles that prevents slippage after ligation — critical in ovariohysterectomy where the ovarian pedicle and uterine body must be securely clamped before suture ligation and transection.

Standard size in veterinary use is 6.25″ (16 cm) curved. Two or three Carmalt clamps are placed on the ovarian pedicle and uterine body before ligation, creating a safe tissue margin for suture placement.

Carmalt forceps are also used in feline and small dog castration for clamping the spermatic cord prior to ligation.

Kelly Hemostatic Forceps in Veterinary Procedures

Kelly forceps sit between Mosquito and Rochester-Carmalt in size. They are appropriate for vessels and tissue bundles that are too large for Mosquito but do not require the crushing action of a Carmalt. Common applications include:

• Clamping vessels in medium-to-large dog abdominal surgery
• Hemostasis during mastectomy in dogs
• Clamping the vas deferens during canine castration in large-breed dogs

Standard length: 5.5″ (14 cm). Available straight and curved.

Rochester-Pean Forceps for Large Animal Work

In large animal surgery (equine and bovine), Rochester-Pean forceps provide the jaw length and clamping force needed for larger vessel and pedicle sizes. A Pean forceps is appropriate for clamping the broad ligament in equine ovariectomy via the flank approach, where pedicle size and tissue bulk require the heavier jaw of the Pean rather than a Kelly.

Doyen Intestinal Forceps

A specific type of clamp used in bowel surgery — enterotomy and intestinal anastomosis. Doyen forceps have long, curved jaws with longitudinal and cross serrations that occlude the bowel lumen without crushing the tissue permanently. They are “non-crushing” clamps relative to Carmalt forceps, designed to hold bowel content while the anastomosis is performed without causing ischemic necrosis.

Used in the same positions in veterinary intestinal surgery as in human bowel surgery. Essential in any veterinary surgical set configured for bowel procedures.

Backhaus Towel Clamps

Not hemostatic, but worth noting as essential companion instruments. Backhaus towel clamps (3.5″ in veterinary sets) secure the sterile draping to the patient’s skin. Standard sets use 4–8 clamps depending on drape configuration. Available in non-perforating designs (plain tips) for skin that should not be punctured.

Choosing Forceps for Your Veterinary Species

Quality and Sourcing

Fizza Surgical manufactures hemostatic forceps for veterinary use in all standard sizes and patterns, CE marked and ISO 13485:2016 compliant. Custom OEM sets configured for specific veterinary procedures (OVH set, castration set, enterotomy set) are available with CE documentation and branded packaging from 300 pieces minimum. Request a veterinary instrument catalog and quotation.