Why Small Animal Surgery Needs Purpose-Built Instruments
Operating on a 4 kg cat requires instruments that are fundamentally different from those used in human surgery. The tissue planes are narrower, the structures are smaller, and the margin for error during instrument handling is reduced. Instruments scaled for adult human surgery are too large, too heavy, and too difficult to maneuver in a feline or small canine abdomen.
Fizza Surgical has manufactured veterinary surgical instruments since the 1990s, supplying veterinary practices, veterinary schools, and animal health distributors across Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Here is what belongs in a well-configured small animal surgical kit.
Scalpel Handles and Blades
No. 3 scalpel handle takes the most commonly used blades for veterinary soft tissue surgery: No. 10 (general incision), No. 11 (stab incisions, drainage), and No. 15 (fine, curved blade for skin and delicate tissue). The No. 4 handle is heavier and takes larger blades (No. 20–23) for incisions requiring more force.
In small animal surgery, the No. 15 blade is used more frequently than in human surgery because the scale of the tissue requires finer control. The No. 10 blade is used for larger skin incisions and tissue cutting where precise fine control is less critical.
Tissue Scissors
Small animal kits include scissors in sizes appropriate to the patient:
- 5.5″ curved Mayo scissors: For cutting tough tissue and suture in medium and large dogs
- 5″ curved Metzenbaum scissors: For tissue dissection in the abdominal cavity
- 4.5″ curved Iris scissors: For delicate dissection in cats and small breed dogs
- Straight iris scissors: For suture trimming in confined spaces
The key difference from human sets is the smaller sizes. A 6.75″ Mayo scissor is unnecessarily large and awkward in small animal abdominal surgery.
Hemostatic Forceps for Small Animal Work
Small, light hemostatic forceps dominate small animal sets:
- Halsted Mosquito forceps (3.5″–5″): The primary hemostatic instrument for small animal surgery. Both curved and straight are standard. These are the most frequently used forceps in cat and small dog ovariohysterectomy, castration, and enterotomy procedures.
- Kelly forceps (5″): For medium vessels in larger dogs and for holding tissue during pedicle ligation in OVH procedures.
- Rochester-Carmalt forceps (6.25″): Used in ovariohysterectomy for clamping the ovarian pedicle and uterine body. The longitudinal serration pattern prevents pedicle slippage better than Kelly forceps on large tissue bundles.
Tissue Forceps (Thumb Forceps)
Small animal tissue forceps are used for holding tissue during incision, dissection, and suturing:
- Adson tissue forceps (4.75″): Standard fine-toothed forceps for skin edges. Light and precise.
- Brown-Adson forceps (4.75″): Similar to Adson but with multiple fine teeth for better tissue grip with less pressure. Excellent for skin closure in cats.
- Russian tissue forceps (6″): Rounded, cup-shaped tips that grip tissue without teeth. Used for larger tissue handling in dog abdominal surgery where a tooth-grip is not needed.
Needle Holders
Small animal needle holders should match the suture sizes used:
- Olsen-Hegar needle holder with scissors (5.5″): Combines needle holder and scissor functions. Extremely practical in small animal surgery where the same instrument handles both suturing and suture cutting, reducing instrument changes. Available with and without tungsten carbide inserts.
- Mayo-Hegar needle holder (6″): Standard ring-handle design for 0–4-0 suture in general soft tissue closure.
- Derf needle holder (4.75″): Compact, lightweight needle holder for fine suturing in cats and exotic animals.
Retractors
Self-retaining retractors are particularly valuable in small animal surgery because two-person teams are common in private practice and a third person to hold a retractor may not be available:
- Weitlaner retractor (4″–5.5″ small sizes): For muscle retraction and wound exposure in dogs
- Gelpi retractor (small): For spinal surgery and orthopedic approaches in cats and small dogs
- Lone Star flexible retractor: For perineal and anal procedures
Standard Small Animal Surgical Set
| Instrument | Quantity | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Scalpel handle No. 3 | 1 | Standard |
| Mayo scissors curved | 1 | 5.5″ |
| Metzenbaum scissors curved | 1 | 5″ |
| Iris scissors curved | 1 | 4.5″ |
| Mosquito forceps curved | 4–6 | 5″ |
| Kelly forceps curved | 2 | 5″ |
| Rochester-Carmalt forceps | 2 | 6.25″ |
| Adson tissue forceps | 1–2 | 4.75″ |
| Olsen-Hegar needle holder | 1 | 5.5″ |
| Backhaus towel clamps | 4 | 3.5″ |
| Weitlaner retractor | 1 | Small |
Quality Standards and OEM Options
Fizza Surgical veterinary instruments are manufactured from 420-grade stainless steel, CE marked and ISO 13485:2016 compliant. OEM branding with custom packaging is available from 300 pieces per instrument type. Complete small animal surgical sets configured to your specification are available with CE documentation.
Get a Vet Instrument Quotation
Contact Fizza Surgical to discuss custom veterinary instrument sets, OEM requirements, or to request our veterinary instrument catalog. We respond within 24 hours on business days.
Where We Serve
Fizza Surgical exports to 50+ countries. Browse our country-specific pages with local regulatory guidance and pricing:
