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Small mammal surgical procedures are a part of clinical veterinary practice and are performed with regularity. Anesthetic and analgesic techniques are important components of any successful small mammal surgical procedure. Many basic surgical principles used in dogs and cats can be directly applied to small mammals, but tissues tend to be smaller and thinner, and hemostasis is critical with small patients due to risk of death with minimal blood loss. Common surgical procedures in small mammals include integumentary mass and abscess excision, reproductive procedures, gastrointestinal foreign body removal, urolith removal, prolapsed tissues associated with the gastrointestinal tract, intra-abdominal mass excision, and hepatic surgery., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The sophistication of soft-tissue surgery techniques in small mammals is increasing rapidly. Exotic animal practitioners must be familiar with the diseases, conditions, and anatomic variations of each small-mammal species. The small size of these patients should not preclude the use of technologic advances available for other small animals. Despite these challenges, successful resolution of surgical problems in small exotic mammals is not only possible but also should be the expected result of veterinarians' efforts in such cases.

The intrinsic physiologic and anatomic differences between small exotic mammals and the species that are more familiar to veterinary practitioners (i.e., dogs and cats) are substantial. This discussion is limited to rabbits, mice and rats (murid rodents), hamsters and gerbils (cricetid rodents), and guinea pigs and chinchillas (hystricomorph rodents). In addition to their anatomic and physiologic differences, differences in behaviors, such as their reaction to stress and pain, exist. Preoperative and postoperative care, basic surgical techniques unique to these species, and useful materials are discussed.