Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a traveling, board-certified veterinary surgeon near Allentown, PA, in the Lehigh Valley.  He performs specialized surgery on dogs, cats, and "exotic animals" (see list below) at your family vet's hospital.  He had wanted to be a veterinarian since the age of 5 when his favorite TV shows were Flipper, Daktari and Lassie!  "Becoming a surgeon has been a dream come true and I am as passionate about my profession as I was when I first started", he says.

Dr. Zeltzman writes a (free) weekly, award-winning newsletter for true dog and cat lovers.  It is read in all 50 States (and Washington DC), as well as 27 foreign countries.

After graduating in 1993 from the University of Liege, School of Veterinary Medicine in Belgium, Dr. Zeltzman simultaneously worked as a general practitioner, emergency vet and journalist for 3 years in his native city of Paris, France.  He completed a 1-year internship at the University of Georgia, then a 3-year surgical residency at Surgical Referral Service in Buffalo Grove, near Chicago, IL.  Then he worked as a surgeon for 4 years at a surgical practice in Cincinnati, OH, and almost 4 years at a surgical practice in Whitehall, PA.  He is a board-certified surgeon, ie a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, a much coveted professional achievement.

He is also a certified surgeon for the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) and has performed hundreds of these procedures in dogs from around 50 pounds to over 250 pounds!  The results have been very impressive.

His interests include all aspects of soft tissue, orthopedic, cancer, reconstructive and neuro-surgery, as well as physical therapy and emergency cases.  He has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity.  His newest endeavor is stem cell therapy.

In practice, Dr. Zeltzman's goal is to offer the best surgical care, the safest anesthesia and the utmost pain management to patients.

As an author, his goal is to write meaningful articles, newsletters and books that will make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners.  He has published numerous articles in national and international veterinary journals.  He is also a prolific speaker, and is currently working on several book projects.

Dr. Zeltzman is an "expert" for dogtime.com, a member of the Cat Writers' Association, the Dog Writers Association and the Authors Guild. He is a monthly contributor to www.veterinarypracticenews.com and has written in Dog Fancy, The Bark and Tails.

We hope you will find this web site and the newsletter useful, and that they will benefit you and your pet.

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURES PERFORMED

It is impossible to list all procedures available, but this is a good start. Optimal pain management and pretty incisions are standard goals.

 

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

 

Knee surgery

ACL surgery (standard or extracapsular repair)

Kneecap dislocation (patellar luxation)

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)

 

Hip surgery (hip dysplasia)

Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)

Hip dislocation (luxation)

Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS)

 

Shoulder surgery

Dislocation (luxation)
Osteo-Chondritis Dissecans (OCD)

 

Elbow surgery

Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP)

Osteo-Chondritis Dissecans (OCD)

Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)

 

Joint surgery

Arthrodesis (joint fusion)

Dislocation repair (luxation)

Tendon rupture (tear) repair

 

Fracture repair

External fixator

Plate and screws

Pins

Wires

 

Other orthopedic procedures include stem cell therapy, limb sparing, amputation, leg deformities, joint tap, ulnar ostectomy, bone biopsy, poly-arthritis workup etc.

 

SOFT TISSUE SURGERY

Abdominal surgery

Adrenal gland removal

Bladder (stone removal, masses)

Colon surgery

Cryptorchidism

Diaphragmatic hernia

Ectopic ureter

Exploratory laparotomy

Gallbladder (removal vs. re-routing)

Incontinence treatment

Intestinal surgery

Kidney surgery

Liver surgery

Megacolon

Pancreas surgery

Pleuro-Peritoneal Diaphragmatic Hernia (PPDH)

Prophylactic gastropexy (“twisted stomach” or bloat prevention)

Prostate surgery

Spleen removal (splenectomy)

Stomach surgery

Urethra surgery

 

Thoracic surgery (thoracotomy)

Chylothorax

Esophagus surgery

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA)

Pleural port placement

Lung surgery, including “keyhole” lung biopsy

Pyothorax

 

Head and neck surgery
Cheiloplasty (for excessive drooling)

Cleft palate

Ear and throat polyps in cats

Ear hematoma

Elongated soft palate

Everted laryngeal saccules
Eye and eyelid surgery

Facial fold removal

Laryngeal paralysis (“Tie back”)

Lateral Bulla Osteotomy (LBO)

Lateral ear resection
Oro-nasal fistula

Salivary gland surgery (mucocele, sialocele)

Stenotic nares (narrow nostrils)
Thyroid gland removal (cat or dog)

Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA)

Ventral Bulla Osteotomy (VBO)

                                  

“Back end” surgery

Anal sac surgery

“Corkscrew” tail removal

Perianal fistula management

Perineal hernia

Urethrostomy (perineal in cats, scrotal in dogs)

Redundant vulvar fold (vulvoplasty, episioplasty)

Scrotal ablation

 

Reconstructive surgery

Skin flaps

Skin grafts

Wound management

 

Cancer surgery

Jaw surgery (Mandibulectomy / Maxillectomy)

Mastectomy (mammary tumors)

Nasal tumors (rhinotomy, rhinoplasty)

Tumors in multiple other locations (mentioned above and below).

 

Emergency surgery

Blocked urethra (cat or dog)

C-section

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV)

Hemoabdomen

Pneumothorax

Pyometra

Spleen removal (splenectomy) 

Other soft tissue procedures include other types of hernias, soft tissue biopsies, elbow hygroma, lymph node removal or biopsy, feeding tube placement etc.

 

NEUROLOGY / NEUROSURGERY

Atlanto-axial (sub)luxation

“Bulging” disc (Back and neck)

Cauda equina (L/S syndrome)

CSF tap (spinal tap)

Degenerative myelopathy

Discospondylitis

MRI

Myelogram

“Slipped” or "bulging" disc (Back and neck)

Spinal tap (CSF tap)

Spinal tumor
Vertebral fracture and/or dislocation (luxation)

Wobbler syndrome (cervical vertebral instability syndrome)

 

Other neurology procedures include muscle and nerve biopsies, Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia workup etc.

Note: Dr. Zeltzman's picture above is courtesy of Dr. Johnny Slaughter, veterinarian and photographer extraordinaire.  Thanks Johnny!