Abstract: A veterinary surgical table for large animals is positioned in an operating room adjacent a recovery stall, and a chute positioned between the surgical table and the recovery stall; a large animal is secured to the vertically extending top of the surgical table in a standing position, the surgical table is tilted to a horizontal position for operating on the animal, and the surgical table is further tilted through a predetermined angle to permit sliding the animal from the surgical table onto the chute and into the recovery stall after the operation whereby lifting of the animal is eliminated.