What is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine encompasses the diagnosis and management of diseases affecting a pet’s internal organs. Your pet’s body is made up of different organ systems that work together to maintain normal function. This means that when an organ becomes diseased, the entire body can be affected. The complex manifestations and clinical signs that develop can make diagnosis and treatment of internal diseases complicated.
Our team has extensive experience treating a variety of internal diseases, including:
- Immune-mediated diseases
- Infectious diseases
- Kidney disease
- Liver and gallbladder disease
- Endocrine and hormone disorders
- Chronic disease conditions
- Respiratory conditions
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders
How will our internal medicine veterinarians diagnose your pet’s condition?
Since a variety of conditions may be responsible for your pet’s clinical signs, our internal medicine team will perform a thorough assessment to determine which diagnostic testing options are most appropriate. After a diagnosis is reached, our internal medicine team will develop a treatment plan, and work closely with your family veterinarian to manage your pet’s condition. Commonly used diagnostics include:
Biopsy
A surgical biopsy may be performed to collect abnormal tissue, such as a mass, skin lesion, or thickened intestinal wall, for more thorough evaluation.
Bone Marrow Aspiration
Your pet’s blood cells are produced in their bone marrow. If a blood cell abnormality, such as anemia or leukemia, is suspected, a bone marrow aspiration may be performed so we can analyze the various cell lines.
Bloodwork
A complete blood count and blood chemistry panel can provide important information about your pet’s health status, such as the presence of infection, inflammation, or anemia, and their individual organ function.
Endoscopy
During endoscopy, a long tube with a high-definition camera is advanced through your pet’s upper GI tract. The camera transmits an image onto a monitor so our team can get a birds-eye view inside your pet’s body. Endoscopy allows us to diagnose conditions such as GI foreign bodies and masses, and collect tissue samples for microscopic evaluation.
Abdominal Ultrasound
Ultrasound allows our team to observe your pet’s abdominal structures for any abnormalities, such as enlargement, fluid or blood accumulation, or pathologic changes. Ultrasound can also be used to guide a needle while obtaining a biopsy sample for microscopic tissue evaluation.