Internal Medicine
The members of the Internal Medicine Department at Vetcision, recognize the unique bond that exists between you, your pet, and your family veterinarian. We strive to build upon this bond by providing state of the art veterinary medical care, while providing the same caring compassion we would give our very own pets. Vetcision is a resource for your family veterinarian, providing advanced diagnostic methodologies, endoscopy, and other special imaging capabilities. Our close working relationship with your family veterinarian means unsurpassed care for your pet from diagnosis through management of the medical condition.
Experience in the Specialty of Internal Medicine
The professionals in the Internal Medicine Department at Vetcision include board certified veterinary internists and a highly trained technical staff who specialize in internal medical problems. Through continuing education and professional affiliations, we keep abreast of the latest technology and knowledge of internal medicine procedures to provide optimum care for your pets. We are continuously upgrading and adding to our equipment to provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment. Our internal medical staff works together as a team with other department members at Vetcision to ensure that your pet will be given the ultimate in care.
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Founded in 1972, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine sets the standards of medical excellence for the profession, promotes advancements in veterinary internal medicine, and provides the latest in internal medicine educational programs. The ACVIM includes subspecialties in internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. There are currently about 1,800 Board Certified Diplomates in Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Diplomates in the ACVIM must have:
- Received a degree in veterinary medicine from a school accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
- Completed a one-year rotating internship.
- Completed a two to three-year internal medicine residency program consisting of closely supervised training with recognized specialists to acquire additional knowledge and skill in veterinary internal medicine.
- Submitted extensive credentials to the ACVIM documenting their training, clinical competency, and scientific contributions to veterinary medicine.
- Finally, they must have passed a qualifying and then a certifying examination.
Areas of Interest in Internal Medicine Include:
- Respiratory: breathing disorders of the nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
- Gastroenterology: digestive disorders of the esophagus, stomach, intestine, colon, exocrine pancreas, liver and gall bladder.
- Endocrinology: hormonal disorders of the adrenal glands (Addison's and Cushing's Disease), endocrine pancreas (diabetes mellitus and insulinoma), parathyroid glands (calcium problems) and thyroid glands (hypothroidisim in dogs and hyperthyroidisim in cats).
- Nephrology/Urology: urinary disorders of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra.
- Hematology: blood disorders of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, as well as, blood component therapy (transfusions).
- Immunology: immune-mediated and immunodeficiency disorders.
- Infectious diseases: viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases of various organs.
- Diagnostic imaging: radiology, ultrasound, CT scans and MRI.
- Flexible and rigid endoscopy: directly examining and obtaining biopsies from the abdominal cavity (laparoscopy), gastrointestinal tract (upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy), respiratory tract (rhinoscopy and bronchoscopy), ears (otoscopy) and urinary tract (cystoscopy).
- Dermatology: skin disorders including allergic dermatitis.
The Internal Medicine Department works in partnership with our referring veterinarians to provide advanced diagnostics, sophisticated techniques and therapeutic options for complex diseases. Direct support to referring veterinarians ranges from performing specific diagnostic procedures to a telephone consultation.
