What is a veterinary internal medicine specialist?

A veterinary internal medicine specialist has pursued additional years of training and certification (beyond what is required to be a veterinarian) to obtain expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of complex and uncommon medically-managed diseases.

How do I prepare my pet for an internal medicine consultation?

We recommend withholding food for 10-12 hours prior to your pet’s scheduled appointment time. Please do not withhold water. If your pet has diabetes or another medical condition that would make fasting difficult, please give food as usual. Any medications that your pet is taking regularly should be given on the day of the appointment. If your pet is on a medication is not advised to be given without food, you can give a small amount of food with the medication. If your pet has anxiety about veterinary visits and normally takes medication to prepare for this visit, we recommended giving this medication as recommended by your primary care veterinarian.

How do I prepare my pet for an abdominal ultrasound?

Fasting is strongly recommended for 10-12 hours before an abdominal ultrasound (water can still be available at all times). If your pet is diabetic or has another medical condition that would make fasting difficult, please call to discuss scheduling the ultrasound at a time when your pet’s stomach is likely to have less food in it. We will shave the fur on your pet’s abdomen to allow the ultrasound waves to pass into the tissues without the interference of hair and trapped air. This allows us to get the best possible images.

Will my pet be sedated for an ultrasound?

This very much depends on your pet’s comfort level with the examination and any necessary procedures. Our goal is to provide the best possible care without causing any more stress to them than necessary. We use a variety of techniques to accomplish this including calming pheromone sprays and close attention to your pet’s stress level. If your pet is experiencing more stress than we are comfortable with, sedation will be recommended if there is no medical contraindication. We will also likely recommend sedation for very mobile animals that try to dance to our music during an ultrasound procedure, as this greatly impedes our ability to obtain good images.

What is endoscopy?

Endoscopy is a procedure utilizing a long tube with a camera on the end that connects to a video viewer. This allows us to see the inside of organs like the stomach and esophagus by putting the endoscope through the mouth. Instruments for taking small biopsy samples and for retrieving non-food objects ingested by animals that made poor dietary decisions can be passed through the endoscope. This procedure requires general anesthesia.

How do I prepare my animal for endoscopy?

If your pet is coming in for a scheduled endoscopy to take biopsies of the stomach and upper intestine, no food should be given for 12 hours before the procedure. Water should be available at all times. If your pet is on any medications, please inform us about the medications so we can direct you appropriately on which should be given the day of the procedure.

If your pet is coming in for an emergency endoscopy (such as removing non-food material from the stomach), please do not give them any food. Food in the stomach makes it much more difficult to find the non-food material and remove it. Water can be available at all times. Please bring a list of medications that your pet has taken in the past week.