Skip NavigationSkip to Primary Content
A board-certified veterinary internist is similar to the human medical counterpart.
They have completed an internship and residency in their specialized field of internal medicine (an additional 3-5 years training) after they completed undergraduate training and four years of veterinary school.
They also have to pass rigorous examinations to achieve board certification from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), where they become “Diplomates” in their specialty area.
Internal medicine focuses on diseases inside the body.
The Internal Medicine team at our hospital specializes in treating a variety of health issues that originate from different parts of the body.
While the list is not exhaustive, our veterinarians can help address the following health problems:
Hormonal disease and disorders: The internal medicine specialists offer consultations on a number of complicated and difficult to manage metabolic diseases including diabetes mellitus and Cushing’s syndrome.
Infectious diseases: We specialize in a variety of both common and uncommon infectious diseases, including Valley Fever, a fungal disease common to Arizona, Ehrlichia, a bacterial disease caused by exposure to ticks, and Aspergillosis, a fungal infection that affects the nose.
Stomach and intestinal disease: The internal medicine specialists are able to use advanced diagnostic techniques to diagnose and treat a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease and protein losing intestinal disease (PLE).
Kidney and liver disease: Using a variety of sensitive diagnostic tests, our internal medicine specialists are able to achieve early diagnosis of many diseases in both the liver and kidneys, which can lead to more treatment options and longer lifespan.
Immune disorders: We treat a number of different immune mediated diseases including immune mediated anemia and auto-immune thrombocytopenia (platelet destruction).
Pancreatic disease including pancreatitis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Respiratory disease: We can diagnose and treat diseases relating to any issues with the upper and lower respiratory systems, including the nose, airways, throat, and lungs.
Our internal medicine team communicates and works with other specialty departments in order to provide a comprehensive care plan for your pet’s unique situation.
We offer a number of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic options, including but not limited to:
Endoscopy: Endoscopy is a procedure in which a camera is inserted into an area of the body and images are taken. Endoscopy can be performed in the stomach, small and large intestine, bladder, nose, and lungs. It can be used to diagnose certain diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal cancer, and it can also be used as a noninvasive treatment for removal of foreign bodies and fungal organisms.
Ultrasound: Ultrasound can be used to obtain detailed images of the internal organs such as liver, spleen and kidneys. These organs can be examined with ultrasound in far greater detail than with traditional x-rays. Additionally, ultrasound can be used to facilitate non-invasive sampling from organs when disease is present so that a treatment plan can be established.
CT Scan: CT scan provides a comprehensive three-dimensional image of organ systems. It can be used to investigate multiple body systems such as the nose, chest, and abdomen. It can also diagnose diseases associated with the blood vessels such as portosystemic shunts.
Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is essentially a video x-ray and can be used to investigate problems with swallowing and regurgitation as well as to highlight blood vessels.