Internal Medicine (IM) for dogs and cats is a specific discipline that encompasses a wide variety of disorders. The expansion of knowledge and expertise within the realm of small animal internal medicine has been explosive over the last decade, and LIVS offers the most advanced diagnostics and care available within this broad discipline. The IM Department at LIVS is staffed by two board-certified (ACVIM, internal medicine) internists, two technicians and an intern. In addition to having the full arsenal of imaging modalities (radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound) at their disposal, the IM specialists have state-of-the-art endoscopic equipment, which allows them to visually investigate and biopsy areas of the gastrointestinal system.
The list of canine and feline disorders that fall into the purview of IM is exhaustive and includes the following:
- Gastrointestinal disease (vomiting, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease)
- Liver disease (hepatitis, portosystemic shunts)
- Kidney disease (renal failure, pyelonephritis)
- Urinary bladder disease (urinary tract infections, bladder stones)
- Lung and pleural cavity disease (allergic lung disease, pyothorax)
- Infectious disease (sepsis, abscesses, viral disorders)
- Endocrine disease (diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism [Cushing’s disease], thyroid disorders, hypoadrenocorticism [Addison’s disease])
- Autoimmune disease (hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia)
As might be expected, the complexity of some of the medical disorders that afflict dogs and cats necessitates consultations within the hospital with other specialists (surgeons, neurologists, oncologists, etc). The team approach at LIVS ensures that whatever expertise needed for a specific patient’s successful outcome is made available to that patient.
