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 What is a Veterinary Internist?
What is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine is a broad-classification of disease processes that occur within the body. These may include endocrine disorders, heart and lung problems, bleeding and lymphatic diseases, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological problems, cancer, metabolic derangements, and inherited disorders. There are other veterinary specialties that focus primarily on the heart, neurologic system, eyes, skin, cancer issues, anesthesia, dental, and surgical problems. As veterinary internists, we work together with your regular veterinarian as well as specialists in other areas of veterinary medicine to provide the best comprehensive care for your pet.
What is a Veterinary Internist?
A veterinary internist (internal medicine specialist) is a veterinarian with advanced training in the area of internal medicine. To become a board-certified veterinary specialist, you must complete an additional four years of training following graduation from a four-year veterinary school. The first year is called an internship and the next three years are called a residency. During this time, you are trained by other board-certified specialists in the intricacies of internal medicine. At the completion of your residency you are classified as “residency trained” but not board-certified. In order to become board-certified, you must submit credentials and have an original article published in a peer-reviewed journal. After credentials are accepted, you may sit for an intense 8 hour examination called the qualifying examination. Once this examination has been passed, you are eligible to take the certifying examination. This is given over a two-day period and involves essay questions, a practical examination, and multiple choice and short answer portions. After successful completion of this examination, you are considered a board-certified specialist in internal medicine.
 What to Expect
Once you and your pet have been referred to our hospital, we will set up a time for consultation, perform a physical examination, and provide an outline of diagnostic testing that might be recommended. After we have explained our plans and you have asked any questions you might have, we will provide an estimate of charges for your review. In some instances, a diagnostic evaluation can be done on an out-patient basis. However, some diseases processes require hospitalization and more intensive management.
Care and Treatment
The intensity of care or treatment that is recommended depends on the condition that your pet has been diagnosed with or the problems that exist at the time of referral. Many conditions do not require hospitalization, while other conditions require hospitalization with intensive critical care monitoring. Our facility is equipped with intensive care nurses and monitoring equipment to provide the best possible care for your critically ill pet. Some of the options available to us include continuous ECG monitoring, continuous blood pressure monitoring, oxygen support, pulse oximetry, fluid support and pain management, and mobile subcutaneous glucose monitoring.
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