What does it mean to be a Board Certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?

A veterinary internal medicine specialist is a veterinarian who has completed advanced training in internal medicine following graduation from their veterinary college.

After graduation with a veterinary degree, internal medicine specialists complete a one-year small animal rotating internship, continuing to hone the clinical skills they developed in veterinary school. After successfully finishing an internship, these specialists must next complete a small animal medicine residency. This three-year program is an intensive graduate clinical training program intended to improve procedural skills, establish productive clinical research and refine their approach to diagnostic and therapeutic plans. The residency training culminates with a comprehensive examination covering all aspects of veterinary small animal internal medicine. Once these requirements have been fulfilled, the veterinarian is considered to be a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Small Animal internal medicine includes many sub disciplines including:

• Gastroenterology (esophageal, stomach, and intestinal disease)
• Hepatology (liver and pancreatic disease)
  Endocrinology (hormonal disease)
• Infectious disease
  Urology (urinary tract disease)
• Nephrology (kidney disease)
• Respiratory disease (nose, airway, and lung)
• Hematology and Immunology (blood cell and immune-disease)
• Neurologic diseases
• Cancer diseases

Some of the advanced tests, procedures, and treatments we offer include:

• Abdominal or thoracic (chest) ultrasound
• Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
• Rhinoscopy or bronchoscopy (endoscopy of the nose and lungs)
• CT (or CAT) scans
• Chemotherapy
• Blood Transfusions

Referrals

As with any of our specialties, internal medicine requires a referral from your primary care veterinarian. The partnership with our general veterinary practices provides the very necessary continuity of care to the patients for their ongoing health and wellness.

What to Expect

• Our referral coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment with one of our board-certified internal medicine specialists.
• A questionnaire will be sent to you for completion. This is an important step to get a detailed history of your pet to the internal medicine team. Please fill this online questionnaire out prior to your appointment.
• We typically schedule evaluation appointments on weekday mornings and try to perform diagnostic tests the same day if possible.
• In most internal medicine cases, we prefer the pet to come to his or her appointment fasted. Please offer no food after midnight, water is okay in the morning before you come to your appointment.
• Once the evaluation is complete, a treatment plan will be discussed with you. If further procedures are required, please prepare to leave your pet for the afternoon.
• When your pet is discharged, you will be provided with a detailed set of discharge instructions to help you understand what diagnostic tests were performed, your pet’s diagnosis, treatment options and prognosis.
• We will follow up with your veterinarian so that everybody involved in your pet’s care has up-to-date information.