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Western Veterinary Specialist & Emergency Centre
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Western Veterinary Specialist & Emergency Centre
403-770-1340
Esophageal strictures can be caused due to foreign bodies, cancer, ingestion of caustic substances as well as acid reflux.
Esophageal stricture can be a devastating complication of esophageal foreign bodies because the scar tissue that forms once the esophagus heals is not as elastic as normal esophageal tissue. This leads to the formation of a ring within the esophagus that prevents passage of food and occasionally water.
Recent history of general anesthesia is common in cases of esophageal stricture due to gastroesophageal reflux. The acid can cause severe damage to the esophagus leading to a stricture. Esophageal strictures are typically treated with ballooning procedures, which slowly dilate esophageal wall. This process should be performed in several steps as overt acute dilation can lead to significant scar tissue formation and/or esophageal rupture, which can be life threatening. Procedures are typically performed every 5-7 days. Dogs will typically require 3-4 ballooning procedures in order to achieve enough dilation that they can eat well. However, some dogs will require many more procedures. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how many procedures will be required because it depends on each dog or cat's body's ability to form scar tissue.
The Internal Medicine Service has the expertise and specialized technology to diagnose and treat your pet while providing you with compassionate care and the best client service possible.
What Is A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
A board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist is a licensed veterinarian who has completed an internship, 3 year residency program, passed board examination and met the credentials to become a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. An internal medicine specialist has advanced training in the following disciplines:
Specialists perform a variety of state-of-the-art minimally-invasive procedures, including gastrointestinal endoscopy, rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy and bladder stone removal. Additional special procedures include radioactive iodine therapy, laser lithotripsy, ectopic ureter correction and feeding tube placement (see descriptions below).
Why Does My Pet Need A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
Just as your own primary care physician may feel the need to refer you to the care of a specialist, your general practitioner veterinarian may feel that your pet needs a specialist with more intensive training to help diagnose or treat a particularly complicated problem. Veterinary Specialists work in concert with primary care physicians to ensure the very best outcome for your pet.
What Health Problems Does A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist Treat?
Board-certified internal medicine specialists are trained to treat some of the most complicated diseases and health problems that affect pets. Thanks to better health care, more and more pets are living longer lives. As a result, an increasing number of older pets are coping with multiple concurrent disease states that can be very difficult to manage. For example, a cat with diabetes may also be suffering from kidney failure, or a dog in heart failure may also be diagnosed with cancer. Internal medicine specialists are uniquely prepared to oversee the care of these complicated cases.
Common diseases that frequently lead primary care veterinarians and concerned pet owners to seek the expertise of a specialist include:
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