Maggie Williams

DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)

Veterinary Specialist

Internal Medicine

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At a Glance

Practicing Since:

Graduated DVM 2017, Board Certified 2022

Board Certified:

DACVIM (SAIM)

Specialties Include:

Internal Medicine

Dr. Williams is originally from Winnipeg but grew up in Calgary. After completing her BSc at the University of British Columbia, she moved back to Alberta and completed her DVM at the University of Calgary in 2017, at which time she discovered her passion for the field Internal Medicine. Following a rotating internship at the CARE Centre, she moved to Colorado where she attained a Master of Science and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Colorado State University.

Dr. Williams enjoys all aspects of Internal Medicine, with particular interests in hematologic, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune-mediated diseases. Additionally, she loves the opportunities this field provides to build relationships and work as a team with her clients and colleagues. In her spare time, she can be found skiing, mountain biking, and hiking with her husband Ross and dog Moose. She is thrilled to be back in Calgary (and the Canadian Rockies!) with family and friends and to be joining the team at Western.

Internal Medicine

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:

Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Hepatology
Pancreatology
Immunology
Infectious Disease
Nephrology and Urology
Respiratory Disease

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:

Infectious Disease
Endocrine Disorders
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Diabetes Mellitus
Immune Related Disorders
Kidney Dysfunction

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Our Internal Medicine Team

Alison Carter
BSc, MVB

Veterinarian

Serge Chalhoub
BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Veterinary Specialist

Nessa Forde
BVM&S MRCVS

Veterinarian

Debra Henderson
BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Veterinary Specialist

Amélie Paré
DMV, IPSAV, DACVIM (SAIM)

Medical Director, Veterinary Specialist

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Western Veterinary Specialist & Emergency Centre

1802 10 Avenue SW

Calgary, AB T3C 0J8

Main: 403-770-1340

Fax: 403-770-1344

Hospital Hours:

Mon-Sun: Open 24 hours

Referral Services:

Monday - Friday
8am - 4pm

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Publications:

Stereotactic radiation therapy for canine multilobular osteochondrosarcoma: Eight cases ( doi: 10.1111/vco.12481)

Objective: Radiotherapy is often considered in the management of canine multilobular osteochondrosarcoma (MLO), but its efficacy against bulky MLO tumours is poorly described. This retrospective case series describes the clinical outcomes of pet dogs with MLO treated with a stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) prescription of 30 Gy in three consecutive daily 10 Gy fractions. Dogs with an imaging (via computed tomography [CT] scan) and/or pathologic diagnosis of MLO were included. Patient demographics, tumour characteristics, radiation plan dosimetry, toxicity and outcome data were obtained retrospectively from the records. The median progression‐free survival time (MPFST) and median overall survival time (MST) were calculated using a LOGLOG test. Eight dogs were included. None had evidence of metastasis at the time of SRT. Clinical signs associated with the MLO included a mass noted by owner, stertor, vestibular signs, exophthalmos and abnormal mentation. Of the five dogs that had CT scans performed 3 to 9 months after SRT, tumour volume decreased by 26% to 87% in four dogs and increased by 32% in one dog. Late radiation toxicity was documented in three dogs (VRTOG Grade 1 skin and/or ocular, n = 2; Grade 3 central nervous system, n = 1). Confirmed local disease progression (n = 3; two were treated with a second course of SRT) and suspected pulmonary metastasis (n = 2) occurred 90 to 315 days after SRT. The MPFST was 223 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 144.5‐276.5 days). The MST was 329 days (IQR: 241.5‐408 days). This protocol was well‐tolerated, but the duration of response was short‐lived.

Authored: Katherine A. Sweet, Michael W. Nolan, Hiroto Yoshikawa, Tracy L. Gieger

Published: 15 April 2019

Frequency of an accessory popliteal efferent lymphatic pathway in dogs (doi: 10.1111/vru.12600)

Objective: Staging and therapeutic planning for dogs with malignant disease in the popliteal lymph node are based on the expected patterns of lymphatic drainage from the lymph node. The medial iliac lymph nodes are known to receive efferent lymph from the popliteal lymph node; however, an accessory popliteal efferent pathway with direct connection to the sacral lymph nodes has also been less frequently reported. The primary objective of this prospective, anatomic study was to describe the frequency of various patterns of lymphatic drainage of the popliteal lymph node. With informed client consent, 50 adult dogs with no known disease of the lymphatic system underwent computed tomographic lymphography after ultrasound‐guided, percutaneous injection of 350 mg/ml iohexol into a popliteal lymph node. In all 50 dogs, the popliteal lymph node drained directly to the ipsilateral medial iliac lymph node through multiple lymphatic vessels that coursed along the medial thigh. In 26% (13/50) of dogs, efferent vessels also drained from the popliteal lymph node directly to the internal iliac and/or sacral lymph nodes, coursing laterally through the gluteal region and passing over the dorsal aspect of the pelvis. Lymphatic connections between the right and left medial iliac and right and left internal iliac lymph nodes were found. Based on our findings, the internal iliac and sacral lymph nodes should be considered when staging or planning therapy for dogs with malignant disease in the popliteal lymph node.

Authored: Monique N. Mayer, Katherine A. Sweet, Michael N. Patsikas, Sally L. Sukut, Cheryl L. Waldner

Published: 06 February 2018