Internal medicine is the broadest field in veterinary practice. Nearly every complaint you are likely to meet in daily life falls under it: vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, coughing, drinking far more water than usual.
From symptom to diagnosis
Animals cannot tell us where it hurts, so good internal medicine begins with good listening. At the exam we first hear from you when the complaint started, how it has developed and what has changed at home. Then we carry out a systematic clinical examination.
When the clinical findings are not enough, the laboratory and imaging step in. Blood work, urinalysis, ultrasound and X-ray let us ground the diagnosis in solid data. We do not start treatment on a guess, because the wrong treatment wastes time and hides the true picture.
Managing chronic disease
Chronic conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes, thyroid disorders and heart disease are not settled with a single round of treatment. They need regular follow-up. For these patients we plan checkup intervals around how the disease is behaving. At every visit we compare the values with the previous results and adjust the treatment when it is called for.
The biggest role in managing a chronic illness belongs to you. We spell out what to watch for at home, which signs are urgent and how to give the medication. And because we keep a patient's entire history together in one file, even the smallest shift in the picture stands out to us.