What is a referral?

A referral is a recommendation from your regular veterinarian to seek further care. Your veterinarian completes and sends us a referral form which provides us with information about your pet's condition prior to your appointment. This form lists owner information and the pet section informs our staff of your pet's health history and why your pet needs to be seen.

Why do I need a referral?

We work hand in hand with your veterinarian to take care of your pet's health. The relationship that we have with community veterinarians is based on a referral system. If your regular veterinarian feels that your pet's health condition needs to be evaluated by a specialist they can refer you to us. Any findings/test results will be reported to your veterinarian on a daily basis. We will ask you to sign a waiver that states you will return to your veterinarian for the future care of your pet and that you will not seek to make us your primary veterinary office. This is to preserve the special relationship you and I both have with your veterinarian.

What if I do not have a regular veterinarian?

We do handle general health visits and provide wellness services only for new clients that have not been seen here on a referral basis.

WHAT IS INTERNAL MEDICINE

About Internal Medicine

Because our pets are not always able to communicate sources of pain and discomfort, the intervention of a specialist in internal medicine is vital to diagnose many complex illnesses affecting small animals. The following are examples of canine and feline disorders (as provided by the ACVIM.org website):

Endocrinology: Addison’s disease (hypoadrenocorticism), Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism), diabetes, insulinoma, canine hypothyroidism, and feline hyperthyroidism

Gastroenterology: Disorders of the esophagus, stomach, intestine, colon, pancreas, liver, and biliary tract

Hematology: Red blood cell, platelet, and white blood cell disorders Immunology: Immune-mediated and immunodeficiency diseases Infectious Diseases: Bacterial, bartonella, fungal, mucoplasma, protozoal, rickettsial, and viral diseases

Nephrology/Urology: disorders of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra Respiratory Disease: Disorders of the nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs

Diagnostic services include:
• Clinical Pathology (laboratory)
• Digital Radiology
• Ultrasound
• Electrocardiography
• Flexible & Rigid Endoscopy
• Laparoscopy (abdominal internal examination)
• Echocardiography (heart imaging and doppler) 
• Blood Pressure Evaluation

What is Ultrasonography?

Diagnostic ultrasonography is a non-invasive and non-painful tool used for the early detection, diagnosis, and staging of many diseases in animals. Ultrasonography is the preferred imaging modality to evaluate soft tissue density structures and is especially useful to evaluate fluid accumulations of the chest or abdomen. Ultrasonography also provides a minimally invasive method to obtain biopsy samples needed for the diagnosis of many conditions.

Will my pet be sedated?

Rarely will a pet need to be sedated for this procedure.

Will my pet have his fur shaved? We always shave the belly for an abdominal ultrasound, as we cannot see well through the fur. We sometimes shave for a cardiac or thoracic ultrasound.
Can he or she eat prior to this procedure?  We ask that food be withheld the day of an ultrasound procedure as gas and food in the intestinal tract can impair imaging. 

About Cardiology 
Cardiology is the branch of medicine that treats diseases of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels. This encompasses such problems as congestive heart failure, hypertension, dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and valvular disorders. Because the function of the heart and lungs are interrelated, veterinary cardiologists are also knowledgeable about lung disease as well as diseases of the chest cavity. A veterinary cardiologist is a licensed veterinarian who has obtained intensive additional training in veterinary cardiology.

Common cardiopulmonary diseases diagnosed, evaluated and treated (not limited to):

Acquired:
Chronic Valve Disease (endocardiosis)
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Pulmonary Hypertension
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomypathy (ARVC)
Sytemic Hypertension
Feline Cardiomyopathies
Bronchial/Pulmonary Disease
Feline Asthma
Pulmonary, Cardiac and Thoracic neoplasia
Thromboembolic disease
Bacterial endocarditis
Heartworm disease

Congenital Disease:
Sub-aortic Stenosis
Pulmonic Stenosis
PDA (patent ductus arteriosus)
TVD/MVD, (tricuspid and mitral valve dysplasia)

Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)

Tetrology of Fallot

and others....