Internal medicine means diagnosing a health issue by combining all the information, including diagnostics, that we have about a pet to create a clear picture of the problem.
At East Padden Animal Hospital, we offer ultrasound and endoscopy with the services of a mobile internal medicine specialist who has the experience and state-of-the-art technology to assess your pet’s condition as accurately as possible. Both ultrasound and endoscopy allow us to see inside an animal’s body and can tell us a lot about the circulatory, skeletal and gastrointestinal systems.
Ultrasound
Using high-frequency sound waves, ultrasound is used to create real-time images of your pet’s internal organs and systems. Ultrasounds are generally non-invasive, using a hand-held scanner or probe to image your pet’s body and ultrasound gel to improve contact and get a more detailed picture. Light sedation may be needed to help the pet relax, as ultrasounds do require the patient to remain still.
Some conditions an ultrasound can help us diagnose and treat include:
- Tumors
- Cysts
- Kidney stones
- Congenital diseases
- Organ disease
- Intestinal blockages
- Anything soft tissue related
Endoscopy
If your pet has symptoms that include diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain or swelling or loss of appetite, we may suggest an endoscopic examination under anesthesia after preliminary testing such as bloodwork, x-rays, and fecal testing. In this procedure, our internal medicine specialist inserts a small, flexible tube with a viewing port and/or a video camera attachment to identify internal abnormalities like inflammation, masses, abnormal swelling, or areas of scarring or abnormal narrowing. If we see a foreign body in the stomach, such as a bone, stick, rock, toy, coin, or even a hairball, we can usually retrieve it. This method can also be used to obtain biopsy samples.
If you have questions about our internal medicine services, please contact us at (360) 892-1500.