The UW Veterinary Care’s Internal Medicine team leaves no stone unturned, with a wide range of veterinary medical expertise that covers all the bases, including:
Gastroenterology for stomach and intestinal problems
Typical signs of stomach or intestinal problems would include: multiple episodes of vomiting or diarrhea, or intermittent vomiting and diarrhea that persists over days to weeks.
Endocrinology for hormonal imbalances such as:diabetes, hyper- and hypo-thyroidism, hyper- and hypo-adrenocorticism
Symptoms of dogs and cats with hormone imbalances may have the following: gradual changes in their water intake, appetite, and weight that take weeks to months to become evident.
Hematology for blood problems such as anemia and platelet disorders
Blood disorders may manifest more suddenly than other diseases. Potential symptoms may include: sudden weakness or pale gums and tongue may be signs of anemia. Platelets are blood cells that are important for helping blood to clot normally. Signs of platelet problems include bruises or small 'pinpoint' red spots on your pet's skin, or bleeding from the nose or gums.
Nasal and respiratory diseases range from fungal infections in the nasal cavities to pneumonia
Signs that might indicate nasal or respiratory disease include: if your pet is having difficulty breathing, has increased noise while breathing, or is coughing and seems lethargic (tired).
Infectious diseases such as Lyme disease and blastomycosis
Infectious diseases can happen both city and country-living dogs and cats. Signs of a serious infection include: lethargy (tiredness), loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Liver disease such as suspected liver shunts and fatty liver or lipidosis
Liver disease typically requires bloodwork and x-rays or other imaging modalities such as ultrasound or a CT scan to identify. Dogs and cats with liver disease may show signs of jaundice (yellow tinge to the whites of the eyes and gums), or they may show non-specific signs of illness such as loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Disease of the kidney and urinary tract such as renal failure and bladder infections
Similar to liver problems, diagnosis of kidney and urinary tract infections often requires bloodwork and a urinalysis along with x-rays, ultrasound or a CT scan. Bladder infections are possible of your dog or cat is urinating small amounts of urine very frequently, or if they are straining to urinate.
Specialized therapies include 24-hour care for critically ill animals. Additionally, our advanced diagnostics are located all under our roof, making your visit to our veterinary clinic efficient. Our team of veterinary medical specialists include internal medicine clinicians, anesthesiologists, pathologists, and radiologists. We will take the time needed to safely perform and interpret all the necessary diagnostic tests, that may include:
- Endoscopy (to investigate stomach and intestinal problems)
- Cystoscopy (to visualize the inside of the urinary bladder and the ureters)
- Bronchoscopy (looking down the trachea and into the lungs)
- Laparoscopic liver biopsy (a minimally invasive way to obtain liver samples)
- Ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy (a minimally invasive way to biopsy the kidneys)
What to expect at my pet's Internal Medicine Appointment
UWVC Internal Medicine Team
Faculty
- Jon Bach, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVECC
- Erin Lashnits, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
- Jessica Pritchard, VMD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)
- Lauren Trepanier, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVCP
- Katrina Viviano, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVCP
- Michael Wood, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
Residents
- Hannah Clark, DVM
- Marianthi Gelatos, DVM
- Kelsey Johnson, DVM
- Elizabeth Luciani, DVM
- Rae McAtee, DVM
- Ashley Melco, DVM
