Internal Medicine: Quick Diagnosis Gets the Treatment Started
When your pet gets sick, he or she cannot tell you where the pain is or anything strange that is going on inside. The best way to determine what is wrong and how to treat it is with diagnostic testing. At Knoxville Veterinary Clinic, we have the capabilities to do most testing here in our office, so we can get started on the right treatment as soon as possible and avoid unnecessary delays.
What Is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine is the area of medicine that works with the internal organs and any disease or injury to them. It is different from emergency medicine in that it usually is something that progresses slowly. However, if there is a problem internally that is overlooked, it could turn into an emergency situation.Scope of Internal Medicine
People tend to forget that an animal can come down with many diseases similar to the ones humans get. Some of the common veterinary diseases we treat include:
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Renal (kidney) disease
- Hepatic (liver) disease
- Cardiac (heart) disease
- Endocrinopathies (such as diabetes)
- Infectious diseases
- Hematologic (blood) disease
- Respiratory disease
- Urinary tract disease
- Cancer
Whether your pet’s problem has escalated to the emergency point, or you are coming because you notice a change in your pet’s normal behavior, we will perform the necessary testing to find out what is wrong. Once we determine the problem, a treatment plan is implemented to either cure the disease or keep it under control.
Types of Testing
When you come to us with a sick pet, we immediately begin testing for different diseases and conditions. Our office can perform the following tests:
- Blood analysis
- Thyroid testing
- Feline leukemia
- Pancreatitis
- Diagnostic surgery
- X-ray
In addition, we can collect samples of feces, bacteria cultures, and skin allergic sensitivities. These samples will be sent to an independent lab for testing.
Teaching You to Care for Your Pet
If your pet has a chronic illness or condition, we will determine the best way to keep it under control. Once it is under control, we will teach you how to keep things balanced. We will also teach you to recognize the signs and symptoms of an acute episode. This allows you to take the proper steps to bring the condition back under control. If you are unable to handle the situation at home, or there is no improvement, we will take over and make sure your pet returns to a good state of health.
Veterinary internal medicine is a team effort. We find out what is wrong and how to correct it. Once we know what is going on, and get things as normal as possible, we train you. Your pet will be as comfortable as possible throughout the whole process.