What is a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist’s or Veterinary Internists are the “puzzle solvers” of veterinary medicine for complex cases. Their expertise lies in understanding how your pet’s internal body systems function and in diagnosing and treating the many serious diseases that can affect these systems. They work directly with your general practice vet to give a complete picture of your pet’s disease such as:
- Kidney disease
- Urological and Bladder problems
- Liver disease
- Endocrine disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Lung, Breathing and Respiratory problems
- Immune and autoimmune diseases
- Hematological and blood disorders
Veterinary Internists work to complement the services of your regular veterinarian with the use of specialty equipment and expertise.
Where to find a Board Certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist in Boca Raton?
Dr. Lucia Alvarez is a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist treating the pets of Boca Raton, Delray, Boynton, and Deerfield Beach. Dr. Alvarez is excited to join the incredible vet team at Boca Veterinary Clinic. Read more about Dr. Alvarez here.
What procedures does a Vet Internist do?
All Internal Medicine consultations at Boca Vet Clinic start with an extensive consultation where a detailed history and examination of your pet is performed. If needed, during this examination an abdominal ultrasound is often also performed together with detailed digital radiographs (x-rays). Additional advanced diagnostic testing may also be needed to help diagnose your pet which can be done at Boca Veterinary Clinic:
- Abdominal Ultrasound – done daily at BVC
- Cervical Ultrasound
- Digital Radioraphs (x-rays)
- Advanced in-house blood test
- Specialized referral blood testing
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Endoscopy
- Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopic biopsies
- Endoscopic gastric foreign body removals
- Bronchoscopy
- Colonoscopy
- Esophageal and rectal ballooning
- Rhinoscopy
- Metabolic & endocrine testing
- Ultrasound guided fine needle aspirates
- Joint fluids aspirates
- Bone Marrow Aspirates and Core Biopies
- Endotracheal washes and testing
- Immune-mediated disease therapy
Boca Veterinary Clinic doctors are skilled in veterinary internal medicine and are available to manage, treat and diagnose conditions associated with all of the body’s organs. Some of these areas include cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, dermatology, infectious disease, oncology, endocrinology, respiratory medicine and behavior and nutritional counseling. Please call the hospital if you have any questions about your pets healthcare needs.