Veterinary Internal Medicine

When your pet has a complex or challenging medical issue, your primary care veterinarian might refer you to a specialist in veterinary internal medicine. These specialists have extensive training and expertise in diagnosing and treating conditions related to various internal systems, such as the digestive, respiratory, urinary, endocrine, and hematologic systems. They are also skilled in managing infectious and autoimmune diseases. Their advanced knowledge and experience can be crucial for providing the best care for pets with serious or complicated health issues.

Diagnosing the Problem

At Sunstone, we are relentless in our commitment to uncover the root cause of your pet’s condition, ensuring an appropriate course of action can be taken. We understand that each patient’s illness requires a unique approach. You and your primary care veterinarian can count on Sunstone’s board-certified internists to provide careful management of complex conditions and diseases.

Common internal medicine conditions we see at Sunstone:

Some of the conditions for which your primary care veterinarian may refer your pet to a Sunstone internal medicine specialist include:

Hormonal Diseases (ie Addison’s disease, Cushings syndrome, diabetes mellitus and others that are more rare)
Autoimmune diseases (immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, immune-mediated poly-arthritis and others)
Gastrointestinal disease (inflammatory bowel disease, lymphangiectasia, small cell lymphoma and others)
Kidney disease (kidney failure, kidney infections and others)
Liver disease (liver shunts, copper storage disease, portal vein hypoplasia [microvascular dysplasia] and others)
Respiratory disease (chronic bronchitis, lung worms, collapsing trachea and others)

Thorough Diagnosis and Treatment

Sunstone has invested in some of today’s most sophisticated diagnostic technologies, giving your pet access to timely, accurate diagnosis—speeding the time to effective, expert treatment.

Internal medicine diagnostics and treatments include:

State-of-the-art diagnostics
Endoscopy: Quick and minimally invasive procedures that enable us to examine the inside of a hollow organ or cavity. Common areas we examine with endoscopy are:
- Stomach and intestines (gastroduodenoscopy)
- Airway (bronchoscopy)
- Bladder (cystoscopy)
- Nasal passages (rhinoscopy)
HDVI (Cone Beam CT): 3D imaging in 360-degree rotation.
In-house laboratory: Fast and efficient blood testing and urinalysis.
Bone marrow aspiration/biopsy: To obtain information on blood cells and platelets.
Joint taps (arthrocentesis): Obtaining fluid from affected joints to diagnose joint disease.
Abdominocentesis: Removal of fluid from the abdominal cavity.
Thoracocentesis: Removal of fluid from the chest cavity.
Pericardiocentesis: Removal of fluid from the sac surrounding the heart.
Examination and Consultation: Our experienced team conducts thorough medical records review to medical history. Typically, this will occur prior to your arrival at Sunstone for your pet’s examination and your consultation with one of our Internal Medicine Specialists.
X-ray, Ultrasound, CT, and Fluoroscopy: State-of-the-art imaging technology gives our Specialists vital information regarding your pet’s current condition.

Once we’ve figured out what’s going on with your pet, we’ll sit down with you to talk about the different ways we can help. Whether it’s medicine, surgery, or other treatments, we’ll make sure you understand all your options. Together, we’ll create a treatment plan that works best for your pet and your family. We’re here to support you every step of the way and answer any questions you might have.

When anesthesia is required:

Some of our diagnostic tests and procedures require anesthesia. Because your pet’s health is our highest priority, we take thorough measures to ensure his or her comfort and safety, including:

Pre-procedure health check to confirm your pet can tolerate anesthesia
Continuous monitoring during the procedure by one of our experienced, licensed veterinary technicians
Post-procedure anesthetic recovery monitoring to ensure that your pet recovers safely and comfortably

We work closely with your primary care veterinarian.

Because your primary care veterinarian will continue to manage most of your pet’s ongoing care, we’ll keep them fully informed of your pet’s condition and treatment while at Sunstone.

Veterinary Internal Medicine

Common internal medicine conditions we see at Sunstone:

Thorough Diagnosis and Treatment

Internal medicine diagnostics and treatments include:

When anesthesia is required:

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