Internal Medicine Service Details

To learn more about any of the services below, simply select the topic to reveal more information.

Digital Radiology

Digital radiography allows our staff to easily and quickly view radiographs (x-rays) of our patients. This advanced equipment is not available in many human hospitals. With digital radiography there is no time lost on developing film, and images of our patients are ready for evaluation within seconds of taking the radiograph. We are able to view these images on computers located around our hospital and store them for easy access at all times. Digital radiography allows us to easily e-mail your pets images or make copies on a computer disc so that your family veterinarian has a complete medical update quickly.

Endoscopy

Did you know that your pet has the same non-invasive surgical options that you do?Endoscopic examinations have been used in human medicine for years. Many of those same procedures are available for your pet provided by our experienced Internal Medicine staff at VRCC.

What is an Endoscopy?
Endoscopy allows our Internal Medicine Specialists to visualize the internal organs of patients by using a scope that projects the live image on to a monitor. We can visualize the patient’s internal organs, in real time, just like live television.

What Are The Different Types of Endoscopic Procedures?
There are several different types of endoscopic procedures offered by our Internal Medicine Specialists at VRCC. What type of “scope” your pet needs depends on the symptoms that they are showing. For instance, if your pet is consistently vomiting, a gastrointestinal “scope” might be recommended to get an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s illness. Once a diagnosis is made, proper therapy can begin to get your pet feeling well and enjoying the quality of life that you want for them.

Flexible Endoscopy
Flexible endoscopes are used to examine the gastrointestinal tract and are commonly used in people to look for ulcers in the stomach or polyps in the colon. Flexible endoscopes are passed through the oral cavity to closely examine and/or biopsy the esophagus, stomach and small intestines, or passed through the rectum for colon biopsies. As their name implies, the scopes are able to move in several directions and are bendable. They are excellent for moving around the intestinal tract with minimal trauma to the tissues. There are also smaller flexible bronchoscopes that can be passed into the trachea to examine the main airways leading to the lung. Biopsy specimens, foreign body removal, and fluid aspirates can all be collected through a flexible endoscope. Endoscopic procedures do require general anesthesia. However, with this non-invasive procedure most pets are able to rejoin their families the same day and will have minimal to no exercise restrictions following the procedure.

Rigid Endoscopy
Rigid endoscopy is common in human medicine as well as specialty veterinary medicine. Rigid endoscopy is used to closely examine the abdominal cavity, urogenital tract and nasal cavities. With an abdominal endoscopic exam, the scope is passed through a small incision made in the abdomen. Another small incision is made, creating a “port” through which biopsy or manipulation instruments can be inserted to collect biopsies, fluid, or to gently move organs for a thorough visual exam. The advantages of rigid endoscopy over surgery allow for the closer inspection of organs, minimal incision size or no incision at all, less discomfort and a faster recovery post procedure.

Family Consultation and Patient Physical Exam

Our doctors are available by appointment to help you and your pet with their medical needs. We know that this is a stressful time for all pet parents and their furry companions. One on one consultation allows our specialists to get a complete medical history, examine your pet, and discuss treatment options available. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to help you through this difficult time and make the best decisions possible for your pet. By providing you with second opinions and advanced treatment options, we work as a team with your family veterinarian to provide complete medical care for your special family member.

Hospitalization

Pets who require a hospital stay to treat their illness will receive 24 hour care. Our patients are never left unattended. Each patient receives personalized and compassionate care from our highly trained nurses and doctors who are always within sight of our patients. VRCC CCU is fully equipped to monitor and support our patients through their stay. Our comfortable cages and runs and soft bedding provide our patients with the most stress free environment possible. Unlike many hospitals, we encourage family visits if their pet’s medical status allows, with most visits taking place right at their pet’s bedside. Day or night, weekend or holiday, you can rest assured knowing that your family member is getting the most experienced care available in the Denver metro area.

Laboratory

Our hospital has a national pet laboratory, Antech Diagnostics, located on site. This means that our doctors are able to get accurate test results, provided by a professional laboratory, quickly and accurately. While many hospitals have small “in-house” laboratory equipment, our laboratory has analyzers that are similar to human laboratories and are maintained and calibrated on a daily basis by trained laboratory personnel.

Professional Consultation

Our board certified internal medicine and critical care doctors are available to provide phone consultation to family veterinarians. Our goal is to provide complete medical care for pets and to provide support to our veterinary community. Working as a team with your family veterinarian allows us to help your pet through a difficult illness by providing professional consultation, advanced diagnostic options and offering 24 hour care when most family veterinarians are closed.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a tool that our Internal Medicine Specialists used to help diagnose illnesses in pets. Ultrasound is safe, comfortable and very rarely requires sedation or anesthesia. This non-invasive diagnostic tool helps us to diagnose abnormalities such as a tumor in the liver or spleen, enlarged adrenal glands, inflamed pancreas, thickened intestines or abnormal kidney size. We are also able to use our ultrasound machine to perform ultrasound guided fine needle aspirates or collect biopsies. These procedures allow us to gather fluid samples or tissues for analysis and to aid in diagnosis.