The goal of the internal medicine service of the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center is to provide the highest level of medical care in conjunction with consistent and effective communication with the client and referring veterinarian.
Internal Medicine takes referrals from your family veterinarian for cases that require in-depth diagnostic workups, specialized procedures or specialized treatments that your veterinarian believes would be better accomplished at our facility.
The internal medicine service is staffed 6 days a week, including Saturday, by a board-certified veterinary internist who is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine or ACVIM.
Only Diplomates of the ACVIM have completed a 3-year residency in internal medicine and passed a series of national qualifying examinations. No other veterinarians have received as much rigorous and complete training and testing in the field of veterinary internal medicine.
Common disorders treated:
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Endocrine disease
- Urogenital disease
- Hematologic disease
- Respiratory disease
- Infectious diseases
- Auto immune disorders
Commonly performed procedures:
- Complete endoscopic evaluation of the gastrointestinal (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum), respiratory (larynx, trachea, bronchi), genitourinary (vaginal vault, urethra, bladder, ureters) tracts using the highest quality human grade endoscopic equipment
- Non-invasive endoscopic foreign body retrieval
- Placement of short and long term feeding tubes
- Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
When you have an appointment with VSEC’s Internal Medicine doctors, you will typically be asked to fast your pet for 12 hours prior to an initial consultation so that any blood work or procedures can be performed without delay.
If you have any concerns about the safety of fasting your pet, please mention this to the Client Services Representatives (CSR’s) and they will discuss your concerns with a nurse or doctor.
After an initial consultation, the doctor will obtain a thorough history and evaluation by performing a physical exam and reviewing any referral information that your family veterinarian has supplied. In some cases, outpatient diagnostic testing may be recommended. In other cases, hospitalization for further testing and supportive care may be recommended.
The doctor will discuss your pet’s case with you, give an estimate of the costs and work diligently to create a diagnostic and treatment plan that meets your pet’s needs. We take pride in being thorough without being wasteful or extravagant. Our doctors will also be in constant communication with your primary veterinarian, updating him or her on your pet’s status.
VSEC’s Internal Medicine Specialists:
VSEC's Internal Medicine Resident:
Testimonial
Words can’t really express just how thankful we are to you. Your caring, time spent and knowledge were all invaluable. However, we were most touched by the compassion you showed; it was genuine. It really felt like you were on this journey with us and that had such a huge impact.
Affectionately, Seth & Jess & “Tonka”, Huntingdon Valley, PA
