A complex network of interconnected organs and processes in your pet’s body will ensure its well-being and health. Often, a problem starts in one place, but it can affect different organs. This makes the symptoms hard to understand. While many diseases can be treated, pets suffering from chronic illnesses often require ongoing treatment throughout their lives.
Because of these factors, this field of medicine has developed into one of the broadest and most diverse within the field of veterinary medicine. Internal medical specialists in veterinary medicine are educated to look at the whole picture when making treatment and diagnosis recommendations for their patients.
What kind of disorders do vet internists handle?
Internal medicine is one of veterinary medicine’s most varied and comprehensive areas. A veterinary internist can help diagnose a sick pet if baseline testing fails, typical treatments fail, or the condition does not respond to therapy. The various conditions which vet internists treat comprise the following.
1. Infectious Diseases
Because of their contagious characteristics and the often devastating effects, infectious diseases, such as parvo and canine influenza, need to be treated with vigor. Therefore hospitals typically have an isolation unit with trained staff to prevent disease spread. Reputable facilities like Coral Breeze Animal Hospital can help prevent and cure infectious diseases that can be fatal to your pet if not treated properly.
2. Liver Ailments
The liver, which aids in digesting blood clotting and digestion, as well as eliminating toxins, is prone to suffering from hepatic issues. Liver diseases are usually curable or, at minimum manageable. The effects of age and heredity are the two possibilities for causing liver disease in dogs and felines. However, there are other things to consider, such as localized infection or trauma, medications, diabetes, poor diet, or untreated heartworms.
3. Kidney Disorders
The kidneys must filter blood and protein wastes, then break them down and flush them away through urine. They regulate the body’s water salt, acid, and salt levels and check red blood cell counts. Infection, kidney stones, genetics, and cancer are the most frequent culprits. Dogs and cats cannot receive dialysis or transplants. Hence the treatment is restricted to easing symptoms.
4. Gastrointestinal Issues
Dehydration, pain, acid-base and electrolyte imbalances and malnutrition are just a few symptoms of digestive illnesses that affect the stomach and intestinal tract. There are many types of gastrointestinal illnesses, but there are a few frequent triggers to keep in mind: consuming human food, having an intolerance or food allergy, being infected, or lacking digestive enzymes.
5. Heart and Vascular Problems
Certain heart-related conditions, like hypertension and heart failure, can be helped by close surveillance and periodic evaluations with advanced methods, such as cardiac ultrasonography, to catch potential complications early on. If your pet has a heart disorder, you need to consult a veterinary surgery specialist.
6. Pulmonary Conditions
Conditions like asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory ailments can alter the oxygen levels in your pet’s blood if they are not adequately treated. Veterinarians specializing in internal medicine can provide continuous oxygen therapy or regulate the patient’s ventilation in case of need. For diagnosis, a veterinary diagnostic lab can be of help.
7. Endocrine Disorders
Many external factors affect hormone levels, which makes it difficult to control diseases, including Cushing’s disease, diabetes, Addison’s thyroid disorders, and others that involve hormone synthesis and management.
