Caring for Your Dog or Cat's Internal Health
At Animals First Clinic, we diagnose and treat a variety of internal medical conditions that can be detrimental to your pet's health. This includes conditions like spinal or brain trauma, heart disease, kidney failure and cancer.
Our goal is to provide the best care possible for your beloved pets. We work with patients who have multiple diseases or disorders. Diagnosing and treating internal conditions is a regular part of what we do.
We are also connected with a network of veterinary specialists. If your pet does not respond to standard procedures or needs specialized expertise, we may be able to refer you to one of these specialists.
The Field of Veterinary Internal Medicine
If your pet is exhibiting symptoms of an internal medical condition, your veterinarian will conduct a comprehensive physical exam to diagnose the issue and create a treatment plan customized to meet your pet's specific health needs.
Common areas of focus for internal medicine veterinarians include:
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Oncology (tumours and cancer)
Veterinary oncology is the area of veterinary medicine responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The goal is to extend and enhance the quality of life of dogs and cats with cancer.
Veterinary treatment for cancer uses similar methods doctors use to treat cancer in people. These include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, and more.
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Cardiology (heart-related disorders)
Veterinary cardiology involves the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the heart and lungs.
Dogs and cats, like people, can suffer from a range of heart diseases and disorders such as congestive heart failure (CHF), congenital heart defects, cardiac arrhythmias, tumours and more. Even if your dog or cat is free of disease, they can still suffer from age-related changes to the valves of the heart.
With the technology in our in-house veterinary lab, our veterinarians can examine your pet for signs of heart disease and then provide you with a diagnosis, along with treatment recommendations.
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Reproduction
This is a branch of veterinary medicine that plays an important role in protecting reproductive health, preventing and controlling reproductive diseases, and promoting animal husbandry.
At Animals First Clinic, we understand the financial investment and personal commitment that go into breeding animals. If your animal is experiencing reproductive difficulties, our veterinarians will use the diagnostic tools at our hospital to pinpoint the specific issue. Once we've determined what is going on with your pet's reproductive system, we can provide a treatment plan aimed to help resolve the issue.
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Immunology (immune-mediated disorders)
Immunology is the branch of veterinary science that studies cells, tissues and organs responsible for detecting foreign agents (antigens) and triggering the defensive action of the immune system.
The immune system doesn't always work as it should, leading to immune-mediated disorders. Some common immune-mediated disorders in dogs and cats include anemia, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies and skin diseases.
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Pulmonary Disorders (diseases of the lungs)
Pulmonary disorders affect the respiratory system, which is responsible for delivering oxygen to the body and eliminating waste gases such as carbon dioxide. Since dogs and cats are unable to sweat the way people do, your pet's respiratory system is also essential for regulating their body temperature. When issues arise with this important system, your dog or cat can develop a number of disorders.
In dogs, common pulmonary disorders include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), canine distemper virus, pneumonia, and lung tumours.
In cats, asthma, bronchitis, parasitic worms, bacterial infections, and viruses are some of the most common pulmonary issues our veterinarians see.
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Gastroenterology (digestive organs)
Gastroenterology focuses on disorders of your pet’s stomach and intestines, known as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. These can interfere with your dog or cat's ability to digest food properly and absorb nutrients.
Cats and dogs experiencing GI problems often show symptoms such as blood in the stool, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, gas, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
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Urology (urinary tract disorders)
Urology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that affect the urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, tubes that carry urine to the bladder, and the urethra, which removes urine from the body.
Urologic issues such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) in cats are common disorders that our veterinaries diagnose and treat.
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Endocrinology (glands and their functions)
Endocrinology is the study of the glands and hormones of the body and the disorders that can result from these not functioning effectively.
When a dog or cat's endocrine system isn't working correctly, symptoms such as skin problems, hypothyroidism, and poor coat condition can become evident.
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Neurology (brain and nervous system disorders)
Veterinary neurology is a branch of internal medicine that covers abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord as well as neuromuscular dysfunction.
Common neurological disorders our veterinarians see in dogs and cats include seizures, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), and tumours.
Cancer Diagnosis & Care
The sad reality is that cancer is a common disease in dogs and cats. Luckily, when diagnosed in the early stages, many types of cancer found in dogs and cats can be treated with a variety of methods.
In dogs, commonly diagnosed forms of cancers include mast cell tumours, melanoma, lymphoma, and bone cancer. In cats, lymphoma, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), mammary cancer, and skin cancer are common.
Following your dog or cat’s cancer diagnosis, we will take the time to explain your pet's diagnosis, discuss additional testing that may be required, and provide you with treatment options and a prognosis.
At Animals First Clinic, our veterinarians are dedicated to giving pets with cancer the care they need and providing support for the families that love them.
In-House Lab & Diagnostics
If your pet is not feeling well, we can perform testing, imaging, and other diagnostic procedures to determine what is wrong and decide the right course of treatment.