Internal Medicine Specialists for Dogs and Cats
Expert Care
For Complex Cases
Working Hours:
Wednesday – Thursday
7:30 AM – 2:00 PM
What Is Veterinary Internal Medicine?
When a dog or cat continues to experience symptoms without a clear explanation, a veterinary internist can examine the complete medical picture and help determine what may be causing the problem.
Internal medicine is often the next step when routine testing has not provided enough information. Many patients are referred after receiving an initial evaluation from their primary veterinarian and need more detailed investigation, advanced interpretation, or ongoing management of a complicated illness.
Veterinary internal medicine focuses on conditions affecting the organs and systems inside your pet’s body.
Our specialists commonly evaluate:
- Digestive disorders
- Liver and gallbladder disease
- Kidney and urinary conditions
- Hormonal disorders
- Immune mediated diseases
- Respiratory illness
- Blood and bone marrow disorders
- Infectious diseases
- Complex conditions affecting several systems
Board certified veterinary internists complete extensive specialty training after veterinary school, including a residency and rigorous certification process. At Veterinary Specialist Partners (VSP), our internal medicine doctors use that advanced knowledge to investigate difficult cases and coordinate care with other veterinary professionals when needed.
Learn more about our hospital and specialty approach or meet the Evansville medical team.
When Should My Pet See an Internal Medicine Specialist?
When your pet’s symptoms don’t have an easy answer, our internal medicine specialists step in to help.
Veterinary internists are trained to recognize connections between different organs and body systems. They combine medical history, physical examination findings, laboratory results, diagnostic imaging, and treatment response to look for the source of the problem. The goal is to replace uncertainty with a clearer understanding of your pet’s condition and a thoughtful plan for diagnosis, treatment, or continued monitoring.
What Conditions Does an Internal Medicine Specialist Treat?
Autoimmune and Immune Mediated Diseases
Our internists evaluate and manage conditions such as immune mediated hemolytic anemia, immune mediated thrombocytopenia, polyarthritis, autoimmune liver disease, and other disorders involving an abnormal immune response.
Cardiac and Circulatory Conditions
Some heart related concerns can be medically managed and monitored alongside a pet’s other health conditions. When focused cardiac testing is required, care may be coordinated through our veterinary cardiology service.
Gallbladder Disease
The gallbladder stores bile and supports normal digestion. Inflammation, obstruction, mucoceles, infection, or other disorders can interfere with liver and digestive function.
Our team uses laboratory findings and diagnostic imaging to evaluate gallbladder concerns and determine whether medical management, monitoring, or additional treatment may be appropriate.
Blood and Bone Marrow Disorders
Diseases involving the blood or bone marrow can affect oxygen delivery, clotting, immune protection, and the body’s ability to recover from illness.
Our specialists investigate anemia, abnormal white blood cell counts, platelet disorders, unexplained bleeding, clotting abnormalities, and other hematologic concerns.
Kidney and Urinary Disease
Kidney and urinary conditions can affect hydration, toxin removal, blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and overall health.
Our internists evaluate kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, urinary infections, urinary incontinence, kidney or bladder masses, abnormal urination, and stone related disease. Testing may include a urinalysis, a urine culture and sensitivity test, bloodwork, blood pressure measurement, or diagnostic imaging.
Neurological and Inflammatory Conditions
Some neurological symptoms are caused by infectious, inflammatory, immune mediated, metabolic, or systemic disease rather than a condition requiring surgery.
Internal medicine evaluation may support patients with seizures, weakness, tremors, abnormal coordination, meningitis, or neurological changes associated with another medical condition.
Cancer:
Internal medicine specialists may help diagnose and manage cancers involving the blood, lymph nodes, bone marrow, internal organs, or multiple body systems.
Conditions may include lymphoma, leukemia, mast cell disease, internal masses, and other malignancies.
When additional cancer expertise is needed, families can learn about our oncology and cancer care services.
Endocrine Disorders
Hormones regulate many essential functions, including metabolism, blood sugar, hydration, calcium levels, growth, and the body’s stress response. Cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism may qualify for radioactive iodine therapy after appropriate medical review.
Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Disease
Recurring vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, abdominal discomfort, or unexplained weight loss may indicate a condition affecting the stomach, intestines, colon, pancreas, or another part of the digestive system.
Infectious Diseases:
Bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, and tick borne infections can cause persistent fever, weakness, abnormal blood results, respiratory changes, weight loss, or signs affecting multiple organs.
Our team evaluates the patient’s exposure history, symptoms, laboratory findings, and previous treatment to identify the likely infection and recommend targeted care.
Liver Disease:
The liver plays a central role in digestion, metabolism, toxin removal, protein production, and blood clotting.
Our internists evaluate elevated liver enzymes, liver inflammation, infection, congenital abnormalities, liver failure, abnormal bile flow, and liver tumors.
Nasal Disease:
Chronic sneezing, nasal discharge, nosebleeds, noisy breathing, or airflow changes may indicate infection, inflammation, foreign material, dental disease, fungal disease, or a nasal mass.
Advanced evaluation may include diagnostic imaging, rhinoscopy, laboratory testing, or tissue sampling to better understand the cause.
Respiratory Disease:
Persistent coughing, rapid breathing, increased breathing effort, or exercise intolerance can occur with disease involving the airways, lungs, chest cavity, or other body systems.
Our specialists investigate conditions such as pneumonia, inflammatory airway disease, infection, tracheal collapse, lung masses, and fluid within the chest.
Unexplained or Complicated Medical Conditions
Some illnesses remain difficult to identify after the first examination and routine testing.
Internal medicine specialists are trained to review complicated patterns, compare findings across several body systems, and decide which tests are most likely to provide useful answers.
When Does My Pet Need an Internal Medicine Service?
An internal medicine consultation may be appropriate when your pet develops unusual, recurring, or persistent symptoms, especially when more than one organ system may be involved.
Common reasons for a consultation include:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Coughing or increased breathing effort
- Chronic or recurring diarrhea
- Fever without an identified cause
- Fluid within the chest or abdomen
- A newly detected heart murmur
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Increased thirst or urination
- Persistent lethargy
- Lumps, bumps, or internal masses
- Muscle loss
- Nasal discharge or nosebleeds
- Neurological changes
- Unexplained weight gain or obesity
- A painful or swollen abdomen
- Painful joints or selected forms of lameness
- Excessive panting
- Respiratory distress
- Seizures
- Fainting or collapse
- Unexplained bruising or bleeding
- Urinary accidents, leakage, infection, or blood in the urine
- Recurring vomiting
- Weakness or poor coordination
- Tremors
- Unexplained weight loss
- Painful joints (some forms of lameness)
- Panting
- Respiratory distress
- Seizures
- Syncope, collapse
- Unexplained bleeding
- Urinary issues, accidents, leakage (incontinence), infection, blood
- Vomiting
- Weakness, ataxia
- Weakness, tremors
- Weight gain
If your primary veterinarian believes advanced evaluation is appropriate, they can submit medical information through our specialty patient referral page.
Which Advanced Diagnostic Procedures May Your Pet Need?
Reaching an accurate diagnosis is a central part of internal medicine. Depending on your pet’s condition, medical stability, and provider availability, advanced evaluation may involve procedures performed or supervised by an internal medicine specialist.
Our educational resources explain what selected procedures involve, why they may be recommended, and what information they can provide. Available diagnostic and treatment capabilities may include:
- Abdominocentesis to collect fluid from the abdominal cavity
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Feeding tube placement
- Blood and plasma transfusions
- Blood pressure measurement
- Bronchoscopy to examine the trachea and lungs
- CT imaging of the head or chest
- Cervical ultrasound
- Chemotherapy and supportive cancer treatment
- Rhinoscopy to examine the nasal passages
- Thoracocentesis to remove fluid or air from the chest
- Ultrasound guided aspirates of internal organs or masses
- Ultrasound guided biopsy
- Comprehensive cancer evaluation
- Collagen injection for selected urinary incontinence cases
- Cerebrospinal fluid collection
- Cystoscopy to examine the bladder and urinary tract
- Diagnostic electrocardiography
- Laser treatment for selected ectopic ureters
- Upper or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Esophageal balloon dilation
- Esophageal or gastric feeding tube placement
- Fecal microbiota transplantation
- Fine needle aspiration and cytology
- Subcutaneous ureteral bypass placement
- Ultrasound guided ethanol ablation of parathyroid tissue
- Ureteral stenting
- Fluoroscopy for selected interventional procedures and swallowing studies
- Endoscopic removal of gastric or esophageal foreign material
- Holter monitoring
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Radioactive iodine treatment for eligible hyperthyroid cats
- Joint fluid collection
- Laser lithotripsy
- Nasopharyngeal stenting
- Minimally invasive bladder stone removal
- Pericardiocentesis to remove fluid from around the heart
Coordinated Specialty Care
Internal medicine frequently connects with other areas of veterinary medicine because complicated diseases may affect more than one organ or body system. Our internists may collaborate with veterinary professionals involved in:
- Cardiac and circulatory disease
- Cancer diagnosis and treatment
- Medical neurological conditions
- Advanced infectious disease care
- Diagnostic imaging
- Minimally invasive procedures
- Specialty surgery
This coordinated approach helps the veterinary team consider the whole patient rather than viewing each symptom separately. By sharing diagnostic information and treatment recommendations, specialists can build a care plan that reflects the relationships between different medical concerns.
VSP is also a referral focused specialty practice. We value close communication with primary care veterinarians and support their continued role in each patient’s health.
Our internists:
- Communicate important findings to referring veterinarians
- Provide diagnostic summaries and treatment recommendations
- Support shared care and long term disease management
- Coordinate follow up testing when appropriate
- Remain available for medical questions related to the consultation
What to Expect During Your Pet’s Internal Medicine Care
An internal medicine consultation is generally more detailed than a routine veterinary appointment. Before and during your pet’s visit, our team may:
- Review previous medical records and laboratory findings
- Examine diagnostic images and treatment history
- Discuss the progression of your pet’s symptoms
- Perform a focused physical examination
- Identify the most important medical concerns
- Develop a prioritized diagnostic plan
- Explain treatment and monitoring options
Complicated medical cases do not always provide immediate answers. Some conditions require testing in stages, careful assessment of treatment response, or follow up evaluation over time.
Throughout this process, our goal is to explain the reasoning behind each recommendation and help you make informed decisions.
Pet parents are important members of the care team. Our client education center offers information about medical conditions, diagnostic tests, and procedures commonly discussed during internal medicine care. Before arriving, review what to expect at your specialty appointment and gather your pet’s current medications, medical records, test results, diet details, and questions.
Internal medicine visits are commonly arranged through a referral. Pet parents who need scheduling guidance can contact our specialty team or request an appointment online.