Internal Medicine Veterinary Services
At Veterinary Specialist Partners (VSP), we have two experienced veterinary internal medicine specialists, Dr. Grace Clark and Dr. Scott Rizzo. Both doctors are involved in every aspect of your pet’s work-up and treatment. This collaborative approach enhances the medicine and communication for every patient’s case, ensuring the best possible care for all.
{Advanced Pet Care} for Complex Cases
Comprehensive Internal Medicine Services Available in Louisville & Evansville
We proudly offer internal medicine facilities at both our Louisville and Evansville locations. However, advanced diagnostic and treatment options such as CT scans, endoscopy, and surgery, as well as Urgent Care services, are available exclusively at our Louisville hospital, provided by board-certified internal medicine doctors.
Initial evaluations are available at either of our locations, with advanced procedures scheduled separately based on your pet’s needs.
Why Choose {VSP Internal Medicine?}
When your pet’s symptoms don’t have an easy answer, our internal medicine specialists step in to help.
Trained to diagnose and manage complex conditions involving multiple organ systems, they use advanced tools and medical insight to get to the root of the problem—so your pet can get the expert care they need, and you can get the answers you’ve been looking for.
{Conditions We Treat} in Internal Medicine
{Conditions We Treat} in Internal Medicine
At VSP, our internal medicine team is expertly trained to handle a wide range of health issues, including:
Autoimmune Diseases:
Conditions like immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, immune-mediated polyarthritis, and immune-mediated neutropenia, as well as immune-related conditions affecting the liver and bladder (hepatitis, cystitis).
Cardiac (Heart) Conditions:
Issues such as heart murmurs, hypertension (high blood pressure), an enlarged heart, and anesthetic evaluations for pets with heart disease.
Gallbladder Disease:
Including infections, inflammation, and stones.
Hematopoietic Disorders:
Diseases of the blood and bone marrow.
Kidney Disease:
Such as renal failure, kidney stones, infections, and tumors.
Neurological Disorders:
Non-surgical neurological problems, such as meningitis (both infectious and sterile) and seizure management.
Cancer:
Our internal medicine team manages many types of cancer in pets—including lymphoma, leukemia, mast cell disease, and other internal malignancies—and provides comprehensive chemotherapy and supportive care.
Endocrine Disorders:
Hormone-related conditions like Cushing’s disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and disorders of the parathyroid glands (hypoparathyroidism and hyperparathyroidism).
Gastrointestinal Diseases:
Conditions affecting the stomach, intestines, colon, and pancreas, such as pancreatitis.
Infectious Diseases:
Including viral, bacterial, and fungal infections.
Liver Disease:
High liver enzyme levels, liver failure, and liver tumors.
Nasal Disease:
Conditions leading to nasal tumors, bleeding, and discharge.
Respiratory Disease:
Including lung infections, inflammation, and tracheal collapse.
When to Bring Your Pet to an {Internal Medicine Specialist}
If your pet shows persistent or unusual symptoms, especially those affecting multiple body systems, our veterinary internal medicine specialists can help. We diagnose and manage complex conditions that require advanced expertise.
Common Reasons for a Consultation:
- Arrhythmias
- Cough, increased respiratory rate, and effort
- Diarrhea
- Fever of unknown origin
- Fluid in the chest or abdomen
- Heart murmur
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Increased drinking/urination
- Lethargy
- Lumps, bumps, and masses
- Muscle loss
- Nasal discharge
- Neurologic dysfunction
- Obesity
- Painful abdomen, swollen abdomen
- 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
{Procedures Offered} by
VSP Internists
Our internal medicine specialists perform specialized diagnostics and treatments, including:
- Abdominocentesis (removal of fluid from the abdomen)
- Abdominal ultrasound
- BE tube placement
- Blood & plasma transfusions
- Blood pressure
- Bronchoscopy (scope of the trachea and lungs)
- CAT scan of the head and chest
- Cervical ultrasound
- Chemotherapy (comprehensive injectable and oral chemotherapy treatment options, melanoma vaccine, and advanced biologic therapies)
- Renal Scleraltherapy for renal essential hematuria
- Rhinoscopy (scope of the nose)
- Thoracocentesis (removal of fluid from the chest)
- Ultrasound-guided aspirates of masses within the chest and abdomen
- Comprehensive cancer work-ups
- Collagen injections for urinary incontinence
- CSF taps (to obtain spinal fluid for testing)
- Cystoscopy (scope of the bladder)
- Diagnostic ECG
- Ectopic ureter laser ablation
- Endoscopy of the upper and lower GI
- Esophageal ballooning for strictures
- Feeding tube placement (esophageal or gastric)
- Fecal transplantation
- Fine needle aspirate and cytology of external masses
- Subureteral bypass (SUB) placement
- Ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation of the parathyroid glands
- Urohydropropulsion
- Ureteral stenting
- Fluoroscopy for interventional medicine and esophageal motility studies
- Gastric and esophageal foreign body removal via endoscopy
- Holter monitors
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (coming soon)
- I-131 Radioactive iodine for hyperthyroid cats (coming soon)
- Joint taps
- Laser lithotripsy
- Nasopharyngeal stenting
- Percutaneous cystolithotomy (PCCL) – removal of bladder stones through a minimally invasive approach
- Pericardiocentesis (removal of fluid from around the heart)
{Outpatient Surgeries} Performed by Boarded Veterinary Surgeons
At VSP, we partner with a board-certified veterinary surgeon to provide advanced outpatient procedures. These surgeries address a range of conditions:
- Abdominal exploration to obtain biopsies of the GI tract or remove simple masses
- Cystotomy
- Episioplasty
- Foreign body surgery (non-complicated)
- Liver biopsy
- Rectal and perianal mass removal
- Simple skin mass removal
- Splenectomy
- Amputation
- TPLOs
- Medial Patella Luxation
{Emergency Treatment}
for Pets
Our internal medicine specialists work closely with the urgent care team to support pets experiencing serious or complex medical issues.
Their expertise allows for faster diagnosis and more advanced treatment when time matters—helping guide care decisions and improving outcomes for pets in critical need during hospital hours.