Internal Medicine and Laboratory
Diagnosis and follow up of disease affecting the internal organs, supported by blood counts, biochemistry and urine testing done at the clinic.
Internal medicine deals with disease of the internal organs: kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, stomach and intestines, pancreas and the hormone system.
What these conditions have in common is that from the outside they look alike. A vomiting cat may have a problem in the stomach, in the kidneys, or in the thyroid gland. This is why an internal medicine consultation begins with a physical examination and continues in the laboratory.
Which complaints belong here
Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, drinking and urinating far more than usual, coughing, breathlessness, lethargy, a swollen abdomen, jaundice, seizures.
Most of these signs mean little on their own. They acquire meaning when read together.
The laboratory
A full blood count gives information on infection, inflammation, anaemia and the clotting cells. Some blood parasites are also visible on this examination.
Biochemistry shows kidney and liver values, blood sugar, proteins and electrolytes. In the early stages of kidney disease the animal shows no signs at all while these values are already shifting, which is why routine screening is recommended in older animals.
Urine testing matters as much as biochemistry for the kidneys and urinary tract, and is assessed for concentration, protein, blood, crystals and inflammatory cells.
Blood is also taken routinely before surgery and neutering. The purpose is to confirm, before anaesthesia, that the liver and kidneys can process the drugs safely.
After the diagnosis
In long term conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes or thyroid disease, treatment is not a single event. It is reviewed at intervals, and medication and diet are adjusted accordingly. We plan the follow up with you and give you the date of the next check in writing.
Frequently asked
Does my animal need to fast before blood is taken?
If a biochemistry panel is planned, we ask for eight to twelve hours without food. Water is not withheld. For a blood count alone, fasting is not needed.
When do results come back?
Blood counts and routine biochemistry are assessed the same day. Specialised tests sent to an external laboratory take longer, and we tell you how long when the sample is taken.
I do not understand the results. Will they be explained?
We do not simply hand you a printout. We explain which value means what, which ones are outside the normal range, and how that changes the treatment.