Internal Medicine

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Tech looking in microscopeThe veterinary internists at CARE diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, urogenital, vascular and pulmonary systems.

These diseases are often complex and difficult to diagnose, and our internal medicine team has extensive training and experience with a variety of critical, acute and chronic diseases. While the process of identifying your pet’s disease may be complex, we always work to provide both a diagnosis and treatment as quickly and efficiently as possible.

During your pet’s visit, our internist will perform a detailed review of the patient’s history and the findings of the referring veterinarian or emergency clinician before conducting an extensive physical exam. With this information, we will formulate a plan for diagnostic tests and treatment. Testing can be as simple as evaluating of blood work or may require advanced diagnostics like radiographs, ultrasound, endoscopy, CT, or MRI imaging. Internists use this comprehensive evaluation to find the root causes of symptoms, recognizing subtle abnormalities or rare diseases to help return patients to good health.

Our internists spend a great deal of time educating pet owners about diagnostic and treatment options. We coordinate the care of your pet with your primary veterinarian and, when needed, other CARE specialists. We know that a team approach to solving problems provides the best care possible and ensures your pet has a high quality of life.

Internal Medicine FAQs

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What should I bring to my appointment?
We need an accurate history of your pet’s previous diagnoses and treatments. Your family veterinarian can send us a medical history, including lab work, doctor¹s notes and radiographs, prior to your appointment. Bring a list of your pet¹s current medications with dosages. If your pet is exhibiting abnormal behavior, a video of the event may be helpful.
My family veterinarian already ran diagnostic tests. Why are they being repeated?
Health conditions can change rapidly and while we will always review the previous testing done by your doctor there are times when it is necessary to repeat tests to get an up-to-date assessment of your pet’s condition.
How can I reach my pet’s internist?
In an emergency, contact your family veterinarian or our Emergency Department for guidance. If it is not an emergency, you may leave a voicemail for the Internal Medicine team or send an email to [email protected]. Voicemail and email are monitored between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. 7 days a week, and you should expect a response from our team within 36 hours.
When can I expect lab results?
When interpreting lab results, the internist will consider medical history, current medications and clinical signs. Once all the diagnostic test results have been reviewed, you and your veterinarian will receive a detailed written treatment plan, and test results will be forwarded to your vet. Our goal is to contact you with results within 7 business days. Some tests, such as urine cultures or GI panels, take longer to process and will not be available in that time frame. In those instances, we will contact you once we have interpreted the results.

Hospital Admit Guide

If your pet is admitted for hospitalization at CARE, please review our Hospital Admit Guide to help answer questions about your pet’s stay.

Our Internal Medicine Doctors

Katie Lock, DVM, MS

Katie Lock, DVM, MSInternal Medicine

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