At the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, extensive further investigations in internal medicine are carried out at the internal medicine ward, where patients arrive on a referral from other veterinary practices across Finland or from other wards of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. If you wish for further investigations to be carried out at the internal medicine ward, please request a referral from your veterinarian or book an appointment at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s general outpatient clinic for an assessment.
The internal medicine ward of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital employs a diverse and experienced care team specialised in internal medicine, including veterinarians with a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine – Companion Animals qualification and the Finnish specialist degree in small animal diseases as well as clinical veterinary nurses. The members of the internal medicine team actively contribute to clinical research in the field, providing patients with therapy options based on the latest knowledge.
As the examination and treatment of patients requires diverse specialist expertise, our experienced veterinarians cooperate extensively to identify and treat symptoms.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s veterinarians have broad familiarity with the field of internal medicine, and each also has a separate specialist area. Patients are referred to the top expert in the field. Our experts in medical disorders and diseases of the digestive tract are Professor Thomas Spillmann (DiplECVIM-CA) and Susanne Kilpinen, DVM, veterinary specialist in small animal diseases. Other experts with extensive knowledge of medical disorders include veterinary specialist in small animal diseases Sanna Viitanen, DVM, (DiplECVIM-CA), Emilia Gordin, Saila Holopainen, Jenni Sukura and Juulia Virtanen. Sanna Viitanen also treats patient suffering from pulmonary diseases together with Docent Minna Rajamäki, DVM, veterinary specialist in small animal diseases.
Diseases of the internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas and kidneys, require blood and urine sample collection as well as a number of further examinations. Nearly all internal medicine patients undergo an abdominal ultrasound. On the basis of basic examinations, it is sometimes necessary to carry out endoscopic examinations or collect samples of abnormal organs.
Laparoscopy offers a modern alternative to examining the abdominal cavity and collecting biopsies from internal organs instead of the traditional laparotomy, a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopy is often used, for example, to collect biopsies from the liver, pancreas and kidneys so as to diagnose and treat the disease as accurately as possible.
Without endoscopy and CT imaging of the nasal cavity, determining the cause of chronic nasal discharge and sneezing is difficult. Computed tomography accurately shows the extent and severity of the abnormalities, and makes it easier to carry out endoscopies. Endoscopy enables collection of biopsies from inflammatory and tumour lesions as well as removal foreign objects from the nasal cavity. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital boasts a wide range of endoscopy equipment, enabling nasal cavity endoscopies in patients of all sizes.
Vomiting, diarrhoea and other symptoms associated with the digestive tract are common. Most are short term in nature and resolve spontaneously. However, sometimes symptoms are prolonged and conventional therapies ineffective. Such symptoms may also be caused by, for example, diseases of the liver and pancreas as well as hormonal diseases.
The examination of both acute and chronic diseases of the digestive tract begins with a thorough general physical examination. To reach a diagnosis, we will if necessary carry out special examinations, including ultrasonography, endoscopy of the digestive and respiratory tract, and laparoscopy. During laparoscopy, biopsies can be collected from the liver and pancreas without surgery.
Our examination techniques also include radiography and, if necessary, computed tomography. As the only animal hospital in Finland, we also have at our disposal the fluoroscopy imaging technique, which can be used to assess reliably, for example, diseases of the pharynx and oesophagus.
At the hospital ward, a large number of gastrointestinal endoscopies are carried out on dogs and cats. Endoscopy makes it possible to examine the oesophagus, the stomach and the duodenum as well as the large intestine. Small biopsies can also be taken from the surface of the gut to determine the cause of symptoms. Endoscopy also makes it possible to remove foreign objects from the oesophagus and stomach without surgical procedures. Through endoscopy, balloon dilation can be used to fix oesophageal stenoses.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only institution in Europe that also conducts endoscopic contrast studies of biliary tracts and pancreas in canines and felines. The procedure can be used to diagnose and treat, for example, biliary obstruction, without surgery.
The urinary tract is most commonly investigated with the help of abdominal ultrasonography and urine sample analysis. In addition to basic examinations, in certain cases it is necessary to carry out contrast media scans (radiography, computed tomography or fluoroscopy) or urinary tract endoscopies. Through urethroscopy and cystoscopy, it is possible to identify, for example, changes in the mucous membranes of the urinary tract. Urethroscopy and cystoscopy can be used to collect biopsies from the bladder wall, for example, to detect tumour lesions. At the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, a wide range of urinary tract imaging and endoscopic procedures can be performed.
In addition, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only institution in Finland to offer laser lithotripsy, a non-operative alternative to the treatment of urinary stones, where the stones are broken apart using an endoscopic laser.
The investigation of blood cell diseases often begins with blood sample and smear analysis. When investigating prolonged anaemia, it is often necessary to collect a bone marrow biopsy to investigate the production of blood cells on the bone marrow level. At the internal medicine ward, bone marrow biopsies are collected as an outpatient procedure. The samples are sent abroad for analyses. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital operates a blood bank for dogs and cats, which enables the transfer of blood cells and blood plasma to patients with severe anaemia or coagulation disorders.
Heart and lung diseases often cause coughing and shortness of breath in dogs and cats. To ensure appropriate treatment and a reliable diagnosis, a veterinarian with expertise in heart diseases performs examinations, including radiography, ultrasound imaging and electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing. Our experts in heart diseases are Docent Maria Wiberg, DVM, and Docent Minna Rajamäki, DVM.
The most common heart diseases developing in dogs and cats as they age include defects in the atrioventricular valves as well as cardiomyopathy. In young animals, puppies and kittens, a cardiac murmur can be caused by congenital heart disease. Occasionally, no structural changes are associated with a heart defect, but the symptoms include cardiac arrhythmia. If occasional arrhythmia is suspected, patients can also undergo Holter heart beat monitoring over a period of 24 hours.
In some dog breeds, the breeding programme includes resistance to typical heart diseases, and when selecting dogs for breeding, the heart disease clinic conducts official breeding inspections approved by the Finnish Kennel Club.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital can also offer surgical treatment for congenital heart defects, such as correcting the fetal blood vessel linking the aorta and the pulmonary artery or performing a balloon dilatation procedure to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Small animals can have many skin diseases, some of which are lifelong and require long-term treatment. Such conditions include allergic skin diseases.
A treatment plan drawn up by a veterinarian specialised in skin diseases and the owner's commitment to the treatment are the best guarantees of successfully treating a disease. To support the examination, comprehensive background information is collected on the animal, general and cutaneous examinations are carried out, and skin samples are collected for testing. Several blood samples are collected to determine the health status of the animal. Allergy tests can be carried out either as skin tests or by measuring allergy antibodies in the blood.
In the case of ear diseases, a video otoscope is used to project images of the ear canal on a screen, so that the owner can also see its condition. Another technique increasingly used in the examination of ear diseases is computed tomography.
A persistent cough may be symptomatic of a chronic lung disease. In the case of pulmonary diseases, first a thorough general physical examination is performed on the animal. The need for further examinations and tests can then be assessed. Differential leucocyte count and radiography of the chest are common subsequent examinations to a general one.
Special examinations include arterial blood gas analysis, tracheobronchoscopy and the collection of lavage samples, as well as computed tomography (CT).
As lung biopsies usually require surgery, tracheobronchoscopy makes it possible to examine and collect samples from the bronchi.
Most pulmonary diseases are treated with drugs.
Without endoscopy, determining the cause of chronic nasal discharge and sneezing is difficult. Endoscopy makes it possible to collect biopsies from inflammatory and tumour lesions as well as remove foreign objects from the nasal cavity. Endoscopal equipment can be used to carry out rhinoscopies on patients of all sizes.
At the hospital ward, computed tomography is also used for examining patients with chronic nasal discharge, describing specifically the extent and severity of any related changes. The CT equipment also makes it easier to carry out endoscopies. Computed tomography is also a necessary imaging technique for certain patients with pulmonary diseases.
Vomiting, diarrhoea and other symptoms associated with the digestive tract are common. Most of them are short term in nature and even resolve spontaneously. However, sometimes symptoms are prolonged and conventional therapies ineffective. Such symptoms may also be caused by, for example, diseases of the liver and pancreas as well as hormonal diseases.
The examination of both acute and chronic diseases of the digestive tract begins with a thorough general physical examination. To reach a diagnosis, we will if necessary carry out special examinations, including ultrasonography, endoscopy of the digestive and respiratory tract, and laparoscopy. During laparoscopy, biopsies can be collected from the liver and pancreas without surgery.
Our examination techniques also include radiography and, if necessary, computed tomography. As the only animal hospital in Finland, we also have at our disposal the fluoroscopy imaging technique, which can be used to assess reliably, for example, diseases of the pharynx and oesophagus.
At the hospital ward, a large number of gastrointestinal endoscopies are carried out on dogs and cats. Endoscopy makes it possible to examine the oesophagus, the stomach and the duodenum as well as the large intestine. Small biopsies can also be taken from the surface of the gut to determine the cause of symptoms. Endoscopy also makes it possible to remove foreign objects from the oesophagus and stomach without surgical procedures. Through endoscopy, balloon dilation can be used to fix oesophageal stenoses.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only institution in Europe that also conducts endoscopic contrast studies of biliary tracts and pancreas in canines and felines. The procedure can be used to diagnose and treat, for example, biliary obstruction, without surgery.
Endoscopy can be used to study the urinary as well as the gastrointestinal tract. Through urethroscopy and cystoscopy, it is possible to identify, for example, changes in the mucous membranes of the urinary tract. Urethroscopy and cystoscopy can be used to collect biopsies from the bladder wall, for example, to detect tumour lesions.
Diseases of the internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas and kidneys, require the collection of blood and urine samples as well as a number of further examinations. Nearly all internal medicine patients undergo an abdominal ultrasound. Based on examinations and tests, it is sometimes necessary to collect a biopsy of an abnormal organ.
Laparoscopy offers a modern alternative to examining the abdominal cavity and collecting biopsies from internal organs instead of the traditional laparotomy, a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity. Laparoscopy is often used, for example, to collect biopsies from the liver, pancreas and kidneys so as to diagnose and treat the disease as accurately as possible.
Internal diseases in small animals can include urinary tract diseases, hormonal diseases and various infections.
Tumour diseases are one of the most significant disease categories affecting ageing pets. The most common cancer types in pets include skin and mammary gland tumours as well as lymphoma, or cancer in the lymph nodes.
The detection of tumour diseases is usually based on general examination findings and, if necessary, an abdominal ultrasound examination and a chest radiograph. Information on the nature of the tumour is important for treatment and can be obtained through fine or core needle aspiration or biopsies. In addition to acquiring information on the type of tumour involved, it is important to know the stage of the tumour through fine needle aspiration of the local lymph node as well as through chest and abdominal X-ray and ultrasound examinations.
The treatment of a tumour disease often involves the complete surgical removal of the lesion, aiming to remove the tumour in its entirety. In many cases, surgical removal at a sufficiently early stage leads to a full recovery.
If complete surgical removal is impossible due to the metastasising of the tumour disease, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital can offer oral or intravenous chemotherapy. The condition and blood values of the animal are regularly monitored during chemotherapy.
In addition to laboratory diagnostics, internal medicine examinations and therapies utilise radiography and ultrasonography as well as a range of endoscopies. The hospital is equipped with endoscopes suited to endoscopies of the stomach and sections of the respiratory tract.
The central laboratory of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is able to analyse a wide variety of samples, and most results are available on the same day. During on-call hours, a dedicated laboratory is operational for rapidly determining the most important laboratory values affecting acute treatment.