Veterinary Internal Medicine in Laguna Hills, CA
Exceptional Care from a Team You Can Trust
Rise Pet Health offers progressive veterinary internal medicine for companion animals in Orange County, California. Our board-certified internists, Dr. Ashley Ponteres, Dr. Carolyn Briggs, and Dr. Michael Sueda have received rigorous training and have a comprehensive understanding of diseases that affect the internal systems of companion animals. Our state-of-the-art facility offers a unique and tranquil environment for pets and pet parents to receive exceptional and compassionate specialty care.
What Is Internal Medicine?
Veterinary internal medicine is a specialty within veterinary medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases of internal body systems in animals, particularly those that are complex, chronic, or difficult to manage. A board-certified veterinary internist is a veterinarian who has completed advanced and rigorous training and testing focused on the field of internal medicine. Board-certified internists complete an additional 3-5 years in a residency program post-graduation from veterinary school to become experts in their field. Our internists use cutting edge technology to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases affecting our patients, while offering pet parents the peace of mind that they are receiving the best care available.
Diseases Managed by Internal Medicine
Our board-certified internists are experts in their field and experienced in treating a wide variety of diseases including:
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Gastrointestinal Disorders: Chronic vomiting, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pancreatitis, colitis, food allergies, gastroenteritis, and motility disorders.
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Endocrine Diseases: Diabetes mellitus, Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism), Addison’s disease (hypoadrenocorticism), hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism
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Kidney and Urinary Diseases: Chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, urinary incontinence, pyelonephritis, bladder infections, urinary tract stones, and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).
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Liver and Pancreatic Diseases: Hepatitis, liver failure, copper hepatopathy, chronic hepatitis, pancreatitis (acute and chronic), portosystemic shunts, and gallbladder mucocele.
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Immune-Mediated and Autoimmune Disorders: Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP), immune mediated polyarthritis (IMPA), and other immune system dysfunctions.
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Respiratory Diseases: Asthma, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, collapsing trachea, and other lung disorders.
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Infectious Diseases: Tick-borne diseases, complicated bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
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Other Chronic Issues: Polyuria/polydipsia (increased urination and thirst), chronic anemia, weight loss, and chronic pain syndromes.
How Rise Pet Health Can Help Your Pet
At Rise Pet Health, we utilize state-of-the-art technology to diagnose, manage, and treat our patients by conducting a wide array of diagnostic procedures to give your pet a precise diagnosis. Our team includes highly skilled imaging technicians that assist our internal medicine department by utilizing the following diagnostics:
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan – provides detailed cross-sectional images of internal organs and structures.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – captures high-resolution images of soft tissues, the brain, and spinal cord.
- Ultrasound – offers real-time imaging of organs to assess their size, shape, and condition.
- Fluoroscopy – delivers live X-ray imaging to evaluate organ function and movement.
- Endoscopy – allows direct visualization of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal areas with minimal invasiveness.
Our internal medicine department takes a partnership approach with pet parents, ensuring they understand all the options available for care once a diagnosis has been made. We will always discuss our medical plan and answer questions so an informed decision can be made without intimidation or pressure.
