Diagnosing Your Pet’s Illness

To help diagnose your pet’s illness, we may look at your pet’s internal systems as the possible source of internal illness or underlying conditions, including:

• Endocrine—For conditions including diabetes, thyroid, and other hormonal and metabolic disorders
• Digestive/Gastrointestinal—For conditions affecting the digestive system, including the stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestinal tract
• Hematologic—For conditions impacting the blood, bone marrow, liver, lymph nodes, spleen, or tonsils
• Immune—For disorders causing joint swelling, anemia, and other symptoms
• Renal and Urinary—For conditions affecting the kidneys and urinary tract that cause the body to be unable to flush toxins
• Respiratory—For conditions affecting the lungs and the upper airway
• And for the possibility of infectious diseases—These could be viral, fungal, bacterial, or insect-borne diseases

With the goal of maintaining or improving your pet’s quality of life, or to stabilize a chronic disease process, we may suggest therapeutic treatment. This could include prescribing a special medication or diet, or if oral nutrition is not possible, then intravenous nutrition or feeding tube placement may be recommended. Certain conditions may also require blood transfusions, supplemental oxygen, or other assistance.

If your pet exhibits multiple areas of concern, our Castle Rock veterinary hospital’s emergency and specialty care experts can provide additional assistance. We can also help you and your family veterinarian manage care and treat any pain that your pet may be experiencing.