Internal Medicine Services

Staff
Facuty:
Robert Washabau, VMD, PhD, Department Chair, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Robert Hardy, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Chief of Internal Medicine
P. Jane Armstrong, DVM, MS, MBA, DACVIM
Jody Lulich, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Lindsay Merkel, DVM
Rita Miller, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Carl Osborne, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Ned Patterson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
David Polzin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Michelle Ritt, DVM, DACVIM

Residents:
Maura Carney, DVM, Resident until 2010
Amy Cordner, DVM, Resident until 2010
Eva Furrow, DVM, Resident until 2011
Brian Hardy, DVM, Resident until 2011
Elizabeth Orcutt, DVM, Resident until 2011
Noelani Reinker, DVM, Resident until 2010
Catherine Rivara, DVM, Resident until 2012
Kristin Schafgans, DVM, Resident until 2012

Technicians:
Missy Greer, CVT, Case Manager
Darcy Marx, CVT, Supervisor
Katie Thomas, CVT
Stacey Ziegenhagen, CVT

Contact
612-625-1919 (regular hours)
Use the After Hours phone line after 4:30 and on weekends and holidays.

Services
Veterinary Internal Medicine encompasses the disciplines of endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious disease, nephrology/urology, and respiratory disease. In addition, many patients suspected of having cancer are first evaluated by the internal medicine service. Services commonly provided through internal medicine include:

*Video endoscopy (including: rhinoscopy, gastro-duodenoscopy, broncoscopy, proctoscopy/ colonoscopy, cystoscopy, vaginoscopy)
* Laparoscopy
* Endocrine testing (including: adrenal, thyroid, parathyroid, insulin and sex hormone evaluations)
* Bone marrow biopsies and aspirates
* Tumor biopsies
* Transtracheal washes
* CSF taps
* Blood pressure
* Imaging procedures (abdominal or thoracic ultrasound; CT scans)
* Urological procedures (including: lithotripsy, voiding hydropropulsion

Hours
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Useful information
The medicine schedule is based on urgency. Priority is given to critical, oncological, and out-of-town patients. Special diagnostic procedures, such as ultrasound, CT scans, endoscopy, are rarely available the day of the appointment and usually require scheduling by the attending clinician the next day.

Appointments are longer than typically seen in private practice, usually two to three hours. You may call in advance for estimates on specific procedures or to find out if the patient is likely to need ICU care.