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Advanced Care for Complex Medical Conditions
We are excited to welcome our board-certified internal medicine specialist, who will be starting with us in September.
Pet Specialist of Hawaii is fully committed to providing collaborative, specialty-level care and we will continue to work closely with our referring veterinarians.
What Is a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
A board-certified veterinary internist is a licensed veterinarian who has completed years of advanced training beyond veterinary school, including a rigorous residency and certification examination. Internists specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases affecting internal organ systems, particularly when conditions are complicated, long-term, or unresponsive to standard treatment.
Veterinary internists have in-depth expertise across a wide range of disciplines, including:
- Endocrinology (e.g., diabetes, thyroid disorders)
- Immunology
- Cardiology
- Gastroenterology (digestive system diseases)
- Infectious diseases
- Hematology (blood disorders)
- Respiratory disease
- Nephrology/Urology (kidney and urinary conditions)
- Neurology
- Oncology
When Is Internal Medicine Recommended?
Your primary care veterinarian may refer your pet to an internal medicine specialist when dealing with:
- Complex, chronic, or multisystem conditions
- Diseases that don’t respond to standard treatment
- The need for specialized diagnostics or imaging
- Long-term management of multiple coexisting illnesses
Some commonly treated conditions include:
- Kidney dysfunction
- Diabetes mellitus
- Immune-mediated diseases
- Heart disease
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders
- Cancer
Why Is a Referral Required?
Just as in human medicine, specialty care often begins with a referral. Your general veterinarian helps identify when advanced expertise or diagnostics are needed, and they remain an important partner throughout your pet’s treatment journey.
Sharing medical history, diagnostics, and prior treatments ensures continuity of care and allows our team to make timely, informed decisions.
Will My Regular Veterinarian Stay Involved?
Yes. In most cases, your primary care veterinarian continues to play an active role in your pet’s care. For more complex cases, your specialist may lead ongoing management.
We communicate closely with referring veterinarians to ensure a seamless, team-based approach.
Internal Medicine Availability
While we are not currently scheduling internal medicine cases until our specialist is onboarded, we encourage referring veterinarians to reach out if future consultation is anticipated.
Additional details about appointment availability will be provided soon.