The staff at Pine Woods Animal Hospital is happy to offer both flexible and rigid endoscopy services. Endoscopy allows a visual examination of internal organs and body parts without invasive exploratory surgery. These services include gastric/esophageal foreign body retrieval, non-invasive evaluation and biopsy testing of the gastrointestinal tract, otoscopy and nasopharyngoscopy. We do not offer laparoscopy, arthroscopy or cystoscopy at the present time, although we hope to achieve these capabilities for the future.
The advantage of endoscopy over other methods of evaluation/testing is that it is nonsurgical and “minimally invasive”. There is often much less trauma to tissue and no surgical incision. Endoscopy should be preceded by adequate laboratory testing +/- radiology. The blood work is necessary in part to indicate the patient is healthy enough to withstand the anesthesia. Animals are also fasted for 12 hours before an elective endoscopy is performed.
We offer these services to both currently patients, as well as referral patients from other nearby practices. If you feel you have a patient that would benefit from any of these services, please do not hesitate to call or forward a referral to our hospital. A treatment plan will be individualized based on each patient’s needs. Endoscopy may be warranted immediately, or further analysis may be necessary prior to the procedure.
Endoscopic procedures are used in a variety of different ways for a number of ailments. If you would like to learn more about how endoscopy can benefit your pet please don’t hesitate to contact us today at (716) 695-7836.
