About

The Large Animal Internal Medicine Service at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre provides out-patient and in-patient internal medicine services to animals (horses, cattle, small ruminants, llamas and alpacas) of hospital clients and to clients who have been referred to the WCVM by their local veterinarians.

Our clinical team includes board-certified large animal internal medicine specialists, residents, clinical interns and registered veterinary technologists.

Services Offered

Our large animal internal medicine service sees scheduled out- and in-patient cases, as well as emergencies, with internal medicine problems.

These problems include:

  • respiratory disease
  • neonatal care
  • metabolic disease and obesity (equine)
  • gastroscopy (equine)
  • non-surgical (medical) colic and colitis (equine)
  • other medical conditions of horses
  • calf scours (bovine)
  • other medical conditions of cattle
  • medical conditions of small ruminants
  • medical conditions of North American camelids

Our team also offers extensive consulting services in our area of specialty. 

Cardiology cases

At this time, the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's (VMC) large animal clinical team cannot evaluate cardiology cases that require an echocardiogram for diagnostic, therapeutic or prognostic purposes. 

The following chart outlines which cardiology cases the VMC's large animal internal medicine (LAIM) service will consider seeing and which cases should immediately be referred to another specialist centre. 

Cases considered by VMC large animal internal medicine service
• Diagnosis/treatment of suspected heart failure
 • Chemical conversion of atrial fibrillation (after an echocardiogram has been performed elsewhere)
• ECG, including Holter ECG (intepretation by a board-certified cardiologist external to the WCVM)

Cases to be referred elsewhere
• Workup of heart murmurs
• Performance evaluations
• Routine monitoring of previously diagnosed structural or functional cardiac abnormalities

 

Equine metabolic testing

Prairie Diagnostic Services (PDS), the provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory for Saskatchewan, now offers equine metabolic testing that’s available for all western Canadian veterinarians. 

The tests measure the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and insulin in blood samples taken from equine patients. Both markers are critical for diagnosing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). 

The PDS tests' reference ranges are based on the results of a WCVM study to determine a regional baseline for ACTH and insulin in western Canadian horses. Hormonal biomarkers can fluctuate based on geographical region, weather conditions and the time of day. 

Western Canadian veterinarians are welcome to contact the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's large animal internal medicine team for consultation on equine endocrine-related cases. Please email vmc_equine_endocrine_consulting@usask.ca for more information.

Additional resources: 

• Equine metabolic syndrome (resources for horse owners)
• Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (resources for horse owners)

 

Our Team

The WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's clinical team members are dedicated, compassionate people with specialized training and a diverse range of experiences. In addition to providing our patients with high-quality care and support, we are helping to train Western Canada's next generation of veterinary professionals.

What to Expect

While the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre shares many similarities to other veterinary hospitals, there are some differences that may have an impact on your appointment.

Appointments and Referrals

Animal Owners

Contact us to make an appointment. If you are a new client, please click below to find information about our location, parking and what to expect during your animal's appointment.

Referring Veterinarians

Submit an online referral form.

 Emergency services available 24/7

Emergency services are available for acutely ill or seriously injured animals.