Endoscopy
Endoscopy is becoming an important part of veterinary practice. We utilize a flexible fiberoptic endoscope which allows the clinician to view areas such as the trachea, stomach, and colon without the use of surgery. Procedures commonly performed with the endoscope include retrieval of swallowed objects from the stomach, stomach and intestinal examination and biopsy, placement of feeding tubes, and examination of the upper airways.
Recovery from endoscopic procedures is much shorter than alternative surgical procedures. For example, a dog may have a plastic toy fragment removed from its stomach (a potentially life-threatening situation) by either endoscopic procedure or by surgical procedure. The dog undergoing endoscopy would be discharged from the hospital the same day as the procedure and could return to normal function almost immediately. On the other hand, the animal undergoing surgical removal of the toy would need to spend 24 to 48 hours in hospital following the procedure and would need to gradually reintroduce solid foods.