In the below video, Dr Chris Halman BVSc MANZCVS Small Animal Medicine Registrar, talks about the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy procedure in animals.
Veterinary Specialist Services has a wealth of experience in the investigation of gastrointestinal (GI) disease, having performed thousands of GI endoscopies over the past few decades. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure where a small camera is placed in the gastrointestinal tract, allowing veterinarians to examine the inside of the oesophagus, stomach, and portions of the small and/or large intestines. Gastrointestinal endoscopies are performed under a general anaesthetic. Patients will require different preparations for their procedure, depending on whether the endoscopy is performed on the upper portion of the GI tract (known as an upper endoscopy) or the lower (also referred to as a colonoscopy). In most cases, patients can be discharged on the same day their procedure is completed, with no restrictions on activity afterwards. GI endoscopy can be used to look for and remove foreign bodies, diagnose ulcers or strictures, and collect biopsies of the inner lining of the GI tract to investigate for inflammatory bowel disease or other causes of chronic vomiting or diarrhoea.
