Ana Costa

DVM, PhD, DACVIM-SAIM
Ana Costa
Veterinary Specialist
Internal Medicine
Ana Costa

At a Glance

Practicing Since:

2012

Board Certified:

Internal Medicine

Specialties Include:

Chronic conditions that involve hormonal imbalances (endocrinology)
Multiple drug-therapies (pharmacology)  
Gastrointestinal disease (vomiting/diarrhea)

My Pets:

Hans - German Shepard
Dr. Ana Costa was born and raised in Portugal. She received her diploma in Veterinary Medicine in 2008 and came to the United States to pursue advanced specialty training. Following a one-year small animal internship in 2010, she stayed at Washington State University to complete a Small Animal Internal Medicine residency and board-certification (DACVIM) in 2014. Following this training, Dr. Costa accepted a position as a clinical instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she trained veterinary interns, residents and students for about 2 years. More recently, she returned to Washington State to join the Program of Individualized Medicine (PRIMe) and complete an accelerated PhD in veterinary pharmacogenomics. Dr. Costa is excited to join the VREC Westbury team and contribute to improving the lives of dogs and cats in Long Island.

Dr. Costa has always enjoyed science and understanding how things worked. She also loved animals and wanted to find a career that would allow her to help them and people in need. Veterinary medicine checked all the boxes. She took on internal medicine to understand why a patient is sick, reach a diagnosis and work with each client towards the best treatment plan for their pet. The ability to help both animals and their owners is one of the reasons she loves what she does.

Dr. Costa's areas of special interest include chronic conditions that involve hormonal imbalances (endocrinology), multiple drug-therapies (pharmacology) and gastrointestinal disease (vomiting/diarrhea). However, she appreciates the variety and depth of internal medicine cases that keep her day-to-day interesting. Aside from work, Dr. Costa enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her husband and daughter. They have one german shepherd named "Hans" that loves playing fetch and laying on his back.

Internal Medicine

Welcome to the Internal Medicine Department at Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury!

Our hospital's board-certified Internal Medicine Specialists have advanced training in the diagnosis and treating of diseases of the internal body systems. Internists are experts in the fields of endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious disease, nephrology, urology, and respiratory disease.

Our Internal Medicine Department state-of-the-art battery of diagnostics includes:

  • Endoscopy
    - Laryngoscopy
    - Rhinoscopy
    - Gastroduodenoscopy
    - Colonoscopy
    - Proctoscopy
    - Bronchoscopy
    - Bronchoalveolar lavage
    - Cystoscopy
    - Foreign body retrieval (Esophageal and Gastric)
     
  • Ultrasonography
    - Abdominal
    - Thoracic
    - Cervical
    - Parathyroid/Thyroid
    - Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration and Biopsy
  • Bone Marrow
    - Aspiration
    - Biopsy
     
  • CT Scan -Nasal -Thoracic -Abdominal -Angiography for portosystemic Shunt

 

  • Digital Radiography
     
  • Advanced imaging and contrast studies
     
  • Arthrocentesis
     
  • Infectious disease
     
  • Endocrine disease
     
  • Glucose monitoring
     
  • Renal disease
    -
    Endogenous creatinine clearance
     
  • Cerebrospinal fluid aspiration
     
  • Tracheal wash
    - Endotracheal
    - Transtracheal

Our Internal Medicine advanced treatments and servcies include:

  • Transfusion medicine
  • Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG tube)
  • Esophagostomy tube placement
  • Total Parenteral and Partial Parenteral Nutrition (TPN + PPN)
  • Esophageal and rectal balloon dilation
  • Critical care
  • Infectious disease
  • Endocrine disease
  • Renal disease
  • Respiratory disease
  • Gastrointestinal disease
  • Hepatic disease
  • Autoimmune disease

What Is A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?

A board certified veterinary internal medicine specialist is a licensed veterinarian who has obtained intensive, additional training in understanding how your pet's internal body systems function and in diagnosing and treating the many serious diseases that can affect the health of those systems. An internal medicine specialist has advanced training in the following disciplines:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Hematology (study of the blood)
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nephrology/Urology
  • Neurology
  • Respiratory Diseases
  • Oncology

While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many health problems, certain diseases and conditions require the care of a doctor who has had specialized, intensive training in internal medicine in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.

*Within the discipline of veterinary internal medicine, there are also veterinarians who specialize further in Small Animal Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, and Oncology.

Why Does My Pet Need A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?

Just as your own primary care physician may feel the need to refer you to the care of a specialist from time to time, your general practitioner veterinarian may feel your pet needs a specialist to help diagnose or treat a particularly complicated medical problem. While your general practitioner veterinarian can handle many aspects of your pet's care, just as in human medicine, there is sometimes a need for the attention of a specialist. You can be assured that a veterinarian who knows when to refer you and your pet for more specialized diagnostic work or treatment is one that is caring and committed to ensuring that your pet receives the highest standard of medical care for his or her problem.

While in some cases, your veterinarian may be able to simply consult with a specialist about your pet's care, in other cases it is necessary to actually refer you and your pet to the specialist for more advanced diagnostics and treatment. Board certified veterinary internists may also have access to specialized diagnostic or treatment tools that a general practitioner veterinarian may not have.

What Health Problems Does A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist Treat?

Board certified internal medicine specialists are trained to treat the most serious diseases and health problems that affect pets. They are also especially prepared to care for pets that may be facing multiple health problems. Thanks to better health care, more and more pets are living longer lives. As a result, an increasing number of older pets, just like older people, are coping with multiple disease states that can be very difficult to manage. For example, a cat with diabetes may also be suffering from kidney failure, or a dog in heart failure may also be diagnosed with cancer. Internal medicine specialists are uniquely prepared to oversee the care of these complicated cases. In other situations, a younger animal may develop a problem that used to be considered untreatable but is now manageable and perhaps even curable.

Here are some common diseases that frequently lead general practitioner veterinarians and concerned pet owners to seek the expertise of a specialist:

  • Cancer
  • Heart Disease
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases
  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Immune Related Disorders
  • Kidney Dysfunction

Why Can't I See an Internal Medicine Specialist All the Time?

In some cases you can. In many practices, the 'general practitioner veterinarian at a practice is also a boarded internal medicine specialist. General practice veterinarians, however, are also highly educated medical professionals who must meet ongoing continuing education requirements throughout their professional careers in order to maintain their licensure. When a specialist is needed, he or she is only a phone call or a visit away.

Will My Regular Veterinarian Still Be Involved?

In many cases, your regular veterinarian will still supervise your pet's veterinary care, especially if your pet is coping with multiple disease states or conditions. In other cases, your referral doctor will take over the majority of your pet's medical care. It depends on your pet's particular disease and health problem.

Did You Know?

There are approximately 1400 board certified veterinary internal medicine specialists in the United States, and the number is growing.

Our Internal Medicine Team

Veterinary Specialist, Medical Director
Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury

609-5 Cantiague Rock Road

Westbury, NY 11590

Main: 516-420-0000

Fax: 516-420-0122

Hospital Hours:

    Mon-Sun: Open 24 hours

Are you a Primary Care Veterinarian? We have dedicated resources for you.

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