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Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury
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Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury
516-420-0000
Dr. Susan Kimmel was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She received a BS degree with honors in 1992 from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Following this training, Dr. Kimmel continued at the University of Pennsylvania as a resident in small animal internal medicine and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal Internal Medicine) in 2000. Dr. Kimmel remained at the University of Pennsylvania for 2 years as a faculty member, where she taught students, interns, and residents in small animal internal medicine. In 2003, Dr. Kimmel joined Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center of Westbury (formerly, The Center for Specialized Veterinary Care) and has enjoyed being part of the hospital's growth since its beginning. In 2008, Dr. Kimmel was appointed Medical Director of Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center of Westbury.
Dr. Kimmel is published in the fields of diabetes mellitus, intestinal disease, pancreatitis, electrolyte abnormalities, thyroid disease, asthma, and liver disease. Dr. Kimmel's special interests include endoscopy, critical care, gastrointestinal disease, endocrine disease, and general problems in internal medicine. When not at the hospital, Dr. Kimmel's interests include exploring the beaches and waterways of Long Island by boat, traveling, and spending time with her husband, 3 daughters, and their two dogs: Kona, a rescued Pocket Pittie, and Bacon, a Cane Corso.
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:
Our Internal Medicine advanced treatments and servcies include:
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:
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:
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.
Hospital Hours:
Mon-Sun: Open 24 hours
