The recipient of a doctor of veterinary medicine from the Western University of Health Sciences, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, is a veterinary internal medicine specialist and consultant. He serves as the head of the internal medicine department at Metropolitan Animal Specialty Hospital, where he oversees the department's services and staff. As a veterinarian, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, performs laser procedures to correct ectopic ureters in dogs.
Cystoscopic laser ablation is a minimally invasive surgery that uses a laser and specialized camera to remedy ectopic ureters. From birth, ectopic ureters in dogs cause abnormal anatomical connections between the ureters and the bladder. Ureters are tube-like structures that facilitate the movement of urine from the kidneys into the bladder. An abnormal connection to the bladder can cause incontinence, commonly affecting female dogs. Cystoscopic laser ablation is an alternative to traditional invasive surgery for ectopic ureters. In cystoscopic laser ablation, a laser disrupts the walls of the ectopic ureters, and a cystoscope (a tiny camera) helps locate the positions of the ectopic ureters. Recovery times following cystoscopic laser ablation are significantly shorter compared to traditional surgery and success rates are higher. Complications are also much lower with laser correction than traditional surgery.
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Joseph Bisignano, DVM serves as the department head of internal medicine at Metropolitan Animal Specialty Hospital in Los Angeles, California. As an internal medicine specialist, Joseph Bisignano, DVM consults for Alicam and is responsible for reading capsule endoscopy.
Capsule endoscopy or wireless capsule endoscopy is an ingested, capsule-shaped small camera used to provide a direct visual and diagnostic assessment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Doctors now use capsule endoscopy to evaluate the whole GI tract’s length. The non-invasiveness of capsule endoscopy during physical tests was initially designed to inspect the small intestine. This was necessary because standard endoscopes are a fixed length and if diseases or lesions are present in areas of the intestine beyond the reach of the scope, these areas cannot be evaluated. Today, doctors use capsule endoscopy to detect and track disorders throughout the gastrointestinal system, especially in areas that endoscopy cannot reach. The dog swallows the capsule, after which the camera inside takes thousands of photographs as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. These pictures are captured on a device outside the body, however. Using these photos, a report is generated documenting the appearance of the GI tract and recommendations are made by the specialist for treatment options. Over the course of his career in veterinary medicine, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, has demonstrated expertise in diagnosing and treating internal disease. Joseph Bisignano, DVM, has earned board certification in internal medicine and draws on an in-depth knowledge of feline kidney disease. A cat's kidneys perform a broad range of essential functions, including the removal of waste from the bloodstream and the regulation of blood consistency. Unfortunately, the filtering systems inside feline kidneys are susceptible to degeneration over time, as well as to illness or injuries. Younger cats are more likely to develop acute kidney failure, which presents over the course of days to weeks. It most commonly results following the ingestion of toxic substances, including human medications and pesticides, though it may also be a result of infection or trauma. If acute kidney failure is identified and treated early in its development, damage may be reversible and function returned. Chronic kidney failure, by contrast, has no known cure. It occurs when scar tissue takes the place of at least 75 percent of working kidney tissue, and it develops over the course of months to years. Veterinary science has not yet identified a single cause for this type of kidney failure, though it may be an end result of such complex conditions as high blood pressure, dental disease, and thyroid dysfunction. Joseph Bisignano, DVM, has diagnosed and evaluated animals with a variety of health concerns. Among the conditions Dr. Joseph Bisignano has treated are glandular conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, which may present itself in cats.
Hyperthyroidism, a relatively common condition in cats, has a large effect on the animal’s overall health. Cats with this condition have too much thyroxine in their body, which results in a number of different symptoms, most notably a loss in weight. However, despite this weight loss, cats with hyperthyroidism often also have a big appetite. A cat with the condition might also be thirsty all the time, urinate more frequently, and have diarrhea. Other signs may include the cat being overly active and shedding more than in the past. Cats of all breeds may become hyperthyroid. However, the condition is rare in younger cats, instead typically affecting cats that are older than ten years of age. Most commonly, cats that develop hyperthyroidism are twelve to thirteen years old. Upon diagnosing a cat with hyperthyroidism, a veterinarian might recommend medication to help regulate the cat’s hormones. In some cases, injections with radioactive iodine or surgery might also be considered as treatment. If a pet owner suspects that his or her cat is hyperthyroid, he or she should take the cat in to a veterinarian for testing and evaluation. Joseph Bisignano, DVM, has experience as a marine mammal trainer and a veterinary preceptor. Joseph Bisignano, DVM, most recently served as a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital.
When a family pet suffers an injury or comes down with an unexpected illness, most are taken to the local veterinarian’s office. However, there are some cases in which it might be advisable to take a dog or cat to a veterinary internist because, having undergone at least four years of additional training compared to the average veterinarian, internists have an even greater, in-depth knowledge of animals’ lungs, pituitary gland, and other important organs and systems. Lucky families and healthy animals may not ever visit their veterinarian outside of annual checkups and shots. When a dog or cat does come down with diarrhea or vomiting, the diagnosis can usually be made after the doctor has run one or more tests. However, when traditional diagnostics fail to identify the issue and the animal’s condition does not improve, owners must consider contacting an internist. In other cases, a family vet might be able to diagnose the problem but may feel that the disease or injury is too exotic or advanced for his or her skill set. This is again an instance when an internist’s advanced experience or insight might be valuable. Finally, a visit to the internist does not need to be made under such duress. Certain breeds of dog, for example, are susceptible to specific diseases, such as the soft-coated Wheaten terrier’s predisposition to kidney disease. A family with a new terrier puppy can visit an internist to get a full-body evaluation of the dog to make sure he or she is in tip-top condition heading into adulthood. A dedicated veterinarian, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, most recently served as a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital in California. Joseph Bisignano, DVM, maintains a particular interest in endocrine diseases of dogs and cats, and he has written a number of publications that discuss various conditions.
When a cat’s hormones become unbalanced, it may result in any number of feline endocrine diseases, many of which are treatable with medication or hormone injections. The following are just a few of the endocrine diseases found in cats. -Hyperthyroidism: Resulting from an excess of thyroid hormone, hyperthyroidism may cause unexplained weight loss and frequent vomiting. It is most commonly seen in older cats and can be treated through a lifelong medication regimen or an injection of radioactive iodine. -Cushing’s syndrome: Also called hyperadrenocorticism, Cushing’s syndrome is somewhat rare in cats. Typically caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland, the disorder results in excessive amounts of cortisol and may cause increased eating or drinking. -Diabetes mellitus: Similar to diabetes in humans, diabetes mellitus results from insufficient amounts of insulin. Cats with diabetes may experience constant hunger and weight loss, and treatment for mild cases normally involves insulin injections and a change in diet. |
AuthorA board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist, Joseph Bisignano, DVM, recently completed advanced residency training before joining the staff of VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital as a veterinary specialist. Archives
September 2023
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