Rigid Endoscopy

Our Veterinary Team Offers Rigid Endoscopies for Your Exotic Pet

Exotic animals frequently present a diagnostic challenge even for skilled, experienced veterinarians. This is often due to their small size and differing anatomy. Certain internal conditions can be difficult to treat or visualize without viewing, sampling, or manipulating them directly from inside the body. While this problem once necessitated major surgery, many such procedures can now be performed through a minimally invasive technique called rigid endoscopy. Our veterinary team here at Peak Exotic Animal Veterinary Specialists is proud to make this technique available for exotic animals just like yours.

How Endoscopy Works

Endoscopy involves the use of a long, hollow tube called an endoscope. The endoscope typically includes miniaturized lighting and camera features. Our doctors will insert the endoscope into your pet's body to look at a particular health problem, using the feed from the device's camera to view the data on a monitor while working.

Endoscopy is commonly used to evaluate problems in an animal's digestive, urinary, or respiratory tract. Different branches of endoscopy are named after the region the endoscope explores. For instance, laparoscopy involves the insertion on an endoscope into the abdominal cavity, while cystoscopy involves inspection of the urinary system and rhinoscopy is used to view sinuses.

Endoscopy can also be used as a means of minimally invasive surgery. Endoscopic surgery makes use of special elongated tools that extend through the endoscope to the treatment site. Your veterinarian may use this form of surgery to perform a biopsy or remove a bladder stone, polyp, or foreign object.

Rigid Endoscopy vs. Flexible Endoscopy

Rigid endoscopes and flexible endoscopes can both aid in exotic animal diagnostics and treatment. Our veterinary team generally used rigid endoscopy for any procedure which does not require a flexible tube, such as a cystoscopy or laparoscopy. We would more likely use flexible endoscopy for procedures involving the upper gastrointestinal or respiratory tract.

Schedule State-of-the-Art Endoscopic Care for Your Exotic Pet

Your exotic pet deserves the most advanced care possible. Contact our veterinary team today at (720)-637-1564 to learn more about our rigid endoscopy and other high-tech methods.