Your pet is an important part of your family and relies on you to assemble a veterinary healthcare team able to help with all of their health conditions, from routine vaccinations and check-ups to more serious conditions such as cancer, liver and renal problems. Just as your own physician uses referrals to specialists to diagnose and treat these conditions, your family veterinarian may recognize a problem in your pet and refer you to a board-certified specialist. At VSNT, your pet’s case will be managed by a specialist from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) or the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR). With the compassion, care and partnership of you, your veterinarian, technician and board-certified specialist, we strive to achieve life-saving management of your pet’s condition. We achieve this through our three main service areas: internal medicine, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. READ ABOUT ALL OUR SERVICES
Nutritional Counseling
Comprehensive Examination
The Oncologist will perform a complete and thorough physical examination on your animal, and based on these initial findings, additional tests and treatment options will be discussed. Depending on your pet’s condition, diagnostic testing or management may include...
Despite much research, it is still not well understood why animals (and humans) develop cancer. One big role player seems to be genetics. In addition, exposure to certain environmental cancer-causing agents, called carcinogens, has been shown to increase the risk of cancer development. Some of these carcinogens include tobacco smoke, asbestos, lawn pesticides and herbicides, certain older type flea and tick dips (mostly older dip-type products), radiation, and sunlight (especially for white and light-skinned dogs and cats). Obesity and poor diet (such as unbalanced home-made type diets) has also been implicated in cancer development. Intact female dogs and cats are at a much higher risk for mammary cancer than their spayed counterparts.
Pain Management
Depending on the type of tumor that is present, radiation may be used to eliminate the cancer, shrink the tumor, or provide pain relief for the patient. Radiation may be administered in a number of different protocols designed to accomplish the needs of the pet and pet owners, while maintaining a good quality of life for the patient.
Vomiting Treatment
Diarrhea Treatment
Upper Respiratory Illness Treatment
Commonly called “Internists”, Internal Medicine Specialists focus on diagnosing and treating diseases of the body’s systems. Veterinary Internal Medicine encompasses the disciplines of endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious disease, immune disease, nephrology/urology and respiratory disease. Veterinary internists are trained to handle a multitude of medical problems whether rare or complex. It is not unusual for our small animal veterinary patients to have several concurrent diseases, and treatment for one disease often affects the treatment for another disease. Where the diagnosis is already known, Internists provide extensive experience in treatment options, providing peace of mind and the highest quality of life for your pet. If a diagnosis is elusive or therapy is not proving effective, the Internist may be better able to establish a diagnosis or adjust treatment plans to get your pet back to health.
It is common for pets to have multiple disease conditions (such as kidney disease, heart disease, and high blood pressure) that might be complicated and challenging to manage. In some cases, specialized testing may be recommended to help pet owners determine what is wrong with their pet. For example, a pet with long term diarrhea, may need an ultrasound (sonogram) of his/her belly or a colonoscopy to help determine the cause of the diarrhea.
Kidney Disease Treatment
Cancer Treatment
His academic endeavors included drug development and pharmacology of anti-neoplastic drugs, aerosol chemotherapy for osteosarcoma, and pegylated arginine deiminase for melanoma. He has authored chapters in oncology textbooks and over 50 scientific articles. He has served as chair on both the ACVIM Oncology Exam Committee, and on the grant review committee for Morris Animal Foundation. He served on the scientific advisory board of Aratana Therapeutics during the development of the first caninzed antibody for B and T cell lymphoma.
VSNT offers a custom-tailored treatment plan for each pet. Our unique team approach with other specialty team members including Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and surgical services through Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center (located in our building) means your pet will receive the absolute best care.
Small Animal Surgery
Dr. Derek Burney was raised on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country. After obtaining a BS in Animal Science at Texas A&M University in 1987, he completed veterinary school there also, graduating in 1991. From College Station, it was off to Auburn University for a one-year rotating internship in small animal surgery and medicine. After completing a residency in small animal internal medicine at Colorado State University in 1995, Dr. Burney completed a PhD in clinical sciences studying molecular parasitology, also at Colorado State University.
On the day of your appointment, please bring any records that are pertinent to the current medical problem, including blood tests and biopsy reports, if applicable.