Internal Medicine

For Chronic, Complex, and Complicated Conditions

Veterinary internal medicine is a broad specialty that involves the internal body systems of your pet. A specialist, called an internist, works to diagnose and treat challenging diseases that affect organs or bodily systems including: respiratory, endocrinology, renal (kidney), hematology (blood), gastroenterology, cardiology, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, among others.

Your pet may benefit from a referral to an internal medicine specialist for the following conditions:

Anemia or other bleeding disorders
Coughing or other respiratory problems
Endocrine diseases (diabetes, Cushing’s disease, thyroid problems)
Infectious diseases (including bacterial, fungal and tick-borne diseases)
Kidney or bladder conditions
Liver disease
Prolonged vomiting or diarrhea
Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
And, patients with neurologic, cardiovascular or cancerous diseases

Additionally, we offer specialized hospitalization and care for critically ill patients and those just needing more intensive monitoring than what is ordinarily available in a general practice environment.

Our internal medicine service was founded with one goal in mind: to provide a combination of exceptional, comprehensive, personalized patient care and premier service to clients, patients, and primary care veterinarians. If your pet is experiencing a problem that is not resolving, ask your veterinarian about a referral to an internist at Beacon.

Bonnie Murphy, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM - Medical Director

Dr. Bonnie Murphy achieved her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at UC Davis in 1989, followed by an internship in Hermosa Beach and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University. She achieved board certification in 1995. Dr. Murphy is passionate about teaching and mentoring upcoming veterinary students and newly minted veterinarians. In 2017, she received the Clinical Preceptor Award for Excellence in Teaching from Western University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

A former specialty practice owner who has worked in Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara and the South Bay of L.A., Dr. Murphy has a special interest in endocrinology, pancreatitis and gastrointestinal diseases, infectious diseases, oncology, burn patients and heart disease. She is highly skilled in procedures such as endoscopy and cardiac and abdominal ultrasound.

Dr. Murphy is married to her high school sweetheart and lives with her menagerie of 4 dogs, 2 cats and a herd of Chincoteague ponies. In her leisure time, she enjoys gardening, cooking and training her Labradors to compete in AKC Retriever tests.