We understand that visiting the veterinarian can sometimes be stressful for pets and their owners. But, what if we told you that there are steps you can take at home to significantly decrease your pet’s anxiety during vet appointments? With some simple preparations and positive reinforcement, you can help ensure your pet's next veterinary visit [...]

As a pet owner, you naturally want to spoil your furry pal by providing them with an overflowing toy bin and tons of tasty treats. However, those items’ costs can add up quickly, especially if your pet is a powerful chewer prone to shredding toys as soon as they can get their teeth in them. [...]

Spaying female pets, which we recommend before their first heat cycle to significantly reduce their mammary cancer risk, also provides another life-saving benefit—pyometra prevention. A pyometra is a uterine infection that can rapidly turn life-threatening if not treated. To better care for your female pet, learn about pyometra causes, signs, and prevention. Pyometra causes in [...]

Veterinary medicine isn’t all puppy kisses and kitten cuddles—much of the time, the work is not only mentally and physically exhausting, but also potentially dangerous and life-threatening. Aggressive pets, large animals, and zoonotic diseases can harm the veterinary team and cause lifelong consequences. Still, veterinary medicine is a wonderfully rewarding, fulfilling, chosen career path, despite [...]

Don’t let your feline friend’s independent, aloof demeanor fool you: Cats can become frazzled as easily as the rest of us. Unlike humans who can verbalize anxious feelings, cats communicate their stress through behavioral and physical changes that can be easily misinterpreted. Our Emerald Animal Hospital team explains feline stress causes and signs so you [...]

Giardia is a highly infectious microscopic parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal (GI) disease. Our Emerald Animal Hospital team believes in providing exceptional care for our patients, which includes educating their owners. Here, we provide answers to frequently asked questions about Giardia in dogs. What is Giardia in dogs? Canine giardiasis is a protozoal infection [...]

We love Los Angeles’ year-round sunny weather, but the mild temperatures can turn scorching in the summer months, and the intense heat can pose potential hazards for pets. To ensure your summer fun doesn’t turn into a pet emergency, use these tips from our Emerald Animal Hospital team to protect your furry friend from Los [...]

Like people, pets can experience fear and anxiety.  One of pets’ most common anxiety triggers is sound. Pets often experience noise aversion, which causes them to have extreme fear or anxiety. A pet’s noise-averse reaction is similar to a person’s panic attack, and an affected pet becomes severely distressed. To help you learn to identify [...]

You don’t enjoy feeling itchy, and neither does your pet. Your pet can’t tell you when they are feeling itchy, but their constant scratching, head shaking, licking, and jingling tags are a dead giveaway. If your pet’s constant itching has you scratching your head, you’re in the right place. Many conditions cause itchiness in dogs [...]

Your pet is a part of the family, and when their birthday rolls around, you like to pull out all the stops to celebrate another year of unconditional love, affection, and loyalty. Your pet may not understand a birthday party’s meaning, but you can bet they will be excited when you shower them with attention, [...]