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Advice on How to Handle Common Pet Emergencies
Posted on 2012-04-09 09:55:45
It can be very scary when your pet has an emergency, but taking preventative actions and being in contact with our pet hospital can help with your pet’s safety. Today’s blog covers three common veterinary emergencies, so that you can recognize the symptoms and take quick action. If your pet requires emergency care, stay calm and call our Studio City vet for immediate assistance.
Come to Our North Hollywood Pet Hospital Immediately If…
Heatstroke - Always keep pets in the shade with plenty of ventilation and fresh water on hot days—NEVER leave them locked in the car! If your pet is panting and drooling excessively, has red gums, or is vomiting or having seizures, spray it with cool (not icy) water, and fan it while underway to our veterinary hospital.
Are there any other pet emergencies you would like us to write about here? Please let us know!
Fight Fleas with Veterinary Care at Our North Hollywood Pet Hospital
Posted on 2012-03-21 14:48:22
Do you have itchy pets? Learn about the best flea prevention methods to treat your cats and dogs and reduce the chance of a flea infestation in your home. Our veterinarians will teach you what they do for your pets and what you can do at home to get rid of fleas or prevent fleas from coming back.At our Studio City veterinary clinic, we serve pet owners and their cats and dogs in the local area and from surrounding towns. Our vet team includes Drs. Peter Lowenthal, Nahmi Jones, and James Walters who provide routine exams and vaccinations, as well as emergency care, seven days a week to accommodate busy pet owners.
Let Our Veterinarians Help Free Your Pet of Fleas
If your cats or dogs scratch frequently, they may have fleas. This is bad news for your pets and you. Fleas are parasites that afflict your pets, and lay eggs in carpet, furniture, and other places around your home. Left untreated, the eggs will hatch and progress through their life cycle. As adult fleas, they jump on and infest your pets. As allergens, fleas often cause severe itching that can advance to skin diseases.
Unfortunately, no individual flea product has the ability to kill fleas across their entire life cycle. But vet-recommended flea products effective in killing adult fleas are Frontline and Advantage.
Call our North Hollywood pet hospital to set up an appointment with one of our veterinarians. Proper vet care for fleas will give you both peace of mind and healthier pets.
What symptoms do your pets exhibit that could indicate fleas? What flea treatments or preventative measures have you tried so far?
North Hollywood Vet Offers Pet Grooming Services
Posted on 2012-01-31 07:39:45
Pretty bows, braids or even jewels can adorn your pet coat after a trip to the groomer. However, pet grooming not only helps your pet's appearance but it is an essential part of keeping them pet healthy. Good hygiene for your pet will help ensure that they do not pick up disease or attract fleas, ticks and other infections. Personal pet grooming can be done professionally at a pet hospital or you can choose to do it yourself at home. At Blue Cross Pet Hospital, we offer pet grooming services in our clinic.Dogs and Cats Need Regular Veterinary Care and Grooming
Dogs should be routinely groomed by bathing and regular brushing. A mild shampoo and soap that is not harmful to your pet will keep them safe and smelling pretty. You need to protect your puppy's eyes when bathing and do not let their bodies become chilled during or after their bath. Cats often keep themselves fairly clean naturally; they do not require baths as frequently as dogs, but when you do bathe your cat it is important to keep water out of their sensitive ears and eyes. You need to use soap and shampoo that is specifically designed for cats because some dog shampoos may be irritating your feline’s sensitive skin.
Pet grooming procedures also include nail trimming for both dogs and cats. Regular nail trimming is essential for cats, which are infamous for shredding things and scratching people and other animals with their sharp claws. Dogs that do not get their nails trimmed regularly can have problems with the nail curving over and digging and cutting into their paws causing them immense pain.
The main benefits of routine pet grooming are improvements in health and overall appearance of their coat and skin, prevention of health issues that can be caused by matted fur or scratches, reduction in horse tack chafing and an opportunity to check your pet for parasites, fleas and other skin conditions.
When you take on the responsibility of a pet it is critical that you know correct grooming and hygiene procedures so that your pet is properly cared for. Our North Hollywood vet can give you the information you need and provide you with the services to keep your family pet groomed and healthy. If you live in the Burbank or Sherman Oaks area, visit Blue Cross Pet Hospital for all of your grooming and veterinary needs.
Does your pet like being groomed?
Pet Vaccinations From Studio City Veterinarians
Posted on 2011-12-09 08:35:45
The wellness of your pets is extremely important to our Studio City veterinarians at Blue Cross Pet Hospital in North Hollywood, CA. In addition to regular examinations, grooming, and dental care, we offer vaccines to protect your pets from dangerous diseases such as rabies and feline leukemia. Vaccinating your pet keeps him healthy. It also protects you and your loved ones from diseases that can spread from animals to humans. Types of Vaccines
The vets at our North Hollywood pet hospital offer several vaccinations to protect your pets and you. Generally, there are two classes of vaccine. Core vaccines are recommended for almost all pets, while non-core vaccines may only be needed by certain pets, depending on where they live and what they are exposed to.
In California, all cats and dogs need to receive a rabies vaccine. Rabies is fatal in most cases, and can be transferred from animals to people. A pet should receive a rabies vaccine either yearly or once every three years, depending on the strength of the vaccination.
Other core vaccines for pets include canine distemper for dogs and feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus vaccines for cats. Cats that go outdoors should be vaccinated against feline leukemia, a virus that spreads from cat to cat through bites or other contact. Dogs should also be vaccinated against parvovirus and hepatitis.
Vaccines for Wellness
Vaccines are essential to a pet's care. Most pets should begin receiving vaccinations from a young age. After birth, pets receive antibodies from their mother's milk which help protect them from infections. The antibodies wear off after a time and vaccines take on the role of protecting pets. Many kittens should be vaccinated starting at six weeks of age. Dogs are usually vaccinated starting around five weeks of age.
Even a pet owner thinks her pet is protected from disease because the pet stays indoors, she should still vaccinate the pet. A cat or dog can be exposed to a disease through even the lightest of contact, such as passing a sick pet in the park.
Have you had your pet vaccinated?
Is Your Pet Having a Bad Hair and Skin Day? Veterinary Dermatology from North Hollywood Pet Hospital
Posted on 2011-10-28 07:32:52
If your pet seems to be constantly scratching, biting, and chewing at an itch and just won’t stop, it may be time for a trip to Blue Cross Pet Hospital. Our North Hollywood pet hospital offers veterinary dermatology treatments that can alleviate a number of common and not-so-common skin conditions. In addition to constant itchiness, other signs of skin ailments include dandruff, hair loss, scabs, repeated shaking of the head, or changes in the texture or color of your pet’s coat.Vet Provides Exam, Tests and Skin Condition Treatments
A wide number of causes can be behind a pet’s abnormal skin condition. These include genetic or congenital defects, infections, allergies, parasites, traumatic events, or even imbalances in the pet’s diet. The first step our North Hollywood vet takes is conducting a thorough exam of the pet’s skin and coat. Specific diseases and conditions have telltale signs, although several can appear very similar and require lab work to determine the exact condition.
Alopecia X is an abnormality in the hair growth of Pomeranians and similar dog breeds that can lead to hair loss. Scabby skin lesions can be the result of an infection or a condition called pemphigus foliaceus, which is determined through a biopsy and cell examination. Skin biopsies can also help diagnose a disease known as discoid lupus erythematosus, which can cause scabbing and pigment loss in the nose area.
Allergic reactions are another cause of skin conditions, with reactions to specific foods, products or environmental allergens. The chronic skin condition atopy, also known as atopic dermatitis, is often diagnosed through skin testing.
The dermatological treatments offered by our Studio City and Sherman Oaks animal hospital depend on the exact cause of the condition. Our veterinarians are experienced at treating skin conditions with a number of methods that include medications, environmental management, allergen elimination, and immunotherapy.
How do you help keep your pet’s hair and skin healthy?
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5505 Tujunga Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91601
818-732-6932
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