Dental disease is the most common health issue among pets across the country. In its early stages, it can cause oral pain and discomfort, but if dental disease is left untreated, it becomes even more serious. Regular dental exams and routine at-home dental care help maintain your pet’s oral hygiene, preventing serious health issues and complications.

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease affects the mouth, gums, and teeth, and advanced dental disease significantly impacts your pet’s quality of life. Oral pain makes it difficult for your pet to eat, and discomfort may create substantial mood changes. But dental disease becomes even more dangerous as it progresses. Bacteria can enter your pet’s bloodstream and cause serious complications in the heart, kidneys, and liver.

We provide a full range of dental services to combat periodontal disease, including:

• Cleaning and polishing teeth
• Gingivectomies
• Mass removals
• Tooth extractions
• Oral surgery
• Prophylaxis
• Dental sealants
• Digital dental radiography (X-rays)

Digital Dental Radiography

Digital dental radiography lets us fully examine the state of your pet’s teeth. Often, serious dental issues go unnoticed because they reside out of sight under the gumline. With digital dental radiology, we can spot those hidden signs of periodontal disease. Digital dental X-rays are fast, so we don’t have to wait long for results, and they make your pet’s dental cleanings more thorough and efficient.

If you suspect your pet may need dental care, schedule an appointment at Best Friends Animal Hospital today.

You are what you eat, and the same is true of your pet! Preventive care also includes food.

A nutrient-rich diet is your pet’s first line of defense against many diseases and other health problems. Proper daily nutrition supports healthy growth and aging. The right food can boost your pet’s immune system, improve digestive health, fight or prevent obesity, and increase skin, coat, and hair health.

We are happy to provide nutritional recommendations based on your pet’s lifestyle, energy level, and individual health-related needs.

Supplements

Average dogs and cats that eat balanced, nutrient-rich diets and that are in good health may not need additional dietary supplements. However, plenty of pets, particularly aging or overweight pets, may benefit from taking regular supplements.

Always check with your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian before giving your pets supplements, as you may actually be trying to treat a deficiency caused by a different underlying health issue. Plus, some supplements can interact with prescription medications.

Your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian may recommend the following supplements, depending on your pet’s needs:

• Fatty acids for healthy skin and coats
• Fish oil for reduced inflammation
• Probiotics for balanced digestive systems, reduced allergy symptoms, and/or boosted immune systems
• Joint supplements

To learn more about nutrition and supplements, schedule an appointment with your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian.

Thousands of pets go missing every year, and many don’t make it back home. Even collars and identification tags may not be enough to protect your pet: collars can break off and tags can become damaged and unreadable. Microchips, however, are safe, simple forms of identification, and they’re permanent, so you don’t have to worry about them becoming lost or damaged.

A microchip is about the size and shape of a grain of rice and is placed underneath your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. Microchip implantation takes only a few minutes and is very safe. Your pet’s microchip carries identification information about your pet, including your name, address, and contact information.

When your pet is microchipped, you will receive registration documents. When you register the number on the microchip, your pet will be added to a national pet recovery database. Veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and animal control offices across the country are equipped with scanners that can read the microchip and display your contact information. A toll-free phone call to the pet recovery database alerts the microchip company that a lost pet has been identified. Pet owners are then notified that their pet has been found!

Young puppies and kittens can receive microchips safely, and even if your pet is already an adult, you should still consider microchipping. Even indoor pets can accidentally make it outside and become lost, so if you’re relying on other forms of identification, you could be placing your pet at risk.

Best Friends Animal Hospital believes microchipping is the safest, most effective method of pet recovery available, as it helps reunite more than 15,000 lost pets to their owners every month. To learn more about the benefits of pet microchips or to schedule an appointment to have your pet microchipped, please contact your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian today!

Having your pet spayed or neutered doesn’t only benefit your pet. It also benefits our entire community. Animal overpopulation is a serious issue that puts stress on animal shelters. Millions of animals are euthanized in shelters every year because they can’t find homes. Spaying or neutering your own pets helps reduce animal overpopulation, as it eliminates their abilities to reproduce.

When your pets are spayed or neutered at Best Friends Animal Hospital, they receive preoperative blood work, allowing us to ensure that your pets are well enough for surgery. They also receive IV fluids, pain medication during and after the procedure, and a buster collar to wear at home. While under anesthesia, your pets’ full vitals are monitored, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and ECG.

Spaying

Spaying is a common surgical procedure performed on female cats and dogs. During the surgery, the patient’s uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are removed so the animal can no longer reproduce. Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarians recommend spaying your pets when they are around six months old, depending on the breed. It is ideal to spay before the first heat. Consult your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian to determine the best time to spay your pet.

Benefits of Spaying

Spaying has more benefits than just preventing unwanted pregnancies and fighting animal overpopulation. Spaying also:

• Reduces your pet’s risk of breast cancer
• Eliminates the messy, stressful heat cycle
• Eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine tumors
• Eliminates the risk of uterine infections

What to expect after surgery

After your dog is spayed, your pet will need 10-14 days of recovery time while the sutures are in place. Postoperative rest and pain relievers keep your pet comfortable during this recovery period. Your pet will also be required to wear a protective buster collar while the incision heals to keep her from licking and biting the incision. This lowers the chance of infection.

Neutering

Neutering is performed on male cats and dogs. When animals are neutered, their testicles are removed so they can no longer impregnate other animals. The recommended age for neutering is breed-dependent and may range from six months to up to two years old. Consult your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian to determine the best time to neuter your pet.

Benefits of Neutering

Neutering has more benefits than just preventing unwanted pregnancies and fighting animal overpopulation. Neutering also:

• Reduces aggressive behavior and overly dominant tendencies
• Reduces roaming and territory-marking
• Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer
• Reduces the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Reduces the risk of prostatic infections

What to expect after surgery

Although neutering is less invasive than spaying, it still requires 10 to 14 days of recovery time while sutures are in place. Postoperative rest and pain relievers keep your pet comfortable during this recovery period. After surgery, your pet will need to wear a protective buster collar while the incision heals to keep him from licking or biting the incision. This lowers the chance of infection.

To learn more about spaying and neutering, or to schedule an appointment to have your cat or dog spayed or neutered, contact your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian today.

Surgery is an effective way to treat many serious injuries and disorders. While invasive, surgical procedures remain the backbone of veterinary medicine, delivering unparalleled results to the field of pet health care.

When your pets undergo surgical procedures at Best Friends Animal Hospital, they receive preoperative blood work, allowing us to ensure that your pets are well enough for surgery. They also receive IV fluids, pain medication, and a buster collar to wear at home. While under anesthesia, your pets’ full vitals are monitored, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and ECG.

Soft-Tissue Surgery

Soft-tissue surgeries are all surgeries that don’t deal with bones. Routine spaying and neutering, mass removals, foreign body removals, and minimally invasive procedures like biopsies are all considered soft-tissue surgeries. Our veterinarians can conduct these operations in our facility. For more complex operations, we can arrange for a specialized surgeon to do the surgery.

Your pet’s comfort and safety are always our main priorities, especially when it comes to surgery. We also understand that a pet’s surgery can be stressful for any owner. Every step of the way, Best Friends Animal Hospital’s veterinary staff is available to answer questions and put your mind at ease. We’re happy to educate you on the entire process, and we give you the resources you need to make informed decisions regarding your pet’s surgery and treatment options.

If you think your pet may need surgery, please contact your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian to schedule a consultation.

At Best Friends Animal Hospital, we can conduct a lot of our routine diagnostic testing in our in-house laboratory. This saves you time and money, as you won’t have to bring your pet to multiple appointments for testing. Plus, because we can do these tests in-house, we receive results quickly. If we detect an anomaly that needs to be treated, we can begin that care immediately.

The testing we provide at Best Friends Animal Hospital includes:

Chemistry panels:

• Liver enzyme screening
• Pancreatic evaluation
• Renal (Kidney) profiles
• Urinalysis

Wellness screenings:

• Complete blood counts
• General chemistries
• Heartworm testing

Viral screenings:

• Cats: FelV, FIV
• Dogs: Parvovirus

If your pet requires other laboratory testing, blood work will be completed at another laboratory and results will be sent back to us.

Young animals are a lot like children; it’s a never-ending job keeping them safe and happy, and it’s our jobs to protect them from numerous potential health problems. Vaccinations are the best defenses against many viral and bacterial infections, and vaccinations can prevent potential deadly diseases like:

• Parvovirus
• Distemper
• Rabies
• Leptospirosis
• Panleukopenia
• Feline leukemia
• Chlamydia
• Bordetella

It is important to provide most vaccinations when your pets are young, when their immune systems are still developing and need extra protection in order to stay healthy. We also carry a rattlesnake vaccine for clients whose pets may spend time outdoors and be at a higher risk. Vaccinations are vital tools for maintaining your pets’ overall health and wellness, and your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian can help you determine the best time to provide certain vaccines to your pets. Vaccines are particularly important for active pets that regularly leave the house with you. Active pets are more likely to encounter other animals that haven’t been vaccinated and thus might be carrying some of these dangerous diseases.

A Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian will help you with every step of the vaccination process, including:

• Pet examination and introductory vaccinations
• Necessary booster shots
• Vaccine education

Keep your family members safe by scheduling their vaccinations at Best Friends Animal Hospital today.

Digital Radiography

Radiography is a valuable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine, and we’re proud to offer radiology services at Best Friends Animal Hospital.

Radiographs (more commonly known as X-rays) give us a glimpse inside your pet’s body, revealing information we can’t see from the outside. Plus, X-rays are noninvasive, totally pain-free, and safe. The level of radiation used in radiography is very low, so even pregnant and very young pets can have X-rays taken.

With radiographs, we can evaluate bones as well as the size, shape, and position of many of the body’s organs. Some medical conditions—such as kidney, heart, or liver disease—can alter organ size, and radiographs help us identify these changes. The shape and position of organs can also be altered or distorted by certain medical conditions, including intestinal blockage or cancer. We also use radiographs to detect tumors and diagnose bladder stones, broken bones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and a variety of other conditions. Radiographs also help us locate and identify foreign bodies that an animal ingested.

Digital Dental Radiography

Dental disease is the most common ailment affecting our pets. Digital dental radiography lets us fully examine the state of your pet’s teeth. Often, serious dental issues go unnoticed because they reside out of sight under the gumline. With digital dental radiology, we can spot those hidden signs of periodontal disease. Digital dental X-rays are fast, so we don’t have to wait long for results, and they make your pet’s dental cleanings more thorough and efficient.

Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are another non-invasive, pain-free way of seeing inside your pet’s body. Ultrasounds use sound waves to create real-time images of the internal structures of your pet’s body, allowing us to monitor pregnancies and diagnose ailments related to the heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, liver, and reproductive organs, among others. If your pet requires an ultrasound, we can arrange to have a board-certified veterinary ultrasound specialist see your pet at Best Friends Animal Hospital.

We’re proud of the diagnostic care we provide at Best Friends Animal Hospital, as it helps us provide better, more thorough treatments to your pets. To learn more about our diagnostic services, or to schedule diagnostic care for your pet, contact Best Friends Animal Hospital today.

Physical exams and wellness care are crucial parts of maintaining your pet’s health at every life stage. Regular exams not only let us get to know your pets (and let them get comfortable with us!), but they also help us establish a baseline for your pet’s health. When we see your pets regularly, we’re more likely to be able to spot potential medical issues early, before they become too bothersome.

Wellness care will be different for every single pet that visits Best Friends Animal Hospital, as every animal has different needs. During your pet’s exam, we’ll address issues and suggest care specific to your pet’s breed and age.

During physical exams, we’ll ask you questions about your pet’s behavior, eating habits, and regular activities at home. We can use this time to address any specific concerns you may have, too. Physical examinations also let us note any changes, such as weight gain or loss, that you may not notice otherwise.

We may recommend the following during physical exams as part of your pet’s wellness care:

• Updating vaccines
• Diagnostic testing, like a complete blood count or urinalysis, to identify potential underlying issues
• Dental exams
• Radiographs (X-rays)

Before your pets’ next exams at Best Friends Animal Hospital, take note of the type of food you provide, how much they eat, if they’ve had any recent personality changes, and any other concerns you may want to address.

To schedule a physical exam for your pet and establish regular wellness care, contact your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian today.

For your convenience, we maintain a large inventory of veterinary pharmaceutical products and medications at Best Friends Animal Hospital. Whether your pet needs medication for a chronic medical condition or short-term medication while recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery, we are here to help!

We only obtain medications from reliable sources, and we store every medication properly, so you can rest assured that your pet is receiving safe medications. Our trained staff fills your pet’s prescriptions with attentive care, noting your pet’s specific needs. We’ll also keep you well informed on your pet’s medications, including proper dosing, and we will alert you to any potential side effects or interactions with other medications.

You can also purchase your pet’s flea, tick, and heartworm preventives and prescription food from Best Friends Animal Hospital’s pharmacy.

We work with local pharmacies to find the best solution for your pet! We can work together to compound different medications, combine different flavors and/or test out different application types to figure out what is optimal for your pet.

Contact Best Friends Animal Hospital today to order your pet’s medications from our fully stocked pharmacy.

Taking your pet out of the country?
Here’s what you need to know

If you’re going to be traveling internationally and plan to take your pet with you, it’s important to be aware of exactly what will be required for your animal companion to make the trip.

International health certificates are mandatory, and some countries require proof of additional vaccinations and testing. You will find the certificate and other information about what’s required for your pet to travel at the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) page from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While the certificate must be prepared by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, the requirements for entry are established by each individual country. It is your responsibility to make sure your animal has the necessary documentation to travel.

The veterinarians at Best Friends are USDA-accredited and can assist you in getting your pet ready for your trip, including assessing whether they’re healthy enough to withstand the rigors of airline transport. Once your veterinarian completes the health certificate, it will need to be submitted for endorsement by mail or in person at your local USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services Export Service Office. There is an endorsement fee based on destination requirements, and you can find information on those fees as well as instructions for mailing certificates and payment at this link.

Be advised that while most USDA-APHIS service centers are walk-in, the Los Angeles office now operates on an appointment system. You can get contact information for that office, as well as find the service center nearest you at this link.

Best Friends Animal Hospital requires at least 30 days from the date of departure to schedule a preparation exam appointment. The USDA suggests a minimum 10-day time frame for completing health certificates; however, many airlines require that health certificates be completed no more than 10 days prior to travel. You’ll need to contact your specific airline to find out their policy.

If you have further questions or want to schedule an appointment for your pet prior to travel, call us at 818-766-2140. Bon voyage!

At Best Friends Animal Hospital, we provide full-service animal hospitalization, which is available for your pets whether they have received routine surgical operations like spays or neuters or if they have experienced sudden, unexpected, serious health issues that require emergency care. Our facility is equipped to provide post-surgical care, regular medicine administration, and care for critically ill animals.

When pets are hospitalized at Best Friends Animal Hospital, their conditions are closely monitored by our attentive veterinary staff, state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, and in-house lab equipment. Our Best Friends Animal Hospital staff consists of highly trained and skilled veterinarians and technicians who are all dedicated to providing your furry family members with the best care possible.

For more information about pet hospitalization at Best Friends Animal Hospital, contact us today.

Your pets are easy targets for parasites. Common parasites like fleas and heartworm-carrying mosquitoes feed on your pets, potentially infecting them with many dangerous diseases in the process. Fleas and mosquitoes are year-round problems in Southern California, so make sure you protect your pets from them all year long, as these tiny pests can cause big problems.

Fleas

These bloodsucking insects feed on mammals and lay eggs in their fur. Fleas can transmit parasites like tapeworms, and they can cause dermatitis and anemia. One flea can reproduce nearly 50 times a day, making a flea infestation a substantial threat to your pet’s well-being. Flea infestations often spread throughout your home, moving into your carpet and furniture. This makes them tough to eradicate.

Heartworm

Heartworm-carrying mosquitoes are a lethal danger to your pet. Mosquito bites can transmit heartworm larva, and that larva then slowly develops and moves toward the heart. Once there, it multiplies in the pulmonary artery, leading to constricted blood flow, heart disease, and major organ failure.

Parasite Prevention Plan

Regular application of antiparasitic medication is the best way to keep your pet free of nasty parasites. Consult your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian to determine the best parasite control products for your pet.

Best Friends Animal Hospital’s Parasite Prevention Plan includes:

• Pet examination and testing
• Product consultation with a Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian
• Access to industry-leading medicine and equipment

If you would like to get your pet started on preventive medication and you’re not sure which to choose, or if you suspect that your pet is already living with an infestation, schedule an appointment with your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian immediately.

Allergies are unfortunate ailments not limited to humans; our pets can be allergic to things in their food or environments, too. Just like with humans, allergic reactions range widely, so they can be a mild annoyance or, in more serious cases, they can cause fatal health complications. Most allergic reactions occur when an allergen is inhaled or ingested or when it comes in contact with the skin.

Common signs your pet is having an allergic reaction:

• Scratching, itching, biting, or chewing at fur or skin
• Runny eyes
• Reddish, moist, flaky, or scaly skin
• Hives
• Sneezing
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Swollen face and/or lips

Like with humans, allergens are specific to each particular pet. However, pets are most commonly allergic to fleas, things they encounter in their environments like grass, pollen dust, and mold, and particular ingredients in their food. Best Friends Animal Hospital also carries a selection of shampoos and conditioners to treat different allergic reactions. We will also suggest dietary adjustments and do testing to treat different allergies that may be present in your pet.

At Best Friends Animal Hospital, we can help you determine what allergens are bothering your pet. To learn more about having your pets tested for allergies, contact your Best Friends Animal Hospital veterinarian today.