Sierra Animal Hospital of Placerville, Ca.

11/21/2025

Three signs your pet may have an ear infection:
1. Head shaking or scratching at the ears.
2. Redness, swelling, or discharge.
3. Strong odor from the ear.

Your pet could be showing other subtle signs of an ear infection, including a head tilt, balance issues, and or irritability. If you see your pet with any of these signs, give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors 530-626-4838.

11/14/2025

10/31/2025

What a fun day! Happy Halloween from all of us at Sierra Animal!

10/31/2025

We wish you a safe and happy Halloween! Please keep in mind your furry friends and celebrating this festive holiday! 

Halloween excitement begins to build as the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp. While this spooky holiday is thrilling for humans it presents unique...

10/18/2025

We have the best practice manager! Thank you Flea for a fun surprise piñata party to wrap up vet tech week!

09/26/2025

Fun fact Friday brought to you by Gotti the rat!

Rats make great pets! Despite their reputation rats are maticulas at keeping themselves clean and are often cleaner than cats. Their incisor teeth grow continuously, requiring them to chew on objects to wear them down and prevent overgrowth. A rat’s tail has two functions; balance and body temperature regulation. Rats have sent glands on their feet. They use the scent to mark their territory and retrace their steps. A rat’s sensitive whiskers are crucial for navigation as their vision is quite poor.

09/19/2025

It's Fun Fact Friday!
Did you know opossums and possums are actually different animals? Both are marsupials but belong to different orders and families. Opossums, native to Northern and Central America, have hairless tails, while possums, native to Australia and New Guinea, have furry tails and are smaller in stature. And yes, opossums play dead to deter predators, but possums, they become vocal and are ready to fight off a predator.
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores and include rattlesnakes as part of their diet. Due to a unique protein in their blood that neutralizes the toxins, opossums are highly immune to rattlesnake venom. They also love to snack on ticks! Next time you see an opossum, give it a little nod of gratitude for helping to keep the rattlesnake and tick population in check!

09/19/2025

When Mustard’s person noticed blood in his urine she took action and brought him in for an exam and diagnostic testing right away. An ultrasound revealed a probable calcium oxalate urolith which is a solidified stone that forms in the urinary tract. The formation of such stones occurs due to infection, genetics, and or diet. Mustard’s stone, in photos 2 and 3, needed to be surgically removed from his bladder. Dr.Foster performed a cystotomy surgery this week and we are happy to report Mustard is healing nicely. Once the urolith is analyzed by the pathologist, Mustard’s diet will be changed to help avoid any further stone development. These photos with Mustard and his person were taken after his surgical discharge. He was still a little loopy and really appreciated being held like a baby!