petsimonials

Murphy

We rescued Murphy as a puppy during the pandemic, and although he was a pretty carefree young pup, once he turned one, serious issues with noise phobias started to set in for him. At its worst, we couldn’t even get Murphy to go on a walk, as he would just shake uncontrollably the whole time, sit down and refuse to go further. We were worried that his anxiety and fear was starting to really affect his quality of life.

We started working with Dr. Malamed, who took the time to get to know Murphy and his specific triggers and reactions. She taught us how to help him with training and gentle exposures to certain noises, while incorporating high-value treats to help Murphy reassociate some of his negative triggers with something more positive. This, combined with her ideas for certain medications, especially for ones that would be helpful during extremely stressful times like the Fourth of July or New Years Eve, has made a massive difference in Murphy’s life. On his day-to-day, his anxiety symptoms rarely bother him anymore. He’s back to loving walks and going to the dog park, and when a sound does trigger him, he manages it better and comes out of his fearful state quicker. We also got through the last Fourth of July with tremendous success. It was still stressful for Murph, but so much more manageable.

Murphy’s quality of life is greatly improved thanks to Dr. Malamed, and we know we have her as a resource throughout his life for any other struggles he encounters!

West Hollywood Animal Hospital

I have referred dozens of patients to Dr. Malamed over the years.  Whether it’s fear, anxiety, aggression, separation anxiety or otherwise, I know my clients and patients will be in great hands with Dr. Malamed.  I have also taken advantage of her amazing staff training programs, utilizing her expertise to train my entire staff on low stress handling and restraint techniques.  This program has been remarkably successful and is frequently complemented by our clients.  

Monica Revel, DVM/owner

West Hollywood Animal Hospital

Mickey

Paying for a dog psychiatrist was the most L.A. thing I have ever done (and that is saying a lot because I work in the film industry), and it was also the best money I spent in 2023.

When we approached Dr. Malamed, our bichon was exhibiting separation anxiety, demand-barking incessantly when he wanted attention, engaging in destructive behavior if the attention was not given, and refusing to be crated or confined (oh, but only when he was at home—he was fine being crated at the groomers or doggie daycare, just not with us, because of course!).

After a year of working with various trainers and reading all kinds of dog training books, nothing had worked. I felt at times as though I was an unpaid intern for the dog, and on the other hand, minoring in dog training. I was getting nowhere and seriously considering rehoming him.

I no longer feel that way, and as I write this, the dog is curled up in his crate, where he went of his own volition, happily chewing on one of his toys.

After one consultation, Dr. Malamed gave us a detailed behavioral program and prescribed both situational and daily meds. The behavioral program was so effective that we never ended up taking advantage of the daily meds and only use the situational meds extremely sparingly.

In other words, I wish we had retained her a year ago because it would have saved me a fortune and hours of my time 🙂

Bree

Dr. Malamed was a life saver. My sweet dog, Bree, had an extreme amount of anxiety and fear. I had tried a number of solutions myself, but nothing worked. It seemed that poor Bree was never going to have the comfort and security she deserved.

I had to take Bree on a plane with me across the country. I couldn’t even imagine how terrifying it was going to be for both Bree and me. I was mentally preparing for a nightmare.

Luckily, I found Dr. Malamed before the trip. Dr. Malamed worked with Bree and taught me how to help Bree feel more secure. She also prescribed medicine that helped make the flight, the airport, and all the travelling so much easier! It was a miracle.

Bree and I still practice what Dr. Malamed taught us. Bree has a much better quality of life, it’s amazing. I highly recommend Dr. Malamed for help with any dog that has behavioral issues, she truly makes everything better.