All animals can benefit from enrichment (i.e., the process of making their environment more stimulating and interesting). Enrichment has many benefits, including reducing stress, boredom, and behavior problems, and the chance of cognitive dysfunction development. Humans can seek out our own enrichment and stimulate our brains in many ways, but pets need their owner’s help.  [...]

You know your pet is wonderful, amazing, incredible—all the adjectives that mean they’re the best. Yet, after your furry pal’s wellness visit at Valley Center Veterinary Clinic, you may be told they are “normal.” We know that your four-legged friend is fantastic, not “normal,” but sometimes “normal” can be pretty awesome. Read on to discover [...]

Although your four-legged friend will inevitably grow older, suffering from the problems that often come with advancing age is not a given. In fact, you can easily keep your senior pet comfortable, healthy, and happy throughout their golden years with a few modifications to their schedule, environment, and care. Follow our Valley Center Veterinary Clinic [...]

Some pet owners prefer to leave pet grooming to the professionals, and others enjoy the opportunity to save money, strengthen their pet-owner bond, and promote their furry friend’s health and well-being at home. Regardless of where you are on the spectrum, you can always learn how to elevate your pet-grooming game. Our Valley Center Veterinary [...]

Cats scratch for numerous reasons, but their claws can cause significant damage, and your first impulse is likely to yell at your feline friend. But, punishing your cat for scratching can induce stress and exacerbate the situation. Our Valley Center Veterinary Clinic team knows that cat owners are frustrated by destructive scratching, so we explain [...]

Spring is a pleasant time for most people, except allergy sufferers who deal with sneezing, itchy eyes, and other hay fever symptoms. Pets with allergies may also dread spring, which can cause them to develop itchy, red, inflamed skin. Parasites and skin infections can also contribute to a pet’s year-round  itchiness. Our Valley Center Veterinary [...]

An estimated 1% of dogs and 2% to 3% of cats have chronic kidney disease (CKD)—a progressive decline in kidney function—but this number increases dramatically as pets age. Around 10% of senior dogs and up to 35% of senior cats may develop this condition. Without adequate kidney function, a pet’s quality of life can rapidly [...]

Nearly every dog will be impacted by intestinal parasites at some point, and chances are high that Giardia will be the one they encounter. Depending on the population studied, researchers have found around 8% to 25% of dogs carry Giardia germs, but many don’t show any signs, which makes Giardia easy to spread. Many dog [...]

Your pet can’t tell you when something feels amiss, but they do communicate by displaying illness signs. Every pet should visit the veterinarian at least once per year for a wellness examination, but concerns often pop up between routine visits. Any change in your pet’s behavior is cause for concern, but some signs are more [...]

Pets are creatures of habit and like to stick to a routine, but as your pet ages or they develop health problems, their habits will change. An increase or decrease in the amount your pet eats or drinks are extremely common disease signs, and you should bring these to the attention of our Valley Center [...]