Our furry companions are an integral part of our lives and ensuring they are well-behaved and happy is paramount. We now offer limited training sessions with Stephanie Ruggerone whose certifications include Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Fear Free Animal Trainer, and Human Animal Bond. Additionally she has over 30 years experience raising service dogs. She works [...]
by Dr. Markoff I have noticed a higher than normal amount of a pretty dangerous plant in our area lately. It iscalled yellow star thistle. This nasty little plant is toxic to horses causing a condition that makes them unable to pull food into their mouths (called prehension). When this thistle gets mixed up into [...]
by Dr. Markoff We always have troubles with foxtails (grass awns) at this time of year on the Central Coast, but things have been extremely bad this year. In just the past month, Animal Care Clinic has seen 4 dogs develop a condition called pneumothorax and require emergency surgery to remove lung lobes! Foxtails most [...]
by Bonnie Markoff It’s Sticker Time! All the rain we have been having is making our hills and fields green – green with stickers! As the grass dries out, we are going to see various foxtails, grass awns and other “stickers” clinging to our pets and wreaking havoc! These stickers can make their way [...]
We recently saw 10 month old Sherman when he unexpectedly vomited four times after breakfast. Dr. Barber recommended x-rays of his abdomen and discovered a large amount of rocks and gravel. His family recalled an area of loose astroturf in the backyard with gravel underneath and suspect that's where Sherman ate the rocks. Unfortunately several of [...]
At Animal Care Clinic tooth brushing, proper chew toys/treats, and routine teeth cleaning are all part of preventive dental care. We also provide thorough exams on young pets to look for problems with alignment or retained baby teeth that could lead to disease in the future. When periodontal care is needed, your pets will be [...]
It can happen quickly, your dog gets into the purse of a family member visiting for the holidays and suddenly everyone is frantically checking for ingredients of breath mints or gum. Most pet owners are aware that Xylitol is toxic to dogs, and even in small amounts can be potentially lethal. What’s new is that [...]
A potentially dangerous heat wave is coming our way! It’s hot for our pets too and it's a good idea to have extra bowls of fresh water available. Remember if the ground is too hot for you to be barefoot, it's too hot for paws. Heat exhaustion in dogs can be an extremely emergent situation. [...]
Animal Care Clinic is joining the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) in celebrating AAHA-Accredited Hospital Day on July 22. Accreditation is awarded to veterinary hospitals practicing the highest level of veterinary excellence, after a rigorous review of practice protocols, medical equipment, facility and client service. We first earned AAHA accreditation in 1993 and have consecutively [...]
We always need to be prepared to take care of our animals, especially during emergencies. With fire season underway in California, Pet Fire Safety Day is an excellent reminder to review your game plan in the event of a fire in or around your home. Here are some tips and resources to get you started. [...]
