North County Veterinary Clinic

09/02/2026

08/31/2026

Have you seen this cat?

08/31/2026

Sharing from one of our clients

THE HIDDEN HAZARDS OF TENNIS BALLS

What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know About a Common Playtime Favorite
While millions of dogs play fetch with tennis balls safely every day, veterinarians warn that these common household objects pose severe, hidden risks to powerful chewers and medium-to-large breeds.

THE TWO MAJOR LETHAL RISKS

• Life-Threatening Intestinal Blockages: Tennis balls are made of dense, unyielding rubber and tough synthetic felt that a dog's stomach cannot digest. If swallowed, fragments can tightly wedge into the narrow small intestine, entirely cutting off the flow of food and fluids. This leads to rapid tissue death, severe shock, and fatal complications within 12 to 24 hours.
• Immediate Choking and Suffocation: A standard tennis ball is exactly the right size to slip past the teeth of medium-to-large dogs. When powerful jaws compress the ball, it can pop back into shape at the back of the throat, forming an airtight seal over the windpipe. Jagged halves can also become permanently lodged, causing suffocation in minutes.

OTHER HIDDEN HEALTH RISKS

• 'Tennis Ball Mouth' (Severe Dental Wear): The neon green felt acts like sandpaper. As it picks up dirt, sand, and grit, chewing permanently grinds down dental enamel, exposing sensitive nerves and causing chronic pain.
• Unregulated Chemical Exposure: Tennis balls are manufactured as sporting equipment, not pet products. They are not subject to pet safety standards and can contain toxic adhesives, dyes, or chemical coatings not meant to be ingested.

HOW TO PLAY SAFELY

• Fetch Only, No Chewing: Treat tennis balls strictly as an interactive fetch tool. Put the ball completely away out of reach the moment the game is over. Never leave a dog unsupervised with a tennis ball.
• Switch to Safer Alternatives: Replace tennis balls with smooth, heavy-duty natural rubber balls designed specifically for dogs (such as the Kong or Chuckit! rubber lines). Look for balls with safety holes through the center to prevent an airtight seal if swallowed.
• Discard Soft or Split Balls: If a ball shows any signs of splitting, softening, or cracking, throw it away instantly.
This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes

08/27/2026

To Our Valued Clients:
At this time, we find it necessary to cut back our hours (please see below for details). As of September 1st, 2026, we will only be offering appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We will have extended hours on Wednesdays to help offset the reduced hours. We appreciate your understanding.

08/13/2026

A bit slow in getting this posted but here are our August 2026 hours.

08/04/2026

I will be out of the office from 3 PM Wednesday, August 5th, 2026 and will be back in the office Tuesday, August 11th, 2026 to attend a conference.
The office will be open regular hours on Wednesday the 5th, Saturday the 8th and Monday the 10th. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th the office will be open until noon for scheduling appointments and picking up called in prescription refills.

07/29/2026

As the summer hats up this is good to remember.

There’s a way to tell if it’s okay to take your pet for a walk and avoid burned paw pads.

07/29/2026

Due to a staff illness, we will be closed from noon until 1 PM today, July 29th, 2026.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

07/14/2026

A bit delayed but here are our hours for July.

Please note that I will be out of the office from Thursday afternoon, July 16th, 2026 through July 22nd, 2026. Staff will be in the office for abbreviated hours (see photo) to assist with pre-ordered medication refill pick ups and scheduling of appointments. During this time our floors will also be getting a nice cleaning and waxing.

If you need to get medications refills please call them in to the office by 5 pm Wednesday, July 15th, 2026.