North County Veterinary Clinic

11/28/2025

Due to staff illness we will be closing at 2 PM today. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. We will be back in the office Saturday, November 29th for our regular hours.

11/21/2025

Good and exciting news in regards to the long sought for cause of diet related cardiomyopathy - and from Tufts University as well!

Dr. Lisa Freeman - Finalist for the 2025 Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award
Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy is one of the most pressing unanswered questions in modern veterinary medicine and few people feel that weight more personally than Dr. Lisa Freeman. For years, she has been driven by a simple but profound question: Why are dogs with no predisposition developing a life-threatening heart disease?

Dilated cardiomyopathy isn’t a new concern, but a new form of the disease appeared in the last decade. In 2018, the FDA announced an investigation into a potential link between certain pet diets (those containing a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes) and a rising number of diet-associated DCM cases. For veterinarians like Dr. Freeman, it intensified a scientific puzzle that had life-or-death consequences for beloved pets.

“I feel a real sense of urgency with this research. These are people’s beloved pets that are affected,” said Dr. Freeman, professor and veterinary nutritionist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. “I don’t want more dogs to suffer. And for the dogs and owners already affected…I want to do justice for them.”

In January 2025, her team published groundbreaking findings that may represent a turning point in the field. After years of work, this study delivered a concrete molecular clue to a mystery that has long frustrated veterinary researchers. For the first time, Dr. Freeman identified a biological marker that offers a plausible mechanism for diet-associated DCM.

Her study found that dogs with DCM eating diets high in pulses (peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans) had significantly elevated concentrations of a urinary biomarker tied to phospholipidosis, a condition that can cause cellular and organ dysfunction.

This discovery doesn’t just deepen scientific understanding, it opens a long-sought after new investigative path. It gives researchers a measurable, biologically meaningful clue that could explain how and why the disease develops, as well as better treatments for affected dogs.

“I don’t hope – I know she will bring more answers about why this is happening,” said William Bousquet, a cardiology intern working alongside Dr. Freeman. “And those answers will be incredibly important.”

For her relentless pursuit of answers and her landmark contribution to unraveling one of canine health’s most challenging mysteries, Dr. Lisa Freeman is named a Finalist for the 2025 Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award.

11/18/2025

Our clinic will be helping with this food drive. Any and all donations are appreciated just bring them to our office any time that we are open (please do NOT leave outside if we are closed as our local wildlife may benefit instead!). Thank you.

11/05/2025

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/topical-5-fu-minoxidil-top-list-pet-toxic-human-meds-2025a1000to0

Some very important information about how exposure to human topical medication could be making your pet sick.

Exposure to topical minoxidil, estrogen, and corticosteroids is also linked to poisoning in cats and dogs, in a review of 27 articles reporting toxicoses in pets.

11/03/2025

Nothing to add to this.

10/31/2025

Have a safe and Happy Halloween from all our staff including MK and Sienna

10/27/2025

Not for the faint of heart 👻

IB: 🖤

10/25/2025

Here are our updated hours for the rest of the year.

Please be aware that there will be no doctor in the office on Friday, October 31st, 2025

10/15/2025

10/07/2025

Some interesting and important information.

AirTags are great for luggage, backpacks and wallets, but you shouldn't use them on your pets, experts warn.

10/07/2025

We will be closing at 11:15 am for our staff meeting today, October 7th, 2025. The office will reopen at 1:30 pm.