Appointments are not required for vaccinations but we STRONGLY recommend you make an appointment to reduce your wait time.

Yes, we require owners to bring their cat(s) in a carrier when they come into the clinic. It is for the safety of the animal and other clients/patients that are in the lobby. Cats can be easily scared and stressed, which increases the risk of the cat biting and/or scratching someone and becoming loose. Crates are not accepted!

We always recommend purchasing an e-collar for your pet after surgery. It helps prevent them from licking and chewing at their incision site, which could lead to serious complications. If you are ever unsure on whether your pet needs it or not, then we suggest you purchase one.

No. Here at the Valley Animal Center our veterinarians use a special technique that buries the sutures so that you don’t need to bring them in for any suture removal. We also use absorbable sutures that safely dissolve over an extended period of time. However, some of our veterinarians do use a small skin loop that should fall out on its own within a few weeks from their surgery. If you would like to bring them back to have the sutures removed after 2 weeks, we will remove them free of charge.

Male cats do not need to have stitches after they are neutered. The incision that is made is so small, that it will heal within a day or so making stitches unnecessary. This is standard procedure unless your male cat was cryptorchid.

No, we do not start puppies or kittens on their vaccination series until they are at least 6 weeks of age. It is not safe or recommended to start them any earlier.

Usually puppies and kittens are started on their vaccination series at around 6 to 8 weeks of age. Check out our Vaccination Information page for more answers regarding vaccinating your pet.

Puppies and kittens can begin their vaccine series as early as 6 weeks of age and will need to continue to receive boosters of the vaccine through 16 weeks of age. Other vaccines, such as Leptosporosis and Canine Influenza for dogs and the leukemia vaccine for cats, will require only one booster 2 to 4 weeks after the initial vaccine. Please call or email our clinic and speak to our receptionist for further information.

No, even though we do strongly recommend that all animals be vaccinated prior to their scheduled appointment, it is not required.

We do not charge an office visit but we do encourage you to set up a health and wellness exam ($35) so that we can establish a doctor-patient relationship. By establishing a doctor-patient relationship, it will help to simplify the process in the future for you in the event that you require our services again.

We are not open on most major holidays which include New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day.