Search Results for ‘weight’

Weight Loss is Confusing in the Pet World Too

In the world of diets and weight management, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. One diet says to eat only healthy fats, while another says bacon is fine. One weight loss regime focuses on healthy protein, while another has you fasting on green smoothies. Confusing? Yes! We are seeing the same confusion around why pets gain weight and what they should eat.

It’s great to keep your pet at a healthy weight and avoid obesity, which causes many health problems. But, how does a pet owner gauge a healthy weight and the right approach to keeping fur friends on the right dietary track? The team at OVRS is here to separate fact from myths.

With over half of the nation’s pet population being obese, many times weight loss in our dogs and cats can be a good thing. Sometimes, though, when a pet’s weight loss is sudden or unexplained, it can be a sign that something is wrong. This type of weight loss should never be ignored and is important to have checked out right away.

What To Do If Your Pet Has Lost Weight

If you are noticing that your pet is looking a little trimmer than usual, it is important to think about any changes that may be affecting his or her calorie intake and expenditure.

A change in your pet’s diet or activity level might easily explain weight loss. If this is the case, assess whether the weight loss was necessary or whether you need to make changes to allow for weight gain. If you are not sure, consult with your veterinarian. Continue…

When something is wrong with our pets, it creates stress we are not used to dealing with. Understanding your pet’s diagnosis can be challenging because it is tough to hear and accept the news, in addition to hearing complex medical terms you may or may not understand. We want to help you understand some of the more common complex medical terms you might hear. 

In a perfect world, our dogs would live forever. The truest of companions, dogs add so much love, joy, laughter, and acceptance to a person’s life. Whether you are considering getting your first dog or are thinking of adopting a new breed, or making health decisions for an existing dog, knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely.

Illnesses that last at least three months and might progressively worsen over time are known as chronic diseases. Unfortunately, these long-lasting diseases can reduce the quality of life for our pet friends. If you have a pet with a chronic illness, he or she will need a little bit of extra attention to lessen symptoms and live more comfortably. These tips will help with managing chronic disease in pets:

People are not the only ones who can benefit from a New Year’s resolution that centers around health. With winter weather that’s less-than-desirable, and daylight that tends to end far too early, your typical healthy habits might not cut it. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is here to help you find some healthy habits for pets in the New Year:

If you want to help an animal feel welcome in your home, you have to create a space for them. This space should make them feel comfortable and safe and like they belong in your house. Creating these areas in your home means that you are truly opening your house for the love and affection of an animal. Here’s some tips on building a pet-friendly space in your home:

A diabetes diagnosis can be scary for a pet owner to hear, but it doesn’t have to mean that your pet can’t enjoy a good quality of life. With a little bit of care and attention, pets with diabetes can remain healthy for many years with their favorite human. In order to do this, however, it is vital to monitor and control blood sugar levels in a diabetic dog or cat. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is here with some tips on keeping your dog or cat’s diabetes in check:

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body cannot properly process glucose. While glucose is vital to powering the cells, if not properly regulated, it can lead to significant health issues. In fact, untreated diabetes in pets can lead to organ failure, blindness, coma, and in extreme cases, death. Luckily, with proper management, a dog or cat with diabetes can live a relatively normal (and healthy) life. Here are some tips on how to keep your pet’s diabetes at bay:

Is your cat throwing up but seems fine? Cats are instinctively inclined to hide any weaknesses. This can make it difficult for us as pet owners to determine when there is a health issue at play. Sometimes cats throw up but don’t seem to have any other symptoms of illness. Does this mean they are fine? Your friends at OVRS have created this guide to help you determine when a cat throwing up is nothing to worry about.