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No pet owner ever wants to hear that their beloved companion animal has cancer. Unfortunately, with pets living longer than ever before, cancer is becoming a more common diagnosis than it ever before. While there is still no way to totally protect pets (or people) from developing cancer, there are steps that you can take when it comes to pet cancer prevention.

Schedule Frequent Wellness Exams

One of the most effective ways to keep your pet healthy is to detect problems early in their course. Paying close attention to changes in your pet’s habits and body can provide you with clues that something may be wrong. If you own a specific breed, familiarize yourself with any genetic predispositions to certain types of cancer so that you can be aware of subtle changes. Continue…

Injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) are one of the most common orthopedic problems seen in dogs. Similar to an ACL injury in a person’s knee, dogs often rupture or strain their CCL (for a variety of reasons), which can render the knee joint unstable for your pet. Unfortunately, this can be an extremely painful condition for your canine companion if it is not remedied.

Thankfully, dogs do not have to live their lives with this condition. There are several surgeries that can be performed in order to re-create a stable joint. For many of the dogs we evaluate at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, the surgery of choice is the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, or TPLO.

How a CCL Injury is Diagnosed

Most pets that have a CCL injury will have a sudden onset of a pronounced lameness in a hindlimb. Often, but not always, there is a history of intermittent problems with that leg leading up to the lameness. Continue…

Those in the human medical field have long known the importance of treating pain. Our pets, on the other hand, have gone a long time without us properly recognizing or treating their pain. In recent years, veterinarians have made great strides in doing a better job in recognizing and treating pet pain. Unfortunately, their pain can be difficult to recognize, as animals are very good at disguising discomfort due to instinctive survival mechanisms.

What Causes Pain in Pets?

Pets can experience pain for many reasons. Pain can be due to an injury, a surgery, or a medical condition. It may be acute, or temporary, or chronic. Acute pain might occur immediately after an elective procedure or an accident. Chronic pain might be due to something like arthritis or cancer. Continue…

One minute your pet is fine, and the next she is squinting her eye, tearing and reluctant to open the eye.  You call the vet and they tell you to come in right away. What could be happening with your pet’s eye health?

One of the most common causes of these symptoms is a corneal ulcer.  The cornea is the clear tissue at the front of the eye. Although similar to skin, having an outer epithelial layer, middle stromal layer and inner endothelial layer, the cornea is very thin being approximately 0.5 mm.

If the outer layers of this tissue are damaged then a corneal ulcer or “an open sore” of the tissue develops. There can be many underlying causes including trauma, eyelash problems etc., however many times the underlying cause cannot be determined.

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis of a corneal ulcer by examining the eye and using a special fluorescent dye applied to the eye to Continue…

For many of us, giving back to our community is an important part of our life. But did you know that pets could be volunteers too?

Therapy animals are becoming more common and more active than ever before, and the demand for these special animals is growing by leaps and bounds. Volunteer pets have making the world a better place in senior centers, retirement homes, schools, and rehab centers for years, and their popularity is growing as their good works are proving to be effective.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I volunteer my dog?” then read on for an introduction to volunteering your pet. Continue…

When a dog undergoes a serious surgery, be it planned or as a result of an unexpected trauma, he or she needs life-saving blood donations just like we do.

But where does that blood come from? It’s not often that we see blood drives for pets, or the American Red Cross: Canine Division vans parked in front of local businesses. (No, there’s really no such thing, we’re just kidding)

Instead, blood donations for our four-legged friends often come from local owners volunteering their pets for the cause, and OVRS is one of the local resources for volunteer donations. These donations fuel our Buddies for Life Blood Bank, which helps dogs at both OVRS and throughout our community. Continue…

Can you spot the Xylitol in this photo?
…Neither can your pet.

What do the fruitcake you made for your diabetic great-aunt Betty, the pack of gum in your stocking, and the plate of holiday cookies that your neighbor dropped off have in common? All of them may contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol, a dangerous and deadly substance for dogs. Xylitol is becoming more and more commonly utilized, which makes it important for pet owners to be on the defense.

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is found in items such as sugar-free gum, baked goods, and oral hygiene products. In people it is absorbed very slowly so there are no ill effects. In dogs, however, the substance is absorbed within 30 minutes, causing the body to release a large rush of insulin. This results in a life-threatening drop in blood sugar. Besides this, Xylitol can also have severe effects on the liver. Continue…

With Thanksgiving just days away, many of us are pausing to reflect on all we have to be thankful for this holiday season. At Oakland Veterinary Referral Service, we hope that your pets are among the blessings you count this year and that you’ll take a moment to consider all the good your four-legged friend has brought to your life this past year. Continue…

Many people take pride in a green, weed-free lawn or a beautiful flower bed. Sometimes, though, the chemicals that are used to make this happen can cause more harm than good. Many of these chemicals are harmful and even fatal to our pets. Continue…

Do your cats fight like cats and dogs? Dr. DePorter is currently enrolling fractious felines in a clinical trial testing the effects of a new pheromone treatment on fighting amongst kitty housemates.

Fighting between cats is no laughing matter and can cause lots of stress within the household. Fights do not always include physical contact between the cats. Instead, cats may have a tense body tone, stare each other down, and make angry noises. Fights may also include stalking or chasing the other cat, swatting, growling, hissing, spitting, twitching or puffing of the tail. Some cats do play or wrestle aggressively, which is different.

If you have between two and five cats in your household and your cats have had an encounter like the ones described above in the last two weeks, you may be eligible to participate in the trial. The cats involved must be:

• Free of medications, supplements, or pheromone treatments
• Older than 6 months of age
• Neutered if they are male

Participants accepted into the trail will receive test product pheromone diffusers, a $50 American Express gift card, and a voucher for the new product when it becomes available for purchase. You will be expected to keep a daily diary, complete weekly surveys, and complete a weekly phone interview for a period of seven weeks.

If you are interested in participating, please attend one of our upcoming enrolling meetings on Tuesday, May 14 or May 21 at 6 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. at (248) 334-6877 as space is limited.

Humans only please! Dr. DePorter will be explaining feline aggression and how cats communicate. Attendees will learn about how to handle aggressive encounters between their cats as well as more about the trial.