Oakland Veterinary Referral Services Blog

We want everyone to know how to safely remove ticks since they are a terrible problem in the Midwest. Most of us pull at least one tick off of ourselves or our pets. Ticks carry diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and most notably, Lyme disease. 

Most people’s response, when seeing a tick on their pet, is to pull it off fast! But there is a technique to tick removal. By doing it correctly, you minimize your pet’s risk of developing disease or infection. Oakland Veterinary Referral Services wants you to better understand the common deer tick and the proper way to remove them from your pet.

Porcupines and pets don’t mix very well. Imagine you are enjoying the great outdoors with your dog. It’s a beautiful day. All of a sudden, your dog yelps. A few moments later he wanders into view with quills sticking out of his face and chest. Ouch! What do you do? 

The team at OVRS hears many tales of dogs (sometimes even cats) who wandered a little too close to a porcupine. These quills bring trouble when not removed quickly. We are here to help you learn more about porcupines and their quills, and how you can avoid an emergency situation with your pet. 

Since July 2018, the FDA has conducted investigations into grain-free diets and dog foods and their potential link to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Since then, more pet owners have come forward after their dogs have been diagnosed with or have died of DCM. And, each of these pets was fed a grain-free diet.

On June 27, the agency published an updated listing of 16 brands of dog food as those with the highest correlation to this form of heart disease. Many pet owners are understandably concerned about this FDA warning and would like more answers about these diets. Are grain-free diets bad? Should you change your pet’s food?

The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services wants to address these concerns and help dog owners understand these precautions and what actions to take.

Have you ever noticed that when you scratch your dog’s belly, something unusual occurs? It happens every time you hit the “sweet spot.” You know the one. Suddenly, your dog starts kicking his back leg like he’s running on his side. 

Dogs are full of quirky habits, but this one is puzzling. What is it about that sweet spot that makes a dog’s leg twitch or kick? Are they ticklish or is it something else?

Oakland Veterinary Referral Services takes a look at this funny mystery of why dogs kick when you scratch their belly.

Wondering why your cat doesn’t like to play? Picture it: you just got your cat the coolest feather toy from Amazon. You unwrap the box and get set for some excitement from your cat…only to see Princess look away, disinterested. Or, your adopted male cats, who should be a great match for playful companionship, are always relaxing…separately. They are completely disinterested in each other. What gives!?

Our feline companions may not always participate in providing the playful romps and pounces we’d like to see. Why is it that some adult cats love to play while other cats won’t play? Why do some just not seem to enjoy toys or games? Let’s take a look at this mystery of the disinterested cat.

Dawn Myers is a heroine to The Emergency Animal Relief (TEAR) Foundation. It all started with the loss of her precious Cocker Spaniel, Bugaboo Whitt. Dawn’s Bugaboo was diagnosed with canine lymphoma. That’s a broad term for one of the most common forms of cancer, which often originates in the lymph nodes.

Veterinary waiting room etiquette is probably not so unlike that in a human hospital waiting area. Anticipation, stress, and impatience can run high, especially in an emergency. When a pet is unwell or has suffered an accident or injury, it’s understandable that it can create upset among pets and pet owners.

Even if you’re waiting for a scheduled appointment, the situation can be stressful due to others’ actions or unexpected delays due to someone else’s emergency.

A waiting area is one that ideally should be as welcoming, calming, and well managed as possible. How can a pet owner contribute to this? We’re glad you asked.

Rehabilitation or physical therapy can benefit your dog in many ways, including speeding up the healing process and ensuring better mobility and long term health. After any injury or surgery, plan to devote a substantial amount of time to your dog’s healing. Recovery is critical in healing and in minimizing the effects of physical trauma.

When your pet is hospitalized due to a surgery or is recovering from an illness or injury, it is a stressful time for both you and your pet. You will have concerns about how your dog or cat will be cared for and what you can do during this critical time in their recovery.

The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services knows that hospitalization is stressful but is sometimes required to help your pet recover. By outlining what to expect during this time, we hope to ease some of your fears, as well as better support you and your pet.

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.