Search Results for ‘obesity’
A Look Inside: Canine Stifle Arthroscopy
A stifle joint – essentially your dog’s knee – is one of the most vulnerable parts of the canine anatomy. It is common for dogs to rupture or strain their cranial cruciate ligament (which connects the thigh bone to the lower leg at the knee) through injury, accident, obesity, or degenerative joint disease. A tear or rupture of the cruciate ligament destabilizes the stifle joint, triggering inflammation and pain, cartilage damage, meniscal injuries and ultimately pelvic lameness or osteoarthritis.
Entertainment, Stimulation, and Exercise After Your Pet’s Surgery
After surgery, it’s very likely that your pet will be ordered to rest and remain calm during recovery (and we’re sure you want them to rest too!). Depending on the procedure, your pet may be restricted in movement, diet, and other aspects of daily life in order to promote healing. But what does this time of rest during recovery actually mean for your pet?
If you’ve ever had surgery, being relegated to sleep and a restricted regimen can be quite boring. The same is true for your pet post-surgery. Because all animals need enrichment and stimulation, it’s necessary to create games, activities, and other positive outlets that can promote wellbeing during this time.
A happy pet, after all, typically enjoys a faster recovery time. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services has some suggestions for activities and exercises after your pet’s surgery.
What New Studies on Pets Reveal About Our Furry Friends
Half of all American households include pets. Considering companion animals have been part of our lives since the hunter-gatherer days, it makes sense that we would devote considerable time and resources to studying them.
Indeed, scientists are constantly looking for new ways to learn about our four-legged friends, and pet owners are just as eager to find out what makes their pets tick! By taking a look at some of the new studies on pets, we can gain considerable insights into our furry best pals.
Hair, There, and Everywhere: How to Deal with Dog Hair
You’ve swept it up, you’ve vacuumed for the hundredth time, you own more lint brushes than the local pharmacy – and your home still looks like a Wild West scene with those furball tumbleweeds rolling across the living room.
Dog hair can be an aggravation, particularly during high shedding seasons when some dogs will lose a bit of that thick winter coat. Realistically, though, dogs shed any time of year, which can make for a lot of work when it comes to grooming and keeping your home and clothing fur free.
To help your fuzzy friend out, OVRS has put together some tips for managing your dog’s mane!
Pet Tech: All About the Smart Dog Collar
Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk at work when you hear the familiar ping of a notification on your smartphone. The message has been sent by your dog’s collar, letting you know that she has gotten out again. Time to track her down using the collar’s built-in GPS, which is accessible on your phone.
By the time you reach the area where she is located, evening is setting in, so you remotely switch on the collar’s LED light to help you in your search. There she is, investigating the contents of a gopher hole in some bushes five blocks from home!
Before returning home, you have the collar take and post pictures of your dog’s escapades to your social media accounts, just for fun.
Treat Talk: Navigating the World of Pet Treats
A pet’s love affair with treats is as old and deep as the sea itself. Well, maybe we’re being a bit dramatic, but all pet owners know how much their pets enjoy treats. From the humble Milk-Bone to the gourmet, handmade pet treats that are so prevalent these days, it can be tough to figure out what’s safe and healthy for our pets.
We are big fans of treats here at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, and we want to help you make informed choices when it comes to selecting the treat that’s right for your pet.
The Big “No-Nos”
There are a surprising number of dangers among certain treats. Balancing the risks and benefits is key when selecting a treat for your pet. Especially hearing about so many recalls in the news. Some of the problems that may result from treats include:
Continue…
The Power of Prevention: Orthopedic Injuries in Pets
Human and animal athletes have more in common than you might think, including a wide variety of orthopedic injuries and problems. In both human and veterinary medicine, we are learning more and more about preventing this kind of trouble. We also have several new and effective options for treating orthopedic injuries in pets.
The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is your expert resource for keeping your active pets in tip top shape.
Pounds of Prevention
Bones and joints are the framework that carry the body. It only makes sense that adding additional weight, and therefore burden, to that framework might predispose the body to orthopedic problems.
In fact, helping your pet to maintain an ideal weight is one of the most powerful things you can do to prevent an orthopedic injury. Weight management is crucial to your pet’s overall health, whether he or she is a couch potato or agility champion.
What the Heck is in My Pet’s Food? Understanding Pet Nutrition
Selecting the right pet food can be mind boggling, and trying to understand the nutrition label can be even trickier. It can be a tempting topic to avoid but our pet’s diet is an important cornerstone to proper care. Every pet owner should learn the basics about pet nutrition, what it all means, and what to look for.
Avoid the frustration of trying to sort through all of the information yourself and let Oakland Veterinary Referral Services help you focus on the most important things to know.
The Importance of Pet Nutrition
Feeding your pet a healthy, well-rounded diet is essential to good health. Pet nutrition is an extremely important part of animal husbandry. While there are many acceptable ways to feed a pet, every balanced diet includes several components: Continue…
Diabetes in Pets: Are You in the Know?
With more pets leading a sedentary life and the increase in pet obesity, more dogs and cats are developing diabetes at some point in their lifetimes. This disease is an important one for pet owners to be familiar with. Do you understand what pet diabetes is, what the symptoms look like, and why it is so serious? If not, be sure to keep reading so that you can be in the know about diabetes in pets.
The Pathogenesis of Diabetes in Pets
When a pet eats a meal, the nutrients are broken down into parts that are usable to the body as energy. Fiber and starches (carbohydrates) are broken down into glucose, which is absorbed into the bloodstream then transferred into cells. In order for this transfer of glucose into the body’s cells, a hormone called insulin is required. Continue…
Serious Thanksgiving Food Risks For Your Pets
Dog eyeing turkey leg
We all look forward to the holiday season as a time of family, friends, food, and fun. Unfortunately, though, Thanksgiving is also a time where we see a dramatic increase in the number of pet emergencies.
Be sure to be aware of potential Thanksgiving food risks and keep your pet safe this holiday season.
Pancreatitis in Pets
Just as for people, overindulgence in rich, fatty foods can upset the digestive system, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, or both. Sometimes, though, when pets indulge too much the result is something more serious than just a tummy ache. Continue…
