Ringing in the New Year with Our Top Pet Posts of 2016

Celebrating the New Year just wouldn’t be the same without a classic countdown. Some of our favorite New Year’s pastimes include watching countdown shows, listening to countdown broadcasts, and trolling our social media feeds for those year in review snippets. Oakland Veterinary Referral Services can’t help but join in the fun, too. In case you missed our best pet posts of 2016, here they are for your reading enjoyment.

Top 10 Blogs

1. Combating Pain in Pets: It’s What We Do – Our pets are arguably one of the best parts of life. We naturally want to do what is best for them. They deserve it, after all. Read More…
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Our Favorite DIY Pet Toys – Do you bring a new dog toy home from the store just to have it destroyed in a matter of hours or days by your exuberant pup? Does your energetic  kitty shred every toy you buy? Or, worse yet, shun the expensive store bought toys in favor of your favorite slippers or the corner of your new chair? Read More…
3. 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. Read More…
4. Special Delivery: Why Cats Like Boxes – Cats know there’s nothing as fascinating as a plain old cardboard box. Almost any cat owner who has ever left an empty box lying around for more than a few minutes can attest to this feline behavior. In fact, even non cat owners are familiar with the image of a cat squeezed into a too-small cardboard box. But it begs the question: Just why do cats like boxes so much anyway? Read More…
5. Knowing What to Say (and Not Say) in Uncomfortable Pet Situations – Maybe your neighbor’s dog has been handed a very sad prognosis, a co-worker’s cat has passed away suddenly, or your sister is spending thousands of dollars on treatments for her guinea pig. These situations can be difficult. Even for the most experienced of us, it is hard to know what to say and how to react. It is especially challenging for non pet owners who haven’t experienced the human-animal bond themselves. Thankfully, there are a few tricks to help know what to say (and not to say) in uncomfortable pet situations. Read More…
6. Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Cold Weather Safety For Pets – It may be an El Nino year, but that doesn’t mean it will be warm in Michigan this winter. Cold weather can pose serious risks to your pet’s health and safety. We offer you a list of practical ways you can keep your pets safe and comfortable all winter long. Read More…
7. Ear Infections in Dogs and How to Avoid Them – Some pet owners get to experience more than their fair share of ear problems in their furry wards. A few of you may even be regulars at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services’ dermatology department. Read More…
8. Breaking Up is Hard to Do:  Preventing and Dealing with Dog Fights – It is a scary experience that, unfortunately, many pet owners have experienced first-hand: Dog fights. Be it between your own pets, at the dog park, or with a stray animal coming into your yard, dog fights are one of the leading causes of injuries that we see. Read More…
9. The B-Word:  Bloat in Dogs – Few health issues can take a dog’s life as quickly as bloat can. Despite its serious nature, though, few pet owners really understand what this devastating condition is. Taking just a few minutes to learn about bloat in dogs might just help you to recognize it if you are unlucky enough to encounter this canine emergency. Your knowledge may just save your dog’s life. Read More…
10. Ear Polyps in Pets: What Pet Owners Need to Hear – Most times an ear infection is a pretty easy problem to solve. Sometimes, though, we will run into an infection that won’t clear or that keeps on coming back. In this instance, it is likely that there is something going on that is predisposing that ear to have problems. Read More…

Our best pet posts really cover the map, and we hope that you have gained a thing or two from following our blog. We are happy to have been a part of you and your animal family’s year and can’t wait to be there for the year to come.