Oakland Veterinary Referral Services Blog

What do you do when your veterinarian can’t figure out what’s wrong with your pet? Most of the time, with excellent veterinary medical training and state of the art diagnostic tools, veterinarians can accurately diagnose pets when they experience ill health. But that isn’t always the case.

Some medical issues are complex, or they masquerade as another similar disease or condition. The same symptoms can be due to multiple health issues, and narrowing them down to the right diagnosis requires time and a greater measure of expertise. Humans aren’t always easy to diagnose and neither are our furry family members.

If your veterinarian can’t figure out what’s wrong with your dog or cat, your friends at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services may be able to help. Let’s take a closer look at what you should do to get your furry friend an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment.

Puppies are full of curiosity and wonder, and are, of course, always getting into things. During your little one’s first few months, much goes into their training and socialization. A big part of this is training them to “potty outside” rather than in the living room. One of the best tools of the trade in puppy training is the crate.

You may wonder if you should crate train your puppy. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services gives you the lowdown on the easy way to crate train a puppy with great results.

When a pet owner hears that their dog has arthritis, they tend to assume that their pet is just “old” and that’s what comes with aging. That’s not always the case. Old age can bring with it a number of pet ailments, from diabetes to cancer. But aging is not a disease and with the right preventive care, most pets can age gracefully. 

When we see arthritis in dogs, we often see a different reason for joint conditions like arthritis…and it isn’t their age. Read on to learn more about Oakland Veterinary Referral Services’ overview of arthritis in dogs.

Want to hike with your dog? Dog-friendly hikes are all around us with our state’s beautiful trails, lakes, and natural areas. Hiking with a dog is one of the top recreational activities enjoyed by many Michanganders. Adding your Fido friend to the mix is a wonderful way to give your dog exercise and fresh air while enjoying some serious bonding time. 

There are dangers along the trail that every dog loving hiker should know about, though, and ways to make your hike better for your dog. Here are Oakland Veterinary Referral Services’ top 10 tips on how to have safe, dog-friendly hikes. 

If you are planning on traveling with a dog, Oakland Veterinary Referral Services has travel tips and suggestions to make the journey safe for Fido.

Since the pandemic started, there’s been a trend to take to the road to work remotely from campgrounds, RV parks, and adventure destinations. Sales of RVs, conversion vans, and other recreational vehicles have gone through the roof. No wonder so many pets are learning to adapt to life on the road! Along with this trend comes summer vacations and holidays that call for fun road trips. 

Knee problems in dogs are quite common. Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is something we frequently treat at our hospital. One of the most effective ways of treating this condition is through the use of Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). Many pet owners ask us about this procedure and what they can expect during their pet’s recovery. Let’s take a closer look at TPLO and how your dog may benefit. 

Like us, our pets suffer from a variety of orthopedic issues. As in human medicine, veterinary medicine offers techniques and treatment protocols that enhance the lives of fur friends with mobility problems and injuries. This is why arthroscopy for pets is such an exciting tool in treatment. 

Oakland Veterinary Referral Services wants to give you an overview and explore the many benefits of arthroscopy as it relates to your best friend.

One of the more common medical questions we get at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services relates to bumps or lumps on dogs. Many dog owners fear the worst when they find this anomaly on or under their fur friend’s skin. Sometimes it appears suddenly or seemingly overnight. 

Most of the time the lump is benign (which means it is noncancerous). There are several types of tumors, cysts, and abnormal skin growths that affect cats and dogs. This is why we want to give you an overview of skin lumps on for greater awareness and instruction, should you find one.

Keeping your pet safe during a home renovation requires extra planning and precautions. Home renovation ranks among the top five most stressful events in a person’s life. Pets in the home compound the chaos and complications. There are several dangers to pets when your home is under construction. Sharp tools, demolition debris, and the general frenzy of workers coming and going through open doors all pose risks.

Your friends at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services know how important it is to keep your furry friend safe. Let’s take a closer look at what to do. 

Summertime sings with backyard gatherings, cold beverages, and everyone’s favorite recipes from the grill. But the last thing you want to do is to sing the barbecue blues when you have a grilling related accident with your furry friend. Hot grills and pets do not mix. This is why we see many pet emergencies from unattended grills and food left on tables and in open trash bins.

Since we are in grilling season, your friends at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services want to give you 4 tips to keep your dog safe while you grill. Read on to learn more.