Posts in Category: For The Dogs

What could be better than hitting the boardwalk or the beach with your best furry friend by your side? Fortunately for you and your four-legged sidekick, there are plenty of NJ dog-friendly attractions to choose from. Keep reading for some of our team’s favorite spring dog activities in NJ. 

Every dog gets a little stinky from time to time – they aren’t exactly known for their discretion when it comes to rolling in something rotten, after all. A dog who has been skunked, however, is a totally different ball game. 

We’ve seen our share of skunked dogs here at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital, and we’d like to share our tried and true tips for remedying this stinky situation.

The Down and Dirty Details

Skunks spray their stink from their anal sacs, located just inside their rectum. Their anal sacs, unlike those of dogs and cats, can be expressed on demand and with stunning accuracy. 

You and your canine companion go together like peanut butter and jelly, and while your loyal sidekick is always happiest by your side, there are times when leaving him at home is the safest option. We endure some long winters here in New Jersey, and we understand that it’s tempting to want to enjoy every moment of the summer with your dog. But if your car trip includes any stop at all, leaving your dog at home is the kindest—and safest—thing you can do for your pet.

At Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital, we take pet safety seriously, and we want all pet families to understand the dangers of leaving animals in hot cars.

Dogs use barks to convey loneliness, hunger, playfulness, curiosity, stress, and other needs. They are masters at communication, but their success largely depends on who is listening to them. What do some of the most common dog barks sound like, and how can we answer the call?

Beyond Body Language

Dogs say a lot with their body language. We can often tell how they’re feeling based on how their ears, tail, and posture appear. Interpreting canine body language is essential to learning their needs and being able to effectively provide for them. 

Some dogs rely heavily on their body positioning to convey their emotional and physical states. These dogs may only express themselves vocally when they absolutely have to. Other pups have a unique blend of body language and barking that is highly effective at communicating with humans. 

While there are definitely species differences, there are a wide number of medical conditions that both animals and people share. Anemia in pets is one of those that occur in dogs, cats, and people alike. Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital has all the info that you need to know if your pet is affected.  

What is Anemia Anyways?

Anemia is the medical term for a low red blood cell count. Red blood cells are the components of blood that are responsible for carrying oxygen to the various tissues throughout the body. Without them, life becomes very difficult. 

You have a young, happy, healthy pup, or so you think… all of the sudden, though, your vaccinated dog has these little ugly growths on their lips. Before you panic and assume the worst, let Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital quell your fears. Many oral growths in young dogs are actually canine oral papillomas, and they are typically nothing to be worried about. 

You Got the Look

Canine oral papillomas have a pretty distinct appearance. They tend to be small, round skin tumors that resemble warts. They usually have what’s called a fimbriated surface, with little fronds growing off of them similar to a sea anemone. They are often gray to flesh colored. 

No one understands how serious an undertaking pet ownership is more than Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital. Taking the responsibility for another living creature is no small thing. Before bringing a new pet into the home, it is very important to do an inventory of that animal’s needs and your ability to provide those needs. This can lead to the natural questions about owning a dog as a single person or having a dog and working 9 to 5 every day. Fear not, though, dog ownership is a possibility for almost everyone. 

There have been many famous (and famously eccentric) pet owners over the years. Audrey Hepburn had a connection with a fawn, Elvis kept a kangaroo, and Salvador Dali split his affection between an ocelot and an anteater. Why? Because they could!

Modern day pet ownership continues to have several outliers, including tigers, kinkajous, and teacup pigs, but the strongest pet trends involve the most common companion animals: cats and dogs. 

Cats are usually recognized as more mysterious than their canine counterparts, and yet, dogs have plenty of confounding behaviors. Take, for example, their proclivity for barking at nothing (that you know of). Some dogs may feel the urge to constantly bark, others may only bark in certain areas of the home, such as the middle of the living room, or the corner in the kitchen. The types of dog barks known to dog owners are definitely varied, but one thing is certain: it’s time to figure out the logic behind them.

As far as parasites go, lice are pretty far up on the scale of repulsiveness. If there is a silver lining to lice, it’s that these bugs are species-specific. Dog lice cannot live on humans and vice-versa. But when dog lice latches on to a family pet, the constant itching, scratching and general misery can easily affect everyone in the house. There are easy ways to prevent dog lice from coming home with you (such as avoiding crowded environments), and treatment is available for infestations.