Pet Boarding at the Oakland Park Animal Hospital

Whether you're going away on vacation for a week or your pet has to stay overnight for a medical reason, you can feel secure knowing your pet will have a safe and comfortable stay at Oakland Park Animal Hospital. We're happy to offer pet boarding for both dogs and cats, for overnight stays or long-term care. We'll care for your pet like he or she was our own, and we even offer pet grooming services to make your smallest family member feel truly special and pampered during her stay.

Staying at our Oakland Park Vet Hospital

We want your pet to have a safe and happy time here at our Oakland Park vet hospital, so we ask you please take the time to do some preparation before you bring her in for her stay. We aim to create a safe and loving atmosphere for all the pets that stay here, and some basic health preparations are necessary to achieve that goal. If you've been keeping up with your pet's regular veterinary schedule, this prep should not be a problem.

Make sure your dog or cat is up-to-date on her vaccinations. You'll need to have proof of the date of your dog's last distemper and rabies shots. We'll also need proof that she's been immunized against Bordetella, or kennel cough, in the last six months. If you're bringing your cat in to stay with us at the veterinary hospital, you'll need his immunization record, as well.

In order to keep every animal here clean and safe, we ask that your pet be free of fleas, ticks and other parasites before you bring her here to stay. This should not be a concern if you've been keeping regular appointments at our animal vet clinic, as that's an ongoing process we deal with here every day.

Feel free to bring in your pet's favorite food and feeding schedule, along with any special toys or blanket he'll need to make him feel secure away from home. We'll take special care to give him play time and treats to make sure his stay is as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

What special toys or items do you take along when your board your cat or dog?

Attention Pet Owners: Is Your Pet at Risk for Serious Illness?

Did you know that routine pet vaccinations are the most important thing you can do to protect your pet’s health? Vaccinations are the foundation of proactive, preventive veterinary care. As a pet owner, you already know the importance of an annual rabies vaccine. But did you know that many other vaccinations also require annual boosters to be effective? With our busy schedules, however, it’s easy to forget to keep these shots up to date – putting our pets at risk for serious illness and health complications.

Oakland Park Vet Helps Pets Stay Healthy and Active for Life

Normally, your veterinarian will remind you that your pet is due for vaccinations during an annual wellness visit. However, if you have moved in the last year or switched veterinary health care providers, there’s a good chance that your pet is not up to date on critical vaccines. Additionally if you just adopted a new pet into your family, your pet will also need to be vaccinated. We invite you and your pet to visit our Oakland Park Animal Hospital, where we are committed to keeping all pets healthy, happy and active!

Our animal vet clinic offers comprehensive vaccination programs for both dogs and cats, including kitten and puppy shot series. Canine vaccinations include DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus), Leptospirosis, and kennel cough (Bordetella). Feline vaccinations include FVRCCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Chlamydia and Panleukopenia), FELV (for Leukemia) and FIV (for feline AIDS). We also offer rabies vaccines for both dogs and cats, which are legally required in the state of Florida.

Puppies and kittens should receive preliminary vaccinations at approximately eight weeks of age, or shortly after they are weaned. Because the immune system of young animals is still maturing, your pets will need several rounds of booster shots every four weeks until reaching approximately 20 weeks of age.

Vaccinations protect your pet from serious illness, helping your pets live healthier, happier and longer lives. Additionally, it is far more affordable to vaccinate your pet against an illness than it is to pay for emergency vet care to treat a serious health condition.

Do you have questions about the safety of pet vaccinations? Wondering if your pet is up-to-date on vaccine protocols? Post a question for our Oakland Park vet below!

 

Playing Santa For Your Pets

It's holiday time, and we know you are thinking of ways to make the holiday happy for everybody in your life — including your beloved pets! Our veterinary hospital is here for not only your routine check-ups and pet vaccinations, but for advice on the "fun stuff," too! Here are some fun holiday gift ideas from our Oakland Park Vet.

Pet Gift Ideas from Our Vet

Our vet, Dr. Ratnoff, and his colleague, Dr. Clickman, both say some of the simplest pet gift ideas are also the biggest successes at holiday time. Treats are always a big hit, and since you already know what your pet likes the best, treats are something your pet will really enjoy. Maybe you can purchase some gourmet dog biscuits, or some catnip treats. You can even bake your own healthy pet treats at home: Try some homemade liver brownies for your dog or some homemade tuna treats for your cat, for example. Creating your own pet treats can be just as much fun as holiday baking for your friends and family, and your pets will be thrilled with the delicious offerings!

Think of what makes your pet the happiest, and you will probably say, "Being with me" or, "Playing," right? A special toy can combine these two happy things and allow you to interact with your pet while he or she has fun. A "stuffy" toy for your dog, an interactive fishing-rod style toy for your cat, or a "jingle ball" toy can give hours of holiday hilarity and together time.

One thing to remember is that pets are a lot like kids sometimes. Most kids don't want to get clothing as a gift because while it might be useful, it may lack the "fun factor." It's perfectly fine to buy new clothes or warm jackets for your pet as holiday gifts, but don't forget to buy something they will be excited to see when it's time to unwrap gifts as well.

Our Oakland Park Animal Hospital wants to wish you and yours a happy holiday season! Do you have any fun pet gift ideas to add? Please post below and share them with our animal vet clinic!

Oakland Park Vet Offers Tips for Halloween Pet Safety

Candy, costumes, trick-or-treaters, and spooky decorations are all fun things for humans, but can be potentially hazardous for dogs and cats. To keep Halloween enjoyable for both the kids and the pets, it's important to be aware of Halloween items that could lead to an emergency trip to the veterinary hospital.

Halloween Hazards for Pets

The chief hazard to dogs and cats over the Halloween season is candy. Chocolate, especially, is toxic to animals, and the darker the chocolate, the greater the hazard. Avoid a trip to the emergency pet hospital by keeping candy out of reach.

Decorations can also be a problem. Cats love to play with ribbons and fringe, but if swallowed, these can pose a health threat. Another danger is your pet slipping out of the house while you are greeting trick-or-treaters. Pets can be very adept at sneaking around corners and out the door without your even noticing.

Tips for Avoiding Halloween Pet Dangers

Avoid a trip to the veterinary hospital this Halloween season by taking a few precautions. Keep the candy bowl out of your pet's reach or cover it up. Make sure that your decorations are pet-friendly and don't have any low-hanging ribbons or other pieces that can be bitten off.

It's also a good idea to secure your cat or dog in another room while the trick-or-treating is going on. That way, he or she won't be tempted to sneak outside. Of course, our Oakland Park veterinarian recommends that all cats and dogs be microchipped. This safe, affordable and painless procedure helps ensure that your pet gets returned to you safely should he or she become lost.

At Oakland Park Animal Hospital, we offer a full range of pet wellness and emergency care. Our animal vet clinic can handle everything from pet vaccinations to emergency surgery.

What precautions do you take around Halloween to ensure your dog or cat's safety?

 

Do you hesitate to travel because you don't want to leave your pet back home alone? Do you live far away from family and others that you'd trust to look after your cat, dog, or other pet? According to the American Animal Hospital Association, approximately 53 percent of pets travel with their owners. Maybe it's time for you to consider taking your pet with you on the road.

Tips for Safe Traveling with Your Pet

Taking a few precautions before you travel can save you potential heartache and/or a trip to a veterinary hospital later on.

First, whether you're traveling by air or car, make sure your pet has proper identification. A tag with your name and address is okay, but microchipping your pet is better. This relatively inexpensive procedure provides permanent identification and can be done at any animal vet clinic, including ours.

You should also have your pet's vaccination and health records with you when you travel in case of a health emergency.

If traveling by car, plan for periodic rest stops so your pet can drink, eat, and relieve himself. It's also a good idea to bring a jug of water since it may be difficult to find fresh water on the road. Cats and small animals should be confined to a crate in the car, so they don't get under the pedals and cause a safety hazard.

Pet Boarding

Sometimes leaving your pet at home is the best answer. If you decide to board your pet, Oakland Park Animal Hospital will treat your pet like family with lots of play time and treats. Most pets enjoy their time with us and you'll have the peace of mind knowing that a full veterinary hospital is just steps away in case of a medical emergency. Although our animal vet clinic treats a variety of exotic and pocket pets, our boarding facilities are only equipped to cater only to the needs of cats and dogs.

Still undecided about whether to travel with your pet? Our Oakland Park veterinarians can help you decide whether boarding or traveling with you is best for your pet.

Have you recently taken your pet with you on a trip? Was it a positive experience for both of you? Would you do anything differently the next time? Share your experiences with our readers by leaving a comment below.

 

Spring and fall are wonderful times to spend time with your pet outdoors. However, these seasons also bring out parasites like fleas and ticks. A responsible pet owner is vigilant in detecting and removing these pests before they can cause health problems for your pet, such as Lyme disease.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is the number one tick-borne disease in the United States. The disease, which can also affect humans, initially causes fever, headache and fatigue but can lead to more serious health problems, such as joint inflammation and problems with heart and central nervous systems. If contracted, Lyme disease is generally treated successfully with antibiotics.

Preventing Lyme Disease

Fortunately, Lyme disease is easy to prevent. Oakland Park Animal Hospital has the medications you need to prevent ticks from attaching to your cat or dog. Topical medications, such as Frontline and Advantage, are easy to apply and the protection lasts for around 30 days. In addition, our veterinarians can show you how to check for ticks and remove them from your pet, something you should do every time your pet goes outside. Ticks generally don't start feeding on a host for 24 hours so prompt examination is important.

Regular pet vaccinations, including that for Lyme disease, can also keep this health threat at bay. You can avoid a trip to an emergency pet hospital by following these simple precautions.

Our Oakland Park veterinarians can help you with all of your pet care needs. In addition to helping you prevent Lyme Disease, we are a full-service animal vet clinic and offer pet vaccinations, animal surgery and pet emergency care.

Have you had a recent run-in with Lyme disease and your pet? Was your pet treated at a veterinary hospital? Share your experiences with our readers by leaving a comment below.

You may feel pretty confident about taking your dog or cat to a veterinary hospital or animal vet clinic. But what about your mouse, ferret, rabbit or lizard? These pets require regular care just as the “usual suspects" do, but they may have very specific and unique needs that a “dog and cat only place” cannot address. These specialized needs require specialized experience -- and if you’re looking for an Oakland Park veterinarian with that kind of experience, here we are!

Oakland Park Exotic Pet Veterinarians

At Oakland Animal Hospital, we regard treatment of exotics as part of our daily work. These species include most everything outside the normal choices of cats or dogs, such as rabbits, mice, rats, gerbils, ferrets, hamsters, lizards and birds. Many of these creatures also go by the term “pocket pets” because of their small size and easy portability. Their health care needs, however, can be less than convenient if your veterinary hospital has no knowledge or experience in treating them.

Our Oakland Park facility fills that gap. We maintain a large number of veterinary staff here, including those who specialize in non-traditional pets. We have both an animal vet clinic for everyday treatments and an emergency pet hospital for more urgent situations. We keep Oakland Animal Hospital and the Animal Emergency Trauma Center in the same building for optimum efficiency and convenience. Call ahead, if possible, for emergency cases and we will start preparing for your pet’s arrival. Appointments are always welcome during our standard office hours (check our website for details).

Does all this talk of exotics mean that you have to take your dog or cat elsewhere? Not at all -- of course we welcome Rover or Fluffy to our clinic or emergency pet hospital too. Every pet that walks, crawls or flies into our office receives the same degree of compassionate, expert care. You and your pets deserve nothing less!

Still have questions about our services? Post your comments here or contact our clinic and we will be happy to respond.

Oakland Park Animal Hospital is Blogging!

At Oakland Park Animal Hospital, we treat your pets like valued members of the family. We always do our best to provide not only advanced medical care but also the best pet care advice in Broward County. In addition to pet vaccinations, spay and neuter procedures, dental care and our regular veterinary services we also provide pet grooming and pet boarding at our animal vet clinic for your convenience.

Our Oakland Park veterinarian, Dr. Spencer L. Ratnoff, opened the emergency pet hospital Trauma center when he realized that the community needed an emergency pet hospital that could accommodate injured and sick pets 24/7. The two facilities operate on separate schedules. You can be comforted in knowing that your pet can receive extensive special care at any time if an emergency arises.

At our veterinary hospital and Animal Emergency Trauma Center have been taking care of pets in the Fort Lauderdale area for 24 years. We have valued patients from the entire region including Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Lazy Lake, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Tamarac Margate, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale By-The-Sea and Sea Ranch Lakes.

Dr. Spencer L. Ratnoff and the staff at the animal vet clinic are also very involved with the community and are dedicated to the education of pet owners. We routinely offer help to various animal rescue groups and attend pet expos and career days in local schools to promote pet education and animal appreciation among the young people of our community.

We see all types of pets from Great Danes down to the smallest pocket mouse pet. We even care for exotic pets like Amazonian Parrots and large snakes! Each pet always gets compassionate and skilled veterinary care at our hospital.

Help Oakland Park Animal Hospital Kick Off our New Blog!

We have included this new blog feature to further promote pet education and animal appreciation online in our community. We look forward to this unique opportunity to constantly interact with our pet owners and discuss the joys and trials of pet ownership. Please help us to get the blog ball rolling by submitting your ideas for future blog topics!

What have you ever wanted to know (but don’t) about your pet?