Kirsten M. Ura-Barton, DVM

06/24/2025

Today is Cat World Domination Day, your annual reminder about who is actually in charge.

06/23/2025

"If it's hot outside for you, it's most likely even hotter for your pet," one expert tells NPR. Here's how to protect your pet outdoors, keep them engaged inside and respond to signs of heat stroke.

06/18/2025

A timely reminder to leave your dog at home this time of year instead of in your car!

You should never leave your dog alone in the car when the outside temperature is below freezing or above 70 degrees. Dogs with thicker fur or short skulls (brachycephalic breeds) are more susceptible to heat stroke. It is never safe to leave a dog alone in a car, even with the windows down.

If you see a dog in a vehicle unattended, please contact the police department.

05/19/2025

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and wished us good ju-ju and offered their condolences for the loss of our Bentley Bubberson - all of it is much appreciated. ❤️

If you have a pet, I strongly recommend looking into getting pet insurance for them. I have it for both Luna and Bentley and even though it didn't change the outcome, it helped make it more affordable to give Bentley a fighting chance. It may not make financial sense for everyone but it can make veterinary care easier to afford and hopefully fewer pets will be given up or euthanized because of finances. You still need to be able to afford the vet bill up front in most cases and have the insurance company reimburse you but more places are now offering direct pay, like OVRS for Trupanion. Veterinary care is getting more sophisticated and therefore more expensive, especially the advanced care Bentley received, and veterinary practices operate on very thin profit margins - they can't afford to charge less or take payment plans and still have the money to keep their doors open and the lights on and their employees paid (and trust me, none of us are getting rich in this field!).

Thank you again - hug your pets while you still can. ❤️

05/17/2025

❤️💔❤️‍🩹🐾🌈

Why Losing a Pet Can Shatter Your Heart—And Why That Love Was Worth It

There’s a special kind of grief that comes with losing a pet—one that lingers in the quiet moments: an empty spot on the bed, an unused leash hanging by the door, the absence of paws clicking across the floor. For those who’ve never loved an animal deeply, it might be hard to understand why the loss feels so profound. But for those who have, the pain is as real as losing a family member—because that’s exactly what they were.

They Loved Us Unconditionally

Pets don’t care about our flaws, our bad days, or our mistakes. They greet us with the same enthusiasm whether we’ve been gone for five minutes or five hours. Their love is pure, unwavering, and free of judgment. When that presence is gone, the silence feels heavier because we’ve lost a love that asked for so little and gave so much.

They Were Our Silent Supporters

Pets witness our lives in a way no human does. They’re there during late-night study sessions, heartbreaks, celebrations, and lonely evenings. They don’t offer advice—they just stay, their quiet companionship a steady comfort. Losing them means losing a witness to our most vulnerable moments.

They Taught Us How to Love

A pet’s lifespan is heartbreakingly short, but in that time, they teach us patience, kindness, and the joy of living in the moment. They show us how to love without holding back. And when they leave, the grief we feel is the price of that love—a testament to how deeply they mattered.

The Pain Is Worth the Love

As heartbreaking as it is to say goodbye, the pain is a reminder of how much joy they brought into our lives. The ache doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have loved them—it means we loved them fully. And in time, that grief softens into gratitude for the paw prints they left on our hearts.

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know this pain. But you also know something else: that love was worth every tear. 💔🐾❤️

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05/16/2025

I am sad to post this morning that we had to suddenly say goodbye to our pug Bentley late last night. He was only 6 years old but developed severe aspiration pneumonia after having several episodes of vomiting Monday night. Despite aggressive treatment and hospitalization, he became septic and quickly deteriorated and we chose to have him humanely euthanized when it became clear that there was no hope of improvement or recovery. 💔

Unfortunately being a veterinarian doesn't make us immune to this type of heartbreak. To everyone who has lost a pet, know that we understand what you have gone through, because all of us have gone through it ourselves. I also want to say thank you to the amazing people at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services that tried so hard to save him and showed us so much care and compassion to the very end.

Run free and fly high "Bubbers" - we loved you so much and will miss you for always. 🌈🐾❤️

05/14/2025

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05/12/2025

If you see these lesions suddenly appear on your dog after being outside, don't panic! We are getting to that time of year when black fly bites are commonly seen on dogs, especially the hairless areas on their underside. As ugly as they may look, they are harmless and will fade on their own without treatment within a few days.

Over the last few days we have received many calls about red lesions on the belly/groin area of dogs. This picture shows the classic black fly bite on a yellow lab’s abdomen. These lesions are harmless and will go away after several days. Thankfully black fly season is short, and they are usually only active at dawn and dusk. Ouchy

05/11/2025

🩷🩷🩷

05/11/2025

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms, grandmoms, and mother figures out there! 🩷

05/04/2025

Happy National Pet Week!
🐩🐈🐇🦎🐀🐢🦜🐠🐍❤️