The Paw Print Blog

Dehydration creeps up stealthily, like a slow-moving a brush fire that suddenly blossoms into a major blaze, causing major problems. Dehydration, like fire, is best fought with water. Lots of water. And it’s best to apply that water before a physical crisis engulfs your cat or dog and you are suddenly faced with very sick fur babies.

A good rule of thumb to meet your pets' water needs is the 1:1 ratio. This means your dog or cat needs at least one ounce of water per pound of body weight every day. This is doubly essential in the summer, when dogs and cats can become overheated and rapidly deplete their water supply, both internally and externally.

The bodies of most pets are about 80-percent water. If a pet loses 10 percent or more of his or her body weight in water, deadly dehydration can result as kidneys shut down and the heart works overtime to get blood where it...

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Many cat parents have experienced it before: the heartbreak and feelings of helplessness that comes when a kitty can’t pee. They will strain, moan, cry, hiss, and try to hide, scampering away from any attempt to comfort them. Once they are wrangled into a carrier, it’s off to the pet ER for a long,...

If you or your neighbors plan on getting all 1776 this Independence Day, remember that bombs bursting in air are more like bursting in scare for cats and dogs. What might seem like a harmless “pop” can be nearly deafening and threatening to dogs, and it will certainly send your cat scrambling for...

Make sure your animals always have access to fresh, filtered waterSummer means time on the water, by the water and in the water. But is your pet drinking enough of it? How can you be sure, and what are the signs your favorite furry family members are dabbling with dehydration?Good health and life...

Saying goodbye to your pooch each morning is always a bit of a bummer.You have to go to work, but you don’t want your pup to be bored while you’re gone. Long-term boredom can give your dog anxiety, and it could even spark destructive behavior—especially if your furry friend suffers from separation...

Keep them rested, hydrated and out of the carLet’s be frank: Hot dogs are not cool.All kidding aside (this is actually deadly serious), a late spring heat wave is a good time to review a few hot-weather guidelines for animals that pet parents can follow so dogs and cats don’t fall prey to the more...

Seven tips for the leaves of threeDogs can get rashes from poison ivy, but it’s more likely you’ll get a poison-ivy rash from your dog.That’s because dogs’ coats typically protect their skin from the inflammatory effects of urushiol, the poison ivy oil that triggers misery in many people. Their...