The Paw Print Blog

Does your dog wolf down food? Does it seem like he’s absolutely killing the kibble?

Some dogs are nibblers. Many dogs are gobblers. They devour their meal as soon as the bowl hits the floor. It makes you wonder if they even taste what they are eating. Gulping with such gusto can present some problems for your dog, but there are some things you can do to ease your worries and slow the roll to and from the bowl.

Dogs eating too fast can cause health issues

The first danger is that your dog could choke or gag on his food. Dog owners know the “Ack ack” sound well. If he swallows food without chewing, the pieces get stuck in his throat (Ack!). And when dogs gulp their meal too quickly, they swallow air along with their food. Food and air expand in the stomach, causing pain and discomfort. This can cause your dog to vomit or regurgitate and lead to a serious condition...

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Obesity is a growing threat to pet healthIf you take your dog on a waddle instead of a walk, it might be time to adjust his diet or feeding habits. The same holds true if your cat is too fat to catch a rat (or just lounges around in a hat).There’s no shame in packing a few extra pounds around the...

You pay close attention to what you and your family eat. You avoid processed foods, pay a premium for organic groceries and read labels religiously. But are you as persnickety when it comes to the diets of your cats and dogs?For many pet parents, the answer is no. Their pets eat what is plucked...

Here’s a pet health primer on ticks, fleas and mosquitoesThere’s a new tick in town.The longhorned Asian tick has now joined the long list of tiny critters that can pose a threat to your fur babies – and maybe even yourself. There’s not a lot known about the new six-legged U.S. resident or how it...

Dehydration creeps up stealthily, like a slow-moving 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...

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...