Most dogs go their whole lives eating nothing but kibble, treats and the occasional table scrap. But some pet parents like to mix things up in an effort to add some variety to their furry friend’s diet. This can lead pet parents to give their pups a taste of less-conventional foods like herbs, egg shells and even duck heads.

Pet parents can tell something’s wrong when they hear the incessant jingling of a collar. Their furry companion won’t stop scratching, but they have no idea why. Itchy skin is often accompanied by vomiting, leaky eyes and infections—symptoms that point to any number of health problems.

No pet parent wants to see their dog in pain. From minor cuts to lifelong diseases, every pup experiences their fair share of physical discomfort. As a loving pet parent, you’ll do whatever it takes to alleviate some of their pain. Unfortunately, conventional pain medication comes with a long list of side effects that might give your dog even more health problems.

It’s not always clear when a pet develops a health problem. They can’t use words to communicate with their owners, which is why many ailments go untreated for a long time. To complicate matters even more, pets are masters at keeping their pain a secret. This survival instinct leads many pets to suffer in silence.

Dogs can experience varying degrees of vision loss at any point in life. Eyesight can deteriorate slowly over the course of years for dogs with glaucoma. In other cases, a dog may develop total blindness after suffering a traumatic eye injury. Whatever the cause might be, a vision-impaired dog must adapt to their environment all over again.

Pets make it very clear that they hate the vet. Dogs shy away from getting in the car, and cats shiver at the back of their carriers. Anyone with an anxious pet knows how difficult it is to get through an appointment when their four-legged companion fights the vet the whole time.

When it gets hot outside, humans reach for an ice-cold glass of water. Unfortunately for our furry companions, their access to water entirely depends on the care from pet parents. Pets need to hydrate just as much as we do, especially when the temperature starts to rise. Proper hydration keeps pets happy and reduces the risk of a life-threatening medical condition.

Summers are hot enough as is, and a heat wave can make venturing outside almost unbearable. When temperatures begin to climb, pets turn to you for a way to keep cool. Heat waves make it more difficult to exercise and stay hydrated, ultimately increasing the risk of hyperthermia and heat exhaustion in dogs and cats.

Pet parents often wonder if their pups get enough nutrition from their food. With so many supplements on the market, it’s hard to know which ones your dog really needs. While nutritional needs vary, nearly all canine companions would benefit from a daily dose of fish oil.