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.

Limping, pain, stiffness—these are all signs of hip dysplasia in a dog. When dogs are diagnosed with hip dysplasia, pet parents fear they can do nothing about the disorder. After all, hip dysplasia is in a dog’s genes, which means there’s no cure.

Pet parents work to avoid health problems that are readily apparent—injuries, weight gain and allergy symptoms, to name a few. However, not all shortcomings in your pet’s health are easy to spot. Brain health often falls to the wayside, but neglecting this aspect can make your pet gradually develop cognitive challenges over the years.

Many dog lovers have their hearts set on purebred pups. Purebreds are beautiful creatures deserving of love, but mixed-breed dogs offer so many qualities that are often overlooked. The playfulness, loyalty and companionship pet parents crave is easily found in shelter pups with a diverse lineage. Mixed breeds possess everything you want and more in a dog!