From flea and tick prevention and heartworm medication to grooming and food, it is easy to see the challenges of being a dog owner. Of course, the joy your dog brings to you and your family makes it all worthwhile. Because your dog is part of your family, you will want to include them on all the fun throughout the summer. Unfortunately, the heat and sun can affect your dog's health, so it is important to be prepared for the blazing sun and high temperatures of the season.

If you're thinking of adopting a puppy, parvovirus is something that you need to be familiar with. If you haven't heard of parvo, what you need to know is that it's highly infectious, it comes in two forms (intestinal and cardiac), and there's no cure for it. Symptoms of intestinal parvo include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Cardiac parvo often presents with no symptoms, but it can have symptoms like vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, and fever.

There are a number of reasons why your dog may be constantly itching, licking or biting his skin. He may have fleas, rolled outside in an allergen, have dry or irritated skin or have eaten a food or treat with an allergen in it. When you first notice your dog constantly itching, there are a few home remedies you can try to attempt to relieve the itchiness and soothe your dog.

Taking care of your pet is a lot like caring for a child. You should take your pet to a clinic regularly for grooming, check-ups, vaccinations, and other basic animal care. Minor injuries and illnesses are also dealt with at a standard pet clinic. However, there are situations in which the vet's office isn't the best place to get pet care. There are 3 situations in which an animal hospital – or emergency pet clinic – should be utilized.

If you have a cat, then you likely know that veterinary care is extremely important to keep your feline companion in great health. Sometimes, care must be provided on a timely or emergency basis so that a more serious health problem does not arise. This is the case if your cat has a urinary tract infection. Learn about these infections, treatment, and how you can prevent them in the future.

What harm could come from spending a day at the beach with your canine buddy? You've bought them booties to protect their feet from the hot sand and you always bring a portable water container for them to drink out of, so you've got all your safety bases covered, right? Wrong. Read on for 3 weird things that could go wrong for your dog at the beach and how to prevent them from happening.

Your canine best friend is clearly under the weather; when you bring out the leash, no excited leaping occurs. Food is left untouched. You hear an unusual cough. You can tell something is wrong, but when you check the symptoms online, a plethora of possible diagnoses pop up. A new diagnosis added to the list this year is canine flu. That's right, your dog can get the flu just like you can, and it even presents with similar symptoms to the one humans get.

You probably already know that if you get bitten by a tick, you can get Lyme disease, but you may not know that your four-legged friend is also at risk of this disease. When dogs are bitten by a tick that carries Lyme disease, they can get very sick, just like you can. Here's what you need to know about your dog and Lyme disease.  Where are ticks found? Ticks are found throughout most of the United States.

If your cat's skin has recently been lacerated due to an accident, then it is in your best interest to take your feline to an animal hospital. If the wound is sutured, then the area will need to heal over the course of a week or more. Unfortunately, cats lick wounds. This can result in pulled stitches and the formation of an infection. Collars can sometimes be used to prevent licking issues, but some cats do not like these protective items.

Letting your dog's nails grow too long can lead to a variety of problems, including nails painfully growing into your dog's paw, a misaligned gait, or strained joints. You know your dog's nails need to be trimmed regularly, but unfortunately every time you try to do so your dog whimpers and tries to get away from you and the clippers. Many dogs experience anxiety when it comes time to have their nails clipped, but luckily there are things you can do to overcome this and take proper care of your dog's nails.