health

A dash of dish soap. A little warm water. Slosh it around, dry it off and repeat once every… however many months? If that’s your typical routine for cleaning your dog’s food and water bowls, you’re likely in the majority.

Any way you shake it, Nom Nom supports a healthier dog. Whether you feed a little, a lot or the whole bowl, customers have seen real benefits and improvements in their dog’s health after integrating our fresh food into their diet.

If you suspect your dog’s stomach is upset, the concern can be paralyzing. What do I do? How can I help? Should I call the vet now, or wait until I can schedule a regular appointment? They’re all reasonable thoughts to run through your mind, but as a team of pet health (and gut health) experts, we’ve had plenty of experience with upset stomachs. The best thing you can do in instances of suspected stomach illness is to slow down, take stock and look for a few key indicators.

We know dogs as sweet, sometimes oaf-like and all-times loveable creatures born to teach us the value of slowing down, doing nothing and sleeping for as much as 14 hours per day. But it wasn’t always like this. That bloodhound? That beagle? Even that pomeranian? Hundreds and thousands of years ago, all were bred with a purpose. And that purpose wasn’t necessarily curling up at the balls of your feet, dozing off until it’s walk time.

For dog parents (especially new dog parents) trying to reward good behavior and discourage bad behavior, distinguishing between play and aggression can be one of the toughest tasks of all. And the abstract lines of questioning you may hear from well intended friends, relatives and even trainers doesn’t always help.

For as long as we’ve had dogs, we’ve had dog food. Relations weren’t always sunshine and gumdrops between us and our best friends. Trot your way back in history 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, and you’ll find yourself in a tooth-and-claw battle for food, for raiment and for territory between our great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents and their great-great-great-great-great-great grandwolves.

This red rust (or occasionally brownish rust, depending on the color of your dog’s fur) is what the veterinary community refers to as “tear stains.” While the name may pull up some heart-wrenching images, it’s important to remember that tears come from a variety of places other than sadness or crying — these stains are simply the result of a biological clog.

Parasites are part and parcel to a dog’s life. Over the course of your dog’s years, they’re likely to become infected at one point or another. Many (if not most) will go undiagnosed, unacknowledged and untreated. That’s a good thing: Large numbers of canine parasites are relatively benign, and may come to pass as quickly as they arrived.

Here’s exactly what to look for before you bend down to clean up after your pet, so you can help your furry best friend live their healthiest and happiest life.