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Yuck! Have you ever caught a whiff of your pet’s paws and wondered why they smell like Fritos? You are not alone! Many pet owners mention this strange corn chip aroma coming from their fur friend. It may seem like a mystery, but there are some answers to this smell.

The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital are here to give you the scoop on the corn chip phenomena.

3 Reasons Why Your Pet’s Feet Smell

Dogs carry a number of odors on their skin, and the extent of the stink depends on what they’ve gotten into, in most cases. While your dog may never smell like roses, you may wonder why their skin smells like corn chips.

As we embark on a new year, The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital would like to take a moment to honor what has become an annual tradition in our blog – our Top 10 Blogs list.

Little did we know when we first published this list in 2014 that we would be where we are today. With nearly 250 blogs published over the past 6 years, we are thrilled to see our readership grow year after year, and are always interested to see which topics have resonated with you – both from this year and years past.

And so, without any further ado, we offer you…

A reverse sneeze may sound like it belongs on a list of ridiculous, crowd-pleasing party games. But if you’ve ever heard the alarming, confusing sound of a reverse sneeze, you know it’s far from fun. It may not ever happen to your pet, but if they do show signs of this common condition, the Pet Experts encourage you to be prepared so you know what to do for them.

Does Your Pet Need Help?

A reverse sneeze refers to the pharyngeal gag reflex, and can sound like your pet is choking, snorting, snuffling, or gagging. An abrupt honking sound is a common characteristic. Lasting several minutes, a reverse sneeze can send an owner into a panic.  

If you are like most pet owners, your pet is a mixed breed, or Heinz 57, as we like to call them. Fabulous mutts make amazing pets because they are a mix of several breeds and often display the best of each of these breeds, rather than only one. Since your pet has a personality of their own, their behaviors and idiosyncrasies may have you guessing about their origins.

You are in luck. Pet DNA testing is a popular choice for pet lovers everywhere, and a great idea for holiday gifts, too. So, what does a pet DNA test reveal? Is it accurate? The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital are here to answer these questions.

The world is full of smells, tastes, and sights that are beyond tempting to our four-legged friends, especially during the holidays. Unfortunately, this can present a very real danger to our pet’s safety and well-being, especially if something is consumed that shouldn’t be.

Foreign body dangers to pets are not just unique to this time of year, since pets, and especially dogs, have a knack for eating things they shouldn’t. The holidays in particular pose specific foreign body consumption risks that have to do with decorations, food, trees, and gifts. 

Your Pet Expert team at Naperville Animal Hospital want to education pet owners on these seasonal problems, so you can keep the “holly jolly” in your holidays. 

Leash walking is one of the first skills your dog needs to learn to live a happy life. Daily walks provide plenty of exercise and socialization necessary for your dog to become a great canine citizen. Still, leash walking can be something of a challenge for most pets, as many new pet owners don’t realize that this skill is learned, not innate. 

If you and your fur friend needs some help in the leashing walking department, The Pet Experts and Naperville Animal Hospital are here. Here are some of our best training tips so that you and your Fido can be out walking successfully very soon.

Most of us know just how acute our animal companions’ sense of hearing is. Those adorable pet ears can hear sounds at a much greater frequency than our own. But did it ever occur to you that those all-important ears require regular cleaning to stay healthy?

The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital are here to tell you all about the importance of cleaning your pet’s ears. With a little help, you can make sure to help them maintain their extraordinary sense of hearing and live a happy, vibrant life.

There are so many animals in need of homes, we wish we could adopt them all! Not only do pets add variety and entertainment to our lives, but their mere presence at home increases our own mental and physical health. With that in mind, the popularity of pet adoption and ownership continues to rise. 

Although more people are opening their homes (and hearts) to pets, it’s not always as easy as simply bringing them home. To help, the Pet Experts have some tips for the process of planning and preparation. 

When it comes to anatomy and physiology, it is important that all parts work together in harmony. When one piece of the puzzle is missing, the others often begin to crumble as well.

Any part of our body can fail at any time, but some are more prone to doing so than others. For cats in particular, the kidney is especially at risk of having major problems. 

The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital love caring for your pets, and we know how much you love them as well. Seeing kidney disease in cats is a frequent occurrence at our hospital and one we are prepared to help our pet parents navigate.

It seems like dogs are always getting into something, whether it’s the litter box, yesterday’s garbage, or that unidentifiable, dirt-covered lump they found in the backyard. Because of their, er, outside interests, tummy troubles in dogs are not all that uncommon, and most resolve on their own.

One type of gastrointestinal issue that is unlikely to “just go away” is bloat. Bloat is the second most common cause of death in dogs, and one that every dog owner should be aware of.

 The Pet Experts at Naperville Animal Hospital want to walk you through the signs of bloat in dogs, what you can do to help prevent it, and what your emergency and treatment options are.