Owners fill bowls with nutritious food to keep dogs healthy. So why do dogs eat weird, disgusting and even dangerous stuff?

Dogs use their mouths the way we use our hands. They pick up objects and explore their world by mouthing, tasting, and chewing. That sometimes gets them into trouble if they swallow something they shouldn't.

Eating Grass
As omnivores, dogs benefit from eating vegetables or fruits. Even coyotes and wolves eat vegetable matter found in the stomach of prey, as well as roots, grasses and fruit. Dogs often beg for and enjoy snacks of raw vegetables like lettuce, green beans and carrots.

Most pet dogs occasionally eat grass, which may provide vitamins the dog craves, or it may simply like the taste. Dogs also eat grass to stimulate vomiting when they feel ill. Occasional grazing isn't a cause for concern unless your dog turns it into an obsession or it gnaws poisonous houseplants.

The thought of our canine companions having worms is more than disgusting, especially when the parasite is deadly. It becomes even more scary if treatments to keep dogs safe don't work, or become unavailable.

Heartworm, a type of roundworm parasite, was first identified in 1922 and are found all around the world. Although they can affect cats, they are particularly fond of dogs. This parasite Dirofilaria immitis lives in the right heart chambers and lungs and causes severe damage and even death.

Heartworm Life Cycle
The complete life cycle of heartworms lasts approximately seven months and requires the help of another ugly parasite. A dog catches the disease from a mosquito that has already bitten an infected dog. The mosquito swallows baby worms--called microfilariae--when it sucks the dog's blood. Then it transmits the disease to other dogs, cats, coyotes and wildlife it subsequently bites. The baby worms go through several development stages until it migrates to the heart and pulmonary arteries where it matures.

Whether you're an expectant parent or grandparent, a new baby can bring joy into your life. But what does a newborn mean for the animals you've lived with for years?

Dogs used to adults may not recognize babies as the same species. Newborns and toddlers sound scary, smell funny, and seem to evict pets from your lap because they divert a favorite human's attention. Here are tips to help you persuade your dogs to welcome babies as part of their family.

Before the Baby Comes Home
- Prepare in advance. Expectant parents have nine months to get the pets ready for the new arrival. Dogs don't appreciate sudden change so figure out how the baby will affect routine and start with gradual adjustments. For instance, the baby's sleep and feeding schedule probably will impact the dog's playtime, potty and walk schedule.

- Perhaps the nursery room will become off limits. Make changes gradually. Allow pets to investigate and explore rooms and changes so they become the new "normal" and he doesn't feel left out.

When love is in the air, everyone's happy, right? So why did the cat hiss and baptize his shoes? What's up when your dog growls at his voice? Why can't your pet love your boyfriend as much as you?

Any change of routine can threaten a pet's sense of security. When you spend time with your new love, your pet misses you and feels lonely--and you smell weird, like that stranger! Dogs and cats often feel proprietary toward their owners and take offense at new people invading their territory.

If you want to turn suspicion to adoration, don't forget to romance your pets too. Here's how to convince the cat and dog to welcome him--or her--into the family.

Find Pet-Neutral Territory
It helps immensely to introduce your dog to the new person on neutral territory such as the park, prior to allowing the boyfriend or girlfriend to "invade" your apartment. This gives the person a chance to play ball with the dog, make friends, and establish a positive association before asking the dog to make room in his home and heart.

I live in North Texas where 108-degree weather has everyone hot under the collar. Just imagine how pets feel with a fur coat. Cats and dogs risk sunburn, pad burns and life-threatening heat stroke without proper precautions. These tips can help you prevent problems, or even save your pet's life.

Pad burns
Dogs don't get pad burns very often because they flinch away from heat. But cats love heat and often lounge on surfaces up to 126 degrees. They won't feel themselves getting burned. Both dogs and cats can suffer pad burns from walking on hot pavement, especially when not offered the option for cooler pathways.

Do the barefoot test. If pavement feels too hot for you, it's also a problem for pets. Prevent pad burns by making shaded and/or grassy pathways an option. For pad burns, apply an aloe vera ointment three to five times a day to help shorten healing time. It's safe for pets to lick off in small amounts, too.

Sunburn
Fur protects most dogs and cats from sunburn, but thinly furred ear tips, bridge of the nose, and the tummy can get burned. White pets are at highest risk. Dogs who sleep on their back and sun-worshiping cats seem affected most often.

Sunburn isn't a medical emergency, but it can be painful. The skin turns red, can blister, become crusty, and peel.

Cold water spray from a plant mister every half hour or so works great to soothe sunburned dogs, but cats hate getting sprayed. Witch hazel helps cool inflamed skin by evaporation and doesn't sting like alcohol. Dab some on affected areas with a cotton ball three or four times a day to soothe the burn.

Sunburn dries out the skin. Aloe vera creams not only moisturize but also help heal burns faster. These products often contain vitamin E that speeds healing and soothes burns.

Heat stroke
Pets don't sweat. To cool off, dogs pant so the moisture evaporates off the tongue. Cats lick fur and evaporation keeps body temperatures at a safe level. But for grooming or panting to work, the outside air must be a lower temperature than the pet's normal body temperature (101-102.5 degrees). When self-cooling fails, heat stroke kills in less than 15 minutes.

Cars become deathtraps. When the temperature reaches 78 degrees, cars sitting in the shade reach 90 degrees in no time. But if parked in the sun on a 78-degree day, car temp soars to 168 degrees within minutes. That cooks the brain, leaving irreversible damage.

Signs of heat stroke include rapid panting, a bright red tongue and gums, sticky saliva, and body temperatures of 104-106 degrees. Severe cases of heat stroke may prompt body temperatures of 110 degrees or higher.

Unless you live only five minutes away, give first aid before heading to the emergency room. To save your pet's life, reduce body temperature to 104 degrees and then get follow-up medical care.

For mild heat stroke, offer water or Gatorade cooler than the outside temperature. Wrap the pet in cold wet towels. Bring him into an air-conditioned space and turn on a fan so the air he breathes is cooler than his body to reduce internal temperature naturally.

For severe heat stroke (body temperatures over 106 degrees), douse the pet with cool water from the hose, or dunk him in the bathtub or sink. Ice packs placed in the "armpits" or groin (near major blood vessels) help chill the blood so it cools the pet during circulation.

Prevent heat stroke by providing shade for outside pets, along with plenty of cool water. Specialized attachments turn outside faucets into 24/7 pet drinking fountains so you won't have to worry about spilled bowls. Misting fans and aerosols lower the temperature and keep pet fur damp to cool fur through evaporation. Misters can be placed on the porch, deck or near your dog's pen.

Invest in cooling bandanas and collars, body wraps, and pet mats from pet products outlets. Or just provide a child's wading pool, fill it daily with cool water and let the water-puppies splash to their heart's content.

Prevent problems altogether by keeping cats and dogs in air-conditioned spaces when the temperatures become dangerous. The most dangerous times of day for sunburn are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. so schedule cooler times for outdoor excursions.

Amy D. Shojai, CABC, is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats." Amy also appears on Animal Planet's "Cats 101" and "Dogs 101," writes for puppies.About.com and lives in North Texas with a senior citizen Siamese and smart-aleck German shepherd dog. Read her blog on Red Room.