Health

I bet you remember learning about the five senses in school: touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell. But did you know that there are three other “hidden” or “invisible” senses that we have–and our dogs have them, too? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  What are the three hidden senses in dogs? …

Stretch your pet food budget and enrich your dog’s mealtime by mixing in (dog-safe, obviously) foods from your fridge, freezer, pantry, and garden! I get it: Everything is becoming more expensive, and pet food is projected to experience a big ole hike pretty soon. In our home, we’re striving to expand our veggie garden and …

When we adopted Penny from a rescue that focuses on dogs with the double merle gene, we knew very little about the condition ourselves. We were exploring the idea of adopting a deaf dog since we already use ASL in our home. Little did I know the connection between deafness and this genetic condition. As …

Every night, after I put my kids to bed, I pour myself a glass of wine, crack open a novel, and climb under my weighted blanket. It’s my nightly settle-my-nervous-system routine, and it lulls me to sleep within an hour. Or two, depending on how good the book is. : ) Recently, Penny started crawling …

A few weeks ago, we prepared to say goodbye to Cooper. That Friday morning, he woke up, picked at his breakfast, and went outside. He seemed slow. Off. A bit disoriented. Then, over the course of the morning, he declined swiftly. He couldn’t walk well, and he wobbled and fell when he tried. He became …

Have you ever questioned something your vet told you? Have you ever wondered if your vet was the right person to educate you on a particular topic? Have you ever considered talking to another vet–either at the same practice or at another–about your pet’s diagnosis? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, seeking a second …

A few weeks ago, while stuck in a scroll-spiral, I stumbled across a discussion about wearing shoes inside the house. It wasn’t even about shoes inside. It was about laundry. In the post, the woman folded massive piles of kids’ clothing on her living room floor, and her comments section BLEW UP about having clothing …

Life can be hard. That’s true on a daily basis–paying bills, standing in line at the post office, dealing with angry or unreasonable people, remembering to move the 3 million moving parts it takes to get through a week of work/appointments/school/activities, whatever–and it’s true in more acute moments when you’re faced with a particularly difficult …

Sun’s out, fun’s out! As the days heat up, nothing beats jumping into a cool pool to chill out. Many dogs enjoy a dip, too, but, did you know an estimated 5,000 pets drown in family pools each year? You take precautions to keep your human family safe in the water, but pool safety for …

One of our family’s core values includes getting outside. Long walks in a quiet forest. Playing in a field. Stomping in a stream. Exploring and exercising. Breathing fresh air. And our dogs have always been an integral part of that outdoor experience. Now, closing in on Cooper’s thirteenth birthday, we find ourselves making accommodations and …

I have to be honest: Writing about degenerative myelopathy in dogs (DM) isn’t at the top of my “fun to write” list. It doesn’t even appear on that list. I wish I didn’t have to write this post, but here we are. And it’s important. Why DM? For one thing, it’s a scary and overwhelming …

If you are looking for tips on how to give a dog a pill, chances are you have a pill ninja for a pup. Otherwise, you’d just lift your dog’s lip, open his jaw, drop the pill in, and move on, right? That’s how the vet tech demos giving your dog a pill. That’s how …

Please note that this is only our experience. It’s anecdotal, not vet med. I am a writer, not a vet, vet tech, nurse, medical doctor, nutritionist, or anything practical whatsoever. Do not take this as medical advice, mk? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This site uses affiliate links, which means that I …

“His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me… whenever… wherever-in case I need him. And I expect I will-as I always have. He is just my dog.” — Gene Hill Since …

Recently, my dad mentioned a conversation with his doc about vitamins. The only one, according to his doctor, that really mattered? Fish oil. I’m not convinced of that because I’m not convinced we all eat a well-rounded enough diet, especially with how depleted our soil is. I give everyone in my family–human and animal members–vitamins …

Happy New Year, friends! I hope 2020 is treating you well so far! Every year, the flood of “new year, new me” posts slam into our inboxes and social feeds, and every year I think… bah humbug. No one needs to become a whole new person. Not one of us! New habits? Sure. New goals? …