Quill’s first collapse happened on the coldest night of the winter. We were walking through the yard on a potty break, and his entire body collapsed. It was below zero, and most of his abdomen was missing fur from a recent ultrasound. I struggled to pick him up, but his entire body was as if he had no bones.
Nothing can prepare you for learning that your dog cannot properly swallow anything, even his saliva. This is the story of Quill, my 15-month Labrador Retriever puppy, and what would become the scariest two months of my life as a dog owner as he was diagnosed with megaesophagus and Myasthenia Gravis. I share this story…
One year ago today I woke up, went downstairs, and found Jackson splooted on the tile in the foyer. My heart sank the second I saw him. Well past his cute puppy sploot days, I knew that this was something else. As I looked in his epically soulful eyes, I saw the message he was sending me. “Mom, it’s time.”
The thing about putting yourself out there as a blogger and an influencer is that in some niches, people want perfection. They want the perfect smokey eye, the perfect cupcakes, the perfectly staged house, or the perfect shoes to go with the perfect outfit. And for too long I subscribed to that belief as a dog expert. I felt like I I needed to share the perfectly edited photos, and perfectly drafted blog posts. However, I recently had a huge ah-ha moment…and by recent, I mean literally this morning!
Our lives with dogs are perfect because dogs don’t care that we are imperfect.
Even if you rarely travel without your dog, I strongly suggest having at least one trusted dog care option who you can call in the event of an emergency. Ideally, I recommend having at least one trusted pet sitter and at least one boarding option you can trust.
In this blog post we will explore how love is connected to wellness and why loving our dogs can benefit our dogs’ holistic health.
Snoop was my first dog and taught me what it was like to have a dog as a best friend when I was just five years old. A sweet and young black Labrador Retriever, Snoop was my playmate and constant companion. When my half-brothers were at our home, we became a foursome, exploring the woods and the lake where we lived. However, as soon as Dad arrived home from work or from a business trip, Snoop quickly abandoned us to become velcroed to his side.
If a purebred puppy is the right dog for you the next step is to find a responsible dog breeder. This blog contains 16 criteria of a responsible breeder.