The first time I trimmed my dog’s nails, I cut the quick on three out of eighteen nails. Blood on the floor, blood on my pants, my dog looking at me like I had betrayed her trust. I felt terrible. I paid 25 dollars a month at the groomer for the next year because I … Read more
Every August, like clockwork, my Golden Retriever starts itching. Not normal scratching — the kind where she wakes me up at 3 AM because she’s chewing her paws bloody. The kind where she rubs her face against the carpet until the fur is gone and the skin underneath is red and raw. I’ve spent three … Read more
Floppy-eared dogs get ear infections. I didn’t know this was a thing until my Golden Retriever started shaking her head and pawing at her right ear one Saturday evening. By Sunday morning, the ear was red, swollen, and smelled like yeast bread. By Monday, I was at the vet. The diagnosis: otitis externa, an inflammation … Read more
Last August, my dog came inside from the backyard with a flea on her ear. One flea. I found it because she was scratching, and when I parted the fur, there it was — a tiny brown dot running through the gold fur like it owned the place. I killed it, checked the rest of … Read more
I brush my Golden Retriever every day. I vacuum every other day. I still find dog hair in my coffee, on my clothes, in my car, and in places I haven’t been in weeks. When I got her as a puppy, nobody warned me that Golden Retrievers don’t just shed — they shed continuously, year-round, … Read more
It started on a morning walk last October. My Golden Retriever, who usually pulls like a freight train, was favoring her right front leg. Not limping badly — just a slight skip in her stride, like she was avoiding full weight on that paw. I checked for cuts, thorns, anything stuck between her pads. Nothing. … Read more
When I started going back to the office last fall, my Golden Retriever started chewing the door frame. Not chewing like a normal dog — chewing like she was trying to escape a prison. The vet said it was separation anxiety and suggested I try calming chews before jumping to prescription medication. I was skeptical. … Read more
Two summers ago, I walked my Golden Retriever on a paved trail at 1 PM. It was 94 degrees. I was wearing shoes and didn’t think about the ground temperature. She didn’t limp or complain — she just kept walking. That evening, I noticed she was licking her paws obsessively. I checked them and found … Read more
Every summer, pet stores roll out their “summer essentials” displays and half of it is stuff no one needs. Cooling bandanas that stop working in 15 minutes. Dog sunglasses that fall off during the first head shake. Inflatable pool toys that your dog pops in a day. I’ve wasted money on most of it. So … Read more
I used to bring a regular water bottle on walks and pour water into my cupped hand for my dog. It worked about as well as you’d expect — most of the water ended up on the ground, my hand was freezing, and my dog got maybe two sips. After a particularly frustrating hike where … Read more