I have spent more time staring at dog diarrhea than I care to admit. My dog, Moose, has the stomach of a drama queen. One week he’s fine. The next week he’s refusing breakfast and leaving messes on the rug. Over the past two years I’ve gone through six different foods, two vet visits, and … Read more
My dog ate my couch. Not the whole thing. Just the left armrest, the part you rest your elbow on when you are watching TV. I was at work. He was home alone. And apparently the armrest looked delicious. That was the day I went on Amazon and started searching for dog gates. I did … Read more
The first time I put a head collar on my dog, a woman at the park asked if it was a muzzle. My dog was panting happily, tongue out, clearly not muzzled. I explained that no, he could still breathe, drink, eat treats, and lick my hand — it just stopped him from dragging me … Read more
The first time I took my 75-pound Lab mix to the lake, I assumed swimming would come naturally. She is a retriever, right? Turns out, she paddled frantically for about 90 seconds, started sinking in the back end, and I had to wade in fully clothed to pull her out. That was the day I … Read more
My vet handed me the estimate like it was a restaurant menu. Seven hundred and twelve dollars. That was the quote for a professional dental cleaning on my dog, including anesthesia and pre-op bloodwork. The tech smiled and said I could finance it over six months. I stared at that number for a long time. … Read more
I came home one Tuesday to find stuffing scattered across the living room like it had snowed indoors. There were three disembodied squeakers on the couch, a rope toy unspooled into what looked like spaghetti, and my dog sitting in the middle of it all with that guilty-but-pleased look dogs do so well. That was … Read more
Quick Answer Fall dog grooming does not require a professional salon. You can prep your dog for cooler weather with a budget toolkit under 30 dollars: a deshedding brush, dog shampoo, paw balm, and nail clippers. The key tasks for fall are removing summer-damaged coat, soothing cracked paw pads, managing seasonal shedding, and prepping for … Read more
Quick Answer Raw dog food costs 3 to 5 times more than premium kibble, but you can feed raw on a budget with DIY meal prep for around 100 dollars per month for a 50-pound dog. Commercial raw food runs 180 to 420 dollars monthly depending on brand and dog size. The cheapest way to … Read more
My beagle mix, Cooper, escaped the backyard three times last summer. The first two times, a neighbor found him sniffing around the dumpster behind the grocery store two blocks over. The third time, I spent four hours driving around my neighborhood, printing flyers, and panicking. A guy walking his own dog finally spotted him sitting … Read more
Quick Answer Cat vaccinations cost between 15 and 50 dollars per shot at a private vet, but low-cost clinics and shelters offer the same vaccines for 10 to 25 dollars. A kitten’s first-year vaccination series typically totals 80 to 200 dollars, while annual boosters cost 50 to 100 dollars. Core vaccines (FVRCP and rabies) are … Read more
