Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes The last year of my cat’s life was a nightmare rollercoaster. Sebastian was battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. He lost his appetite, and I became obsessed with feeding him. I tried every brand of food, cooked for him, and checked his food bowl a dozen times daily to monitor how much he was eating. Finally, […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes In some ways, the fact that pain will affect how a living creature behaves is obvious. If I have a bad headache, I’ll stop writing this article and go lie down. If my dog steps on something sharp, she’ll stop walking and hold up her paw. But even for an experienced pet owner, it can […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes You’ll remember your pet’s euthanasia for the rest of your life, and if your pet is agitated or anxious, you’ll remember that, too. Taking these few simple steps to plan ahead will make help make the experience easier for your pet and your family. When you make the difficult decision to euthanize your pet, there […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When my husband and I adopted a senior Poodle named Peach, we knew she had a heart murmur. But when she began coughing almost to the point of retching, our veterinarian referred us to a veterinary cardiologist for more testing. Sure enough, Peach has a leaky mitral valve. The resulting heart enlargement puts pressure on […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The death of a beloved pet is excruciating. With their shorter lifespans, it’s also, unfortunately, an inevitability. Therapist Susan Anschuetz, LMFT, co-founder of the Denver-based nonprofit Human Animal Bond Trust, has led free weekly pet loss support groups for more than 30 years. “There’s hardly a week that goes by where someone doesn’t say, ‘I […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes I called Story my 100-day dog, her nickname in the final 365 days of her life. By the time she was 12 years old, my black Labrador retriever displayed signs of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, and the medication to treat it came in 100-dose bottles. I agreed to a one-bottle trial. As her dementia worsened, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes I’d just taken my senior Poodle, Peach, outside to potty. Instead of doing her business, she stood blinking at me, shivering a bit in the cold despite her little sweater. I kept the sliding door open in case she changed her mind, and sat down to eat lunch. Peach squatted next to my chair and […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s hard for me to believe that my dog, Chilly, is already 10 years old. It’s easy to think he’s as young on the inside as he looks on the outside. I just thought it was old age, which I am sure many pet owners like you have thought. However, a few recent changes in […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes From waiving adoption fees to offering discounts for veterinary wellness visits to staging fun events, shelters are stepping it up for senior pets inside their facilities. There are many advantages to adopting an older pet over a young kitten or puppy. Topping the list: most older pets are housetrained, mellow, and less apt to chew […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes My 10-year-old daughter Reagan has experienced a lot of pet loss in the past year. Our 12-year-old black Pug, Willy, died suddenly and unexpectedly while my husband and I were out of the country, leaving Reagan and my mother Teresa to face his loss together. Then my parents’ 16-year-old canine cocktail Quixote passed away. At […]