For a long time now publishing this site has been on my heart. Since getting my first job in a veterinary clinic over 10 years ago, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge that has helped not only my own dogs, but my family pets, other people’s dogs, cats, and other pets too. Here’s a little, well maybe a lot about how this came to be.
I got my very first puppy, Loki in December 2006. I had just moved here from England, and I spent a lot of time by myself. I needed a friend, enter Loki. Loki is named after the norse God of mischief. And mischievous he was, and still is! In his first year, he ate 3 direct TV controls, a kitchen towel, 2 Blackberry cell phones, 1 Motorola razr, so many bra’s, underwear, half a pack of cigarettes (the person I lived with was a smoker smh) and half a dozen chocolate bars my parents sent me from England. We made plenty of trips to the vet, had the poison control center on speed dial and I don’t even remember how many dog beds were replaced because he ate them! I wouldn’t have changed a minute of it! Well, you know what I mean.
Loki had separation anxiety, when I went to work he would cry for hours and hated being in his crate. After a while I came up with the idea that he needed a brother. I have no idea why, it really could have turned out terribly and I could have had twice the damage – really I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. But it was a match made in heaven!
Kato was a super chill puppy, he house trained almost immediately thanks to Loki showing him where the door was. He didn’t eat anything – well except the one time he chewed my glasses and I drove around at night with sunglasses on. He came back when he was called and could be off leash most of the time we went walking, and he cured Loki of his separation anxiety. Once he had a little brother he was so much calmer when I left. I know that’s not always the case, I’m sure I just got super lucky, but I’m so glad I did.
Loki is now 12.5 and Kato will be 11 in April. Together we have fought cancer, recovered from traumatic surgery, battled Degenerative Myelopathy, visited countless specialists, medicated crazy cardiac conditions, calmed anxiety and are still living to tell our tale! We have been on an incredible (expensive) journey together, they have helped me through vet tech school (still in progress), moving across the country and through my own medical issues.
There is a lot of information out there for you and your pets to read. A lot of it is unreliable or just plain scary. As a veterinary health care team member, I have seen what happens when people read inappropriate medical advice for their pets from social media or the internet. It’s not their fault, they just want to help their pet! While this site will mainly be opinion pieces, anything medically related (while not giving advice) will be backed up with appropriate sources and researched to the best of my ability. I will also reach out to guest content creators, veterinarians and other pet professionals to ensure you’re getting a broad base of relevant info.
Helping pet parents is a passion of mine. My boys and I hope you enjoy reading about our journey, and experiencing all the great pet info we have come to know and share with you all.
Nubby Wiggles and Slobbery Kisses,
Sam, Loki & Kato