My mom doesn’t like dogs and she’s afraid of them. It was her birthday a few days ago and we had a small party in my parents backyard (allowed where we live). My mom told me not to bring my support dog, but she knows I have bad anxiety. My dad loves my dog and he wouldn’t have cared if I brought her.
I brought my dog to the party and my mom got scared. She told me to bring my dog back home and to “get that mutt out of her sight”. My dad told her to calm down and I yelled at her and went back home. I called her crazy and a drama queen.
AITA?
I feel horrible for thinking about this now, my friend's dog just died(three hours ago) on her lap, shes devastated obviously, i feel super bad for her specially bc its some weeks before her birthday, so an idea came to my head, what if i draw her and her dog for her birthday? I have to research how to print it so it could be a portrait. But im wondering whether it would be too soon, and if she would actually like it. Im gonna talk to our mutual friend first bc she knows her a little better
What do you guys think?
Today is my wife's birthday. While she was at work, a delivery came. Her parents sent her flowers and a Happy Birthday balloon via some floral service. I was home, so I put them on the dining room table for her to see when she got home.
That's all very well and good, but here's the thing. We have a Saint Bernard who is a fierce protector of the home, and especially protective of her. He runs off wildlife, fears neither beast nor man, and puts himself in between Mom and harm's way whenever there is a threat. AND he just so happens to have one fear in this world: Balloons.
When she got home and went over to see what had arrived, the dog bolted over and put himself between her and the balloon. He insisted that she stay away from it. It is DANGEROUS! It took her a couple of tries to talk him down and assure him that she could handle the evil balloon without his assistance. He wasn't thrilled with this risky behavior, but he did let her pass. Kept an eye on her though, just in case. You never know what those things are going to try. Don't trust them.
Dog tax: Balloon Nemesis
I probably sound crazy! But I will clarify.
When I brought my puppy home, he was perfect. After a few weeks though, he started developing diarrhea. BAD diarrhea, with blood streaks. He has been hospitalized three different times for anemia. He even passed out and wouldn't come to once for about two solid minutes. And it hasn't gone away in nearly two years. He has had more tests done on him than any dog should ever have. Blood, urine, fecal, x-rays, ultrasounds...you name it, he's been poked and sampled for it. NOTHING has helped. You ask for advice and people generally go, "try pumpkin!" which is really not helpful when you're going on two years with it. Of course we tried pumpkin!! But they are only trying to help so I shouldn't complain.
The vet chalked it up to incurable IBS or a food allergy. I kept a feeding diary for months and found absolutely no rhyme or reason to his intestinal distress. What hurt him one day would be just fine to eat the next. Only...there WAS a rhyme and reason. He would get sick every three months like clockwork and just STAY sick for ages, according to his diary. I dug into the internet and discovered that whipworms have a life cycle that creates intestinal distress every three months or so. It can give a dog blood-streaked diarrhea and make them extremely lethargic and anemic. It can create dietary rejections very similar to IBS because of gut inflammation. And it doesn't show up on fecal tests!
I took that information right to the vet and they told me that while we don't have whipworm in our area, he might have contracted it elsewhere. Well...he was born on the other side of the country, in Michigan! Apparently, it's common there. They agreed that my theory was spot on and they gave him a strong dose of medicine.
Within 48 hours, he was completely diarrhea-free and feeling great. He has been for 33 days straight. This is the longest he has ever gone without getting sick. He has been eating anything he wants without getting runs at all. He has been full of energy, playful and happy. On Monday, he will go for his second dose of medicine to flush out the rest of the infection, and then he will be put on a lifelong preventative to make sure it never happens again.
His birthday is in April, and I would like to celebrate his "big 2" with loads of things that he could never have before. (Not all in one day of course!) He needs good treats to eat.
He is VERY smart and I want to get him some food enrichment and puzzle item
... keep reading on reddit ➡
You'll regularly see posts on Reddit with a golden retriever or German shepherd that are far above their average age, and they're is celebrated even though it's clear that they're tired and sometimes hurting. I did that too with my childhood dog. She was done at 12 but we kept her until 14, mostly on my insistence. Sometimes you see dogs with the same average lifespan at 19!!! It was wrong of me and it's wrong of these people. Yes, they have happy moments, but when every limb aches to get up and they can barely squat to relieve themselves, it's time to say goodbye.
So, my dog's birthday is on Wednesday and...I'm definitely turning into one of THOSE people. I adore him. So of course, he will be getting a little birthday celebration. Everyone deserves a birthday! I've got a bunch of new toys for him, someone actually made him some cookies with his name on them, and of course he will get his picture taken with a birthday hat and all that fun stuff.
My sister's dog is about 4 months older than Tyke, and she commented on this when I said that Tyke would be getting a birthday bath before his picture. I teasingly asked her if she took pictures of her dog for her birthday, and she acted utterly disgusted by the idea. "HECK no." She said. And that was that.
So...those of you that do "celebrate," what do you do for your dog's birfday?
it was my dog’s fifth birthday this past weekend and it just got me to thinking how much we have been through together. i truly believe he has made me far more empathetic, compassionate, kind, and overall just a better person.
it’s funny because i’ve had a severe phobia of dogs ever since i was bitten by three dogs (all at once!) as a kid. i couldn’t even touch anything that felt like fur for years because of how terrified i was of dogs.
taz, my dog, changed all of that. ever since i got him, i’ve fostered five other dogs, i now volunteer at a dog shelter, and i am now literally more comfortable with dogs than people.
anyway, i don’t know if anyone cares about this revelation (lol) but gosh. give all of your doggies an extra belly rub, an extra cuddle, and an extra kiss from me. they do so much for us, far more than we ever realize!
edit: taz and i are so so so overwhelmed (in a good way!) with all the messages here!!! thank you so much for all of the sweet words. taz and i are very lucky to have each other and we’re so lucky to have a community like this too :)
