Happy 4th to those in the 🇺🇸🎉! Growing up, this day was always so fun, it was about eating food cooked outside and blowing things up (it’s an 80’s-90’s thing, no judging 😆). Speaking of, if your dog might get stressed from the fireworks and fire crackers, you can: 1. Turn up ambient sounds in the house. Such as soft a.m. radio, white noise, soft classical music. If you’ve been getting them used to firework noises already, good on you 🤛🏽. 2. close the windows (flashes and lights) doors (sounds) and move them to the quietest room. 3. give them a safe space, a crate if that is their go-to 4. Ideally, keep them indoors 5. Make sure their microchip and collar tag info is up to date, in case they do try and run from the noise. 6. Use the medications prescribed from your vets for noise phobias, if you have them. And don’t forget to give them well before they’re needed. 7. If you can, stay with them through the loudest times. Be well, stay safe, Happy 4th and let’s try and remember what is being celebrated so that it can continue to be.

A little sneak peek… 👀 I’ve been working on something that’s lived on my own fridge for awhile now. I decided to turn it into something I could share with everyone in Dogtopia. It’s a comprehensive guide to foods for dogs. The kind of thing you can quickly grab when you’re cooking and think, “Hang on… can they have this?” Simple. Practical. No panic Googling. I’ll be dropping it here very soon (along with a series of YouTube videos that bring it to life). I hope it brings you as much comfort as it has me. 🐾 Talk soon.

I’ve just posted a little YouTube vid from when my new Blueberry Biscotti mix first arrived. I was so pleased. It's actually purple-y. Chunky blueberries, pumpkin seeds, Cookie next to me supervising. I'm trying to do more things like this: just creating something from scratch, slowing down, basically unplugging from the internet merry-go-round that if I'm honest, feels almost violent. Cookie, obviously, took quality control very seriously. With some light janitorial work. Me, i got a moment from it all. Creating IRL- anything - can be quite challenging these days for me. Does anyone else feel this way? If so, what do you create, and do you do it in a shared way? oh - and if you want some blueberry biscotti or carrot crumble organic, ready-made baking mix to make your own posh dog treats at home - DM me! I'm down to my last batch.

Today’s Coffee Hour was a rambling, but also a personal one. I shared why, as vets, pet owners, and human beings, we should be slower to judge and quicker to extend grace. I talked about empathy, the unseen stories behind difficult decisions, why I cried after euthanizing a hamster, why saying goodbye to a 15-year-old dog hit especially hard this weekend, and the moments I still regret not choosing kindness. A conversation about veterinary medicine, but also about how we should show up for each other in today’s world. ❤️

I've been wanting to share this story since Mother's Day, I did that today in my first 'coffee hour' (check out the calendar for the next one - and I will figure out the sound better next time i promise;) During the devastating bushfires in Australia, I witnessed one of the most remarkable examples of a mother's love I've ever seen. It involved a kangaroo and her little joey, and it's a story I'll never forget. ❤️ 🦘 Animals never cease to amaze me. Have you ever witnessed the bond between an animal mother and her young? 🐾👇 I'd love to hear your stories in the comments, let's share these momma's lessons. ❤️