The Pet Parent Hotline

Dog Won’t Take a Pill? 10 Rescue-Proven Tricks That Work

Getting a dog to take a pill can turn into a ridiculous battle of wills, especially when they somehow eat everything except the medication. In this episode, Amy shares 1

8 DIY Pet Health Checks to Do Every Month

You see your pet every day, which means you’re in the best position to notice when something starts to change. The problem? Seeing them every day can also make gradual ch

Is Your Pet Acting Differently? 3 Questions to Ask | Pet Parent Power Up

This month’s Pet Parent Power Up is a little different: no intro music, minimal editing, and recorded on the fly to follow up on an important question from Sunday’s episo

Fair Isn’t Equal: What Your Pet Really Needs

Treating your pets fairly doesn’t mean treating them all the same. In this episode, Amy looks at how age, health, mobility, personality, behavior, and even personal pref

A New Home With Pets: I Need Your Help!

What happens when the person who usually answers the Pet Parent Hotline needs help from the listeners? Amy is finally in her new house (new to her, but built in 1957), b

Before Fall Gets Busy: Get Your Pet Care in Order

Summer has a way of knocking routines loose and pushing pet care tasks to “later.” Before fall gets busy, this is a good time for dog, cat, and other pet parents to catch

What Your Pet Food Label Is Really Telling You

Pet food labels are packed with reassuring words like real chicken, high protein, complete and balanced, and superfoods. But what do those words actually tell you about t

Do Special Pet Diets Do What They Claim? | Pet Parent Power Up

Sensitive stomach. Weight management. Hairball control. Urinary care. Pet food labels make these diets sound highly specific, but not every claim on the package means the

Is Doggy Daycare Helping or Hurting Your Dog?

Doggy daycare can give dogs exercise, enrichment, social time, and a much-needed outlet for their energy. But a dog coming home exhausted does not automatically mean they

Buying a House With Pets: What I Never Thought to Check

I thought buying a house with pets meant finding enough space, a decent yard, and hopefully a fence. Then I started walking through houses with three dogs and three cats

What Really Happened Moving 2,200 Miles With Six Pets

What Really Happened Moving 2,200 Miles With Six Pets Moving six pets from Texas to Massachusetts in an RV sounded manageable on paper. Then came the delayed departure,

Moving Cross-Country With 6 Pets: Lessons From 2,200 Miles

Moving cross-country with pets is not the same as taking your dog for a quick ride around town. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy shares the practical lesso

When a Pet Is Loved, But Not Safe: Understanding Behavioral Euthanasia

Behavioral euthanasia is one of the hardest and most misunderstood decisions a pet parent may ever face. While most people think of euthanasia as something reserved for p

Why Isn't Training Working for My Dog?

If you’ve ever said, “We tried training, and it didn’t work,” this episode is for you. This week, Amy talks with Em Breslin, host of the podcast The Dog Who Asked for Mo

When the Life You Built No Longer Fits: Pets, Grief, and Moving Forward

What do you do when the life you built around your pets, your purpose, and your plans no longer fits the life you're actually living? In this raw, personal episode,

What Your Vet Wishes You Understood About Them

Most pet parents see veterinarians during some of the most stressful moments of pet ownership: when a pet is sick, injured, aging, or facing an expensive medical decision

Found Kittens? Don’t Assume the Shelter Will Save Them

Most people who find tiny kittens think the shelter is the safest place to take them. But when kittens are newborns or bottle babies, the shelter may not have the staff,

Pet Acting Different? Ask This Before You Blame Them | Pet Parent Power-Up

Is your pet suddenly acting clingy, anxious, restless, messy, or just “off”? Before you decide they’re being difficult, ask one better question: what changed? In this qui

When Pet Parenting Feels Like Too Much

Do you love your pet, but secretly feel worn out by the constant responsibility Pet-parent fatigue can sneak up on you when every decision, routine, behavior issue, vet

6 Reasons Good Pets Get Returned After Adoption

Thinking about adopting a pet, or already wondering if you made the right decision after bringing one home? A lot of people think the hard part of adoption is choosing t