Who This Blog Is For

Welcome to My Happy Healthy Hazel!  I’m so happy that you’re here.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of blogs on the internet about dogs.  Because there are hundreds or thousands of things that people need to know about, or want to do with, their best furry friend.

I want to take a minute to let you know who this blog is for because I want to make sure that you’re in the right place.  If you want to know the best way to teach your dog how to do frisbee tricks you are not going to find that here.

I know that you are here because you are looking for some kind of answers.  Let’s see if I can help.

You’re in the right place if…

You have a dog who’s been diagnosed with allergies

An allergy diagnosis seems like such a straight forward thing on paper but it can actually be quite confusing.

Are your dog’s allergies food related or environmental?  Do they need medication?  Over the counter or prescription?  Do they need a special diet?  Commercial or home prepared? 

The world of allergies can be overwhelming.   I’ll do my best to break things down, cut through the noise, and help you find solutions that make sense for you and your dog.

You have a dog who’s had surgery

When Hazel had back surgery it was incredibly traumatic, for her and for us.  The physical, emotional, and financial toll that it took on our little family was no small thing. 

I think that it’s also important to remember that ANY surgery is traumatic and stressful, for them and for you.  Don’t think that you don’t need help, support, and advice because your dog “just” had oral surgery, or “just” broke a leg, or was “just” spayed or neutered.  Surgery and recovery sucks.  I don’t care what it was for.

When Hazel was spayed, we were supposed to keep her quiet for 2 weeks.  Have you ever tried to keep a 1-year-old lab quiet for 2 minutes let alone 2 weeks?  I almost lost my mind.

It’s important to remember that things will get better.  We’ve been where you are, and come out the other side.  I want to help you find ways to take care of your dog, and to take care of yourself, during this super stressful time.

You have a dog who struggles physically either from age or injury

When Hazel first presented with her broken back, and directly following surgery, she could not use her back legs.  If she tried to move herself, she would commando crawl with her front legs and drag her back legs behind her.  For weeks we had to use a strap under her belly to help her go potty, or even to move from place to place.

Now she’s doing pretty good.  She really only needs help when she gets tired.  Sometimes she can’t get her back legs onto the sofa.  Sometimes it takes her longer than usual to stand up.  We play “wake up legs” before we take the stairs.  She uses a ramp in the car.

We’ve gone from “OMG my dog can’t walk” to “OK, my dog needs some help” and everywhere in between.

Whatever your struggles are, wherever you’re at with your dog, I promise you we’ve been there.

You want to help your dog but don’t know where to start

Chances are that you stumbled across this blog because you’ve been doing some research to help your dog.  You know that something is wrong, and you want to help them; but where do you even start?

I get it.  You don’t want to overreact but you do want to act.

If you’re wondering what might be wrong with your dog, and what you can do to help them, I hope that you can find some insights and answers here. 

You need cost effective solutions to help your dog

I know that if money is no object, you will do whatever you have to do, buy whatever you have to buy, to help your dog.  If we had a million dollars, I promise you that Hazel would have a personal chef and massage therapist.

But we don’t have a million dollars.  I’m guessing you don’t either. 

Out of necessity we’ve come up with simple, cost effective (and, if I do say so myself, pretty clever) solutions.  I can show you how to do the same.

You are overwhelmed by all of the information on the internet

The internet is awesome.  The answers to life, the universe, and everything are just a quick search away.  All of the information that you could ever ask for are at your fingertips.  Literally.

But it can be an “embarrassment of riches”.  You can’t get a simple answer to any question.  You will get page after page of results for any search term.  And many of the answers that you find are contradictory.

I want to simplify this process for you because I’ve been in the trenches.  I’ve done the research, gone down the rabbit holes, talked to experts, and tried the tools and tricks.

You feel like no one understands what you’re going through

It can feel incredibly isolating to have a special needs dog.  Especially when they look perfectly healthy.

If your dog is in a wheel chair, or if their allergies present in hot spots or hair loss everyone around you gets it.  It’s clear what your poor pup, and you, are going through.

But if your post-surgery dog only suffers a slight limp, or the allergies make them lick their paws incessantly, the people around you likely think that you’re overreacting when you talk about your struggles.

I want you to know that you are not alone.  There is whole community of people who understand.  

You want information that is less general and more specific

I am the kind of girl that wants specifics.

I don’t just want to know that exercise is good for my dog, I want to know what exercise.  I want to know what food, what products, what therapies.

If you are the same kind of person then you are in the right place.

You have a perfectly healthy dog but want to keep them that way

Maybe there is nothing wrong with your dog but you know that an injury can happen at any time, and that age is inevitable.

Maybe you’ve seen your dog starting to struggle a little with seemingly easy things.

You want your furry friend to live their best live, to be as healthy and vibrant as possible for as long as possible.

I want you to have solutions that fit into your lifestyle, that are simple and cost effective, that will help you to help them. 

You are working with a specialist but want to know if there’s more you can do

Working with a dermatologist, or a physical therapist, or any other specialist is helpful and empowering.  You know that you have someone in your corner who knows what you are talking about and can answer your questions and offer insight.

But maybe you wonder if there is more that you can be doing.  Specialists are worth their weight in gold. But because they are specialists, they may have a hard time thinking outside the box.

Hopefully I can help you find some things that may complement the regimen that you’ve established with whatever specialist that you’re working with.

You are curious about alternative therapies that you’ve heard about

You’ve heard about things like acupuncture, raw food feeding, massage therapy, and light therapy.

Are any of these any good?  Are they worth the hype?  What kinds of things are they even designed to help?

I have researched and used a number of different alternative therapies and I’d love to help break it all down for you.

You are looking for home remedies

Just like the alternative therapies, you’ve heard a lot of good things about home remedies.  But do any of them actually work?

Apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, homemade shampoo…the list is endless and includes some things that are truly weird.

I have found some things that work great, some that work OK, and some that are not worth the effort.

Let me help you shorten the learning curve a little.

You know that this will be a lifelong journey and you’d like help and support along the way

Whatever your dog is going through, whether it’s allergies, an injury, old age, or anything else, you know that it’s not likely to go away or take care of itself.

This is likely to be a lifelong journey for you and your dog.  You will probably always be trying new things, making adjustments, finding what works and what doesn’t.

You are not alone in this.  I want to be a place where you can find answers to your questions and support with your struggles and concerns.

Wrapping it up…

My blog may not be for everybody.  And that’s OK.

If you are not facing any health issues with your dog, I am so over the moon happy for you.  And I truly hope that it stays that way.  I hope that you never need the information in my blog.

But if you are facing any health or physical challenges with your dog I truly want to help.

Wishing you love and wet kisses!

Jenn