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Dog Seat Covers in a Subaru Outback: Which One Stayed PutApril 26, 2026Hammock, bench style and a cargo liner. What survived a muddy golden mutt, a ramp-only recovery phase and a winter of road salt.
Back on the Sunrise Prairie Trail, SlowlyApril 17, 2026Fourteen weeks after surgery, Hank walked a mile and a half of paved trail near North Branch. The pace, the rest stops and a very busy tail.
Moving Mabel to Mostly Wet Food: Cost and Early ResultsApril 10, 2026At nine, Mabel's vet nudged us toward more moisture. Our switch, the jump from $38 to $61 a month and what we've noticed so far.
Five Cat Insurance Quotes for One Gray Tabby, ComparedApril 3, 2026Deductibles, reimbursement rates, annual limits and how each company treated a past dental issue. What five quotes for Mabel showed us.
Mud Season, Round Two: What We Changed at the Back DoorMarch 30, 2026Last spring's paw station worked, mostly. This year we added a washable runner, a second towel hook and a strict sit-and-wait rule.
Insuring a Nine-Year-Old Cat: Our Back-and-ForthMarch 23, 2026Mabel's dental history now counts as pre-existing, she just turned nine and premiums climb with age. Our case for and against insuring her.
Three No-Pull Harnesses Tested on a Dog Back From Knee SurgeryMarch 17, 2026Fit, chest pressure and how each one handles a lunge at a rabbit: three harnesses we tried as Hank came back to longer walks this March.
Rebuilding Our Pet Emergency Fund After SurgeryMarch 11, 2026Our pet fund dropped to $255.70 in late January. How it got that low, how we're refilling it and why the monthly transfer is now $150.
Eight Weeks After TPLO: The X-Ray AppointmentMarch 6, 2026On March 2 we drove back to Blaine for Hank's recheck films. The bone healing, the $310 bill and our new list of allowed activities.
Feeding a Dog Who Can't Run: Calories, Puzzles and Frozen KongsFebruary 24, 2026Hank gained four pounds in his first month of crate rest. How we cut his kibble, slowed his meals and kept him busy without overfeeding.
Books, Blankets and a Snoring Dog: Our Longest-February Reading ListFebruary 17, 2026Crate rest kept us home, so I read. The books that carried me through a long February, plus a few I gave up on, all from the library in town.
Paying for Dog Rehab: Six Underwater Treadmill SessionsFebruary 11, 2026Hank's surgeon prescribed hydrotherapy. What a session looks like, $65 each, how our policy handles rehab and whether it seems worth it.