My name’s Amanda. I’m a 42-year-old mom of two (plus a 9-year-old rescue Lab named Cooper).
Like most people, I didn’t think much about dog dental care.
Sure, Cooper had bad breath. But he was healthy, happy, always wagging his tail.
The problems started slow. First, he stopped chewing his favorite toy. Then he started eating slower.
One day, I noticed blood on his chew bone.
The vet visit was the wake-up call.
“He has Stage 2 periodontal disease,” the vet said. “You’ll need to consider a cleaning under anesthesia.”
That’s when panic hit.
Cooper’s a senior dog. Anesthesia scared me. Plus the cleaning? $865.
That night, I stayed up Googling alternatives.
Chews didn’t work. Brushing? He HATED it.
Every attempt turned into a wrestling match.
I felt trapped. Guilty. And desperate.