Kate Wicker

Storyteller & Speaker

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All in the family

My oldest daughter is ready for some human cousins as evidenced by her recent observation:

“You know, I really like kittens and puppies. I like dogs and cats,” Madeline said, “but it’s astonishing that all I have is furry cousins.”

My sister-in-law and her husband have two wiry, little pups named Winston and Lelia, and my brother and his new bride recently adopted this cutie named Munchkin. (Rae piped in that Winston was their hairiest cousin.)

 

The girls can’t wait to meet their newest “cousin” even if she is on the hairy side.

 

***

So long as we’re on the topic of pets, our dear Layla – a Great Dane/Lab mix – is suffering from some horrid halitosis. We have not changed her food or oral hygine care, but her hot, hot breath reeks lately. It smells like fish. It’s gotten so bad we’re thinking of changing her name from Layla to Stinka. Any suggestions for improving her breath? We’re always pushing the poor girl away now because the smell makes you want to gag.

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· August 25, 2011 · Tagged With: Madeline, Mom Humor, Pets · Filed Under: Kate's Blog

Comments

  1. Dwija @ HouseUnseen says

    August 25, 2011 at 8:48 am

    Okay, I know you’re going to think we’ve lost our minds, but we started making our own dog food and the dogs’ breath and *ahem* waste products have been much less smelly and more manageable. It’s really a lot easier than you’re imagining it to be, I swear!
    Dwija @ HouseUnseen recently posted…Wordless Wednesday: This is what YOU do at the zoo…right?My Profile

  2. Michelle Bailey says

    August 25, 2011 at 8:48 am

    Hi Kate! We had a lab several years ago that developed *really* awful breath once. After a few weeks of it we held him down and looked in his mouth to find a bone of something lodged sideways across the top of his mouth. Steve had to pull it out with fishing pliers, but you could tell the dog was relieved to have it gone, and his breath improved to normal. :)

  3. Rita says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:05 am

    My guess is that she has a rotten tooth that is causing her some discomfort and gag breath.

  4. Kris Chatfield says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:16 am

    I would guess teeth also. Maybe she needs a cleaning – dogs get bad tartar build up. Time for a vet visit.

  5. Kate Wicker says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Thanks for all the suggestions! I do brush her teeth, but she is due for a vet checkup in October, and I’ll ask for a cleaning then. She had one last year when we first adopted her. I wasn’ sure if any of those minty bones worked, or if there were any other dental products that might be helpful.

    Oh, and how do you make your own dog food?

  6. Katy says

    August 25, 2011 at 10:28 am

    Munchkin’s paws are huge! Are they sure it’s not really a mountain lion or something? :)

  7. Jess says

    August 25, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    My first thought is teeth, too!
    Jess recently posted…First Day of SchoolMy Profile

  8. Mom says

    August 25, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    Product named Liquid Oral Care suggested. Love you!!!

Hi, I’m Kate

I’m a wife, mom of five kids, writer, speaker, storyteller, bibliophile, runner, eating disorder survivor, and perfectionist in recovery. I'm the author of Getting Past Perfect: Finding Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood  and Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body.

I’ve tried a lot of things in my life – anorexia, bulimia, law school, teaching aerobics, extended breastfeeding, vegetarianism, trying to be perfect and failing miserably at it – and through it all I’ve been writing. And learning to embrace the messiness of life instead of covering it up, making excuses for it, or being ashamed of my brokenness or my home’s sticky counters.

Nowadays I’m striving every single, imperfect day to strike a balance between keeping it real and keeping it joyful.

 

“She could never be a saint, but she thought she could be a martyr if they killed her quick.”

―Flannery O'Connor

Copyright © 2025 Kate Wicker · A Little Leaf Design

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