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 10 tricks she’s learned from years of owning, fostering, rescuing, and medicating dogs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. The key isn’t finding one magical food that works for every dog. It’s figuring out how your dog approaches food and choosing a strategy that fits.

You’ll learn why a tiny, soft pill package may work better than a big chunk of something delicious, how to use decoy treats and momentum, why your dog may be reacting to your medication-prep routine before the pill even appears, and what to do when a trick that worked for months suddenly stops working.

Amy also covers when it may be time to stop hiding the pill altogether and ask your veterinarian about a "pill popper", liquid or compounded medication, or another appropriate way to give it.

And cat people, you’re not forgotten. Some of these tricks translate, but cats can present a whole different pill-giving challenge, so Amy also talks about when liquid, compounded, transdermal, or direct-pilling options may be worth discussing with your veterinarian.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How your dog’s eating style affects which pill tricks may work
• Why small, soft, easy-to-swallow bites can beat bigger treats
• The decoy-treat trick for slipping medication into the sequence
• How dogs learn our medication routines
• Using timing, momentum, and safe competition in multi-dog homes
• What to do when your dog figures out your favorite trick
• Pill poppers and other direct-pilling options
• When to ask your vet about another medication formulation
• Why pilling cats sometimes requires a completely different approach

Important: Always follow your veterinarian’s instructions for your pet’s specific medication. Don’t crush, split, open, dissolve, or otherwise alter medication unless your veterinarian has confirmed that it’s safe to do so.

Got a pill trick that works on your dog or cat? Amy wants to hear it. Share your weirdest, sneakiest, or most successful strategy, and you might see it featured in a future Pet Parent Hotline episode or post.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 changes surprisingly easy to miss.

In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy walks through eight simple at-home pet health checks you can do about once a month to get more familiar with what’s normal for your pet and spot changes that may be worth mentioning to your veterinarian.

This isn’t about diagnosing your pet at home or replacing regular veterinary care. Think of it as a 10-to-15-minute monthly check-in where you slow down, actually look at your pet, put your hands on them where it’s safe to do so, and pay attention.

You’ll learn to check:

1. Body condition, weight, and muscle changes
2. Lumps, bumps, swelling, and sensitive areas
3. Skin, fur, hair, or feathers
4. Eyes, ears, teeth, gums, and mouth
5. Feet, nails, claws, and paw pads
6. Movement, stiffness, and mobility
7. Eating and drinking habits
8. Bathroom habits, energy, and behavior

Amy also shares how accidentally discovering a badly broken tooth in one of her own dogs made her realize just how much pet parents can miss when we’re not deliberately looking.

The goal isn’t to catch everything. It’s to know your pet well enough that when something changes, you’re more likely to recognize that it’s new and give your veterinarian useful information about when it started.

In This Episode

• Why everyday petting isn’t the same as deliberately checking your pet
• How gradual weight and muscle changes can sneak up on you
• A simple way to keep track of your pet’s lumps and bumps
• Why teeth and gums deserve a closer look
• Small mobility changes that may be easy to dismiss as “just getting older”
• Eating, drinking, and bathroom changes worth paying attention to
• How to turn a monthly pet check into an easy habit
• What to ask your veterinarian so you can personalize the routine for your pet

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 episode.

What should you do when you notice your pet doing something differently? Maybe your dog suddenly hesitates before jumping into the car, your cat starts sleeping somewhere new, or a pet who used to love a certain activity seems less interested.

Before you panic or write it off as “just getting older,” Amy shares three questions that can help you decide whether you’re seeing a simple preference, a pattern worth watching, or a change that deserves a conversation with your veterinarian:

1. Is this actually new for my pet?
2. Is it happening consistently?
3. Is it interfering with something my pet normally wants or needs to do?

You’ll also learn why knowing your individual pet’s normal matters, how videos and a few simple notes can help your veterinarian, and why aging, moving, stress, or other life changes shouldn’t automatically be used to explain away new behavior.

This episode builds on Sunday’s conversation about treating pets as individuals and paying attention to what each animal actually needs.

Veterinary Disclaimer: The Pet Parent Hotline is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or another qualified pet-care professional about questions or concerns related to your individual pet’s health, behavior, diet, mobility, or care.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 preferences can mean very different needs for pets living under the same roof. From secret extra meals for a skinny senior cat to different exercise, rules, accommodations, and attention, the goal isn’t perfect equality. It’s paying attention to the individual animal in front of you.

And this isn’t just for people with a houseful of animals. Whether you have one pet or six, it’s about recognizing what that pet needs instead of comparing them to other animals or even to who they used to be.

She also tackles a harder question: Are you giving your pet what they actually enjoy and need, or trying to turn them into the pet you imagined having?

Plus, try this week’s simple Pet Parent Hotline challenge to learn something new about your own pet.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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), but "moved in" might be a generous description. Most of the furniture and pet gear are still in storage, the floors and painting aren't done, she needs a new roof, and she's currently recording from an echoey bedroom furnished with a semi-deflated air mattress.

More importantly, the pets are adjusting too.

So this week, Amy is turning the tables and asking fellow pet parents for the practical, real-life solutions they've discovered through experience.

In this episode, Amy wants to hear from you about:

•  Helping senior pets safely handle stairs 
•  Acclimating a blind pet to a new house, especially a multi-level one 
•  Helping pets settle in and recognize a new place as home 
•  Cheap, temporary pet-friendly fixes that work while you're waiting on permanent solutions 
•  Managing contractors, noise, renovations, and escape risks with pets in the house 
• Bonus: finding the fun pet-friendly places and activities when you're new to an area 

This isn't about replacing expert advice. It's about those little things another pet parent figured out because they were standing in the exact same situation.

Amy really does want your help. If you've dealt with even one of these challenges, share what worked, what didn't, or what you wish you'd known sooner.

Comment on the episode if your listening platform allows it, find The Pet Parent Hotline on Facebook or Instagram, or reach out at PetParentHotline.com.

If enough of you respond, Amy may share the best listener advice in a follow-up episode.

Because sometimes the answer you need is already sitting in another pet parent's house.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 up on the things that have quietly slipped down the list.

In this solo episode, Amy covers the pet care tasks worth handling now, from vet appointments and grooming to pet boarding, pet sitting, holiday travel, and changing routines. The goal isn’t to create another giant checklist. It’s to take care of a few things now that could save you time, money, and stress later.

In this episode:

• Pet health issues and appointments you’ve been meaning to handle
• Grooming, gear, and basic maintenance that may have gotten away from you
• Why now is the time to think about boarding, pet sitting, and holiday travel
• Helping pets adjust as fall routines change
• Planning pet care around your real life before something becomes urgent

Need help figuring out what your pet needs, what to prioritize, or how to make it all work with your life? Learn more about a Pet Parent Hotline consultation at petparenthotline.com/consult.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 the food inside the bag?

Dr. Angie Boyer, founder of Grain & Grace Consulting and a trained multi-species nutritionist, returns to help us work through a pet food label from front to back to identify what's really in our pet food.

In this episode, we cover:

•  What “complete and balanced” means and where AAFCO fits in 
•  How words like “with” and “may support” can change the meaning of a front-of-package claim on pet food
•  How to use the guaranteed analysis when comparing foods 
•  What meat, meal, byproducts, and meat-and-bone meal actually tell you 
•  How to identify protein, fat, fiber, vitamin, and mineral sources 
•  Why pet food feeding guidelines are only a starting point 
•  How treats and other foods affect your pet’s total daily intake 
•  What to consider about where pet food is produced and ingredients you may want to investigate 
•  Why the “best” pet food also has to work for your individual pet, budget, and real life 

The goal isn’t to find one perfect pet food. It’s to understand enough of the label to make a more informed choice for the pet in front of you.

Guest: Dr. Angie Boyer, founder of Grain & Grace Consulting

And if you missed our August Pet Parent Power Up on specialty diets like sensitive stomach, urinary care, and hairball control, listen to that episode for even more help interpreting what pet food packaging is promising.

As always, talk with your veterinarian about your individual pet’s medical and nutritional needs before making changes to their diet.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 same thing.

In this Pet Parent Power Up, Dr. Angie Boyer explains the difference between formulas built around certain ingredient choices and claims that require more testing and scientific support.

You’ll learn:

• What makes sensitive skin and stomach foods different
• How weight-management foods reduce calories
• Why hairball-control and urinary-care claims are treated differently on pet food labels
• What phrases like “may support” really promise on your pet food label
• How to check whether the ingredients support the claim on the front of the package

Note: Always talk with your veterinarian about your individual pet’s medical and nutritional needs before changing foods, especially when managing a diagnosed health condition.

Dr. Angie Boyer is the founder of Grain & Grace Consulting and a trained multi-species nutritionist whose work spans livestock, companion animals, and horses. Angie returns in the next full episode to help us read a pet food package from the claims on the front to the label on the back.

Learn more about Dr. Angie Boyer and Grain & Grace Consulting:

• Website: Grain & Grace Consulting
• Contact: Submit an inquiry
• LinkedIn: Grain & Grace Consulting

Get Your Free Pet Food Guides!

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 had a great day, and not every dog enjoys or benefits from a group daycare environment.

In this episode, Amy talks with pet care professional Rich Schlatter, CPACP, about how to tell whether your dog truly likes daycare, what a proper evaluation should look like, and how to choose a facility that is equipped to keep your dog safe.

They discuss the difference between healthy tiredness and signs that daycare may be overwhelming your dog, why group size and play style matter more than simply separating dogs by size, and what pet parents should notice during facility tours.

You’ll also learn:

• What your dog’s drop-off and pickup behavior may be telling you
• Which dogs may not be a good fit for traditional group daycare
• Questions to ask about staff training, supervision, emergencies, and dog-to-staff ratios
• How reputable facilities introduce dogs to a new group
• Why dogs need rest and recovery during and after daycare
• When day boarding or individual enrichment may be a better option
• How often your dog should attend daycare
• Practical tips for your dog’s first day

Doggy daycare should offer more than a place to leave your dog while you work. The right program should match your dog’s temperament, age, health, energy level, and social needs.

The goal is not simply to bring home a dog who is too exhausted to move. It is to give your dog an experience that leaves them happy, comfortable, and able to return to their normal life at home.

Connect With Rich Schlatter

Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Rich Schlatter, CPACP

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro

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 in mind.

Now I’m looking at how close the road is, whether Gunny can manage the stairs as she gets older, whether my blind cat could fall through an open staircase, and how much it would cost to make a beautiful property truly safe and manageable for all of us.

In this episode, I’m sharing what has surprised me during the house-hunting process and why the house with the most land, the prettiest floors, or the lowest price may not be the house that works best when pets are part of the decision.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

•  Why acreage and a usable pet yard are not the same thing 
•  How roads, stairs, flooring, vents, and home layouts can create everyday risks 
•  The hidden cost of fencing, cooling, gates, rugs, and other pet-related changes 
•  Why basements, wildlife, weather, and access to veterinary care belong on the checklist 

Have you ever chosen, changed, or ruled out a home because of your pets? Send me a message or leave a comment and share what surprised you or what you learned the hard way.

Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.

Support the show

Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.

Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.

Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify

Each week, get practical help with dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, vet decisions, rising pet-care costs, aging pets, and the everyday challenges of life with animals.

No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.

Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.

Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro