Family, Work & Relationships

I had to leave work in the middle of a meeting yesterday because my dog had a seizure. I’m still shaky today. My boy Cooper is 9 and has been on Keppra for about a year, but he’ll still break through sometimes and then he’s disoriented and scared after.

I told my manager “I have a family medical emergency and I need to go now” and she was… polite, but I could feel the eye roll through Slack. Later she asked if it could’ve waited until after the client call. Like, no? I’m not trying to be dramatic, I just didn’t know if he was going to cluster.

I’m using sick time today because I didn’t sleep and I’m watching him in case it happens again. I feel guilty because technically I’m not the one sick, but I’m a mess.

Have you taken time off work for your dog’s illness?…

My husband and I are stuck and it feels awful. Our 12-year-old beagle mix, Daisy, has congestive heart failure and now kidney numbers are creeping up from the diuretics. She’s on pimobendan, furosemide, and enalapril, plus a renal diet she mostly refuses. Last weekend she had a bad night - coughing, restless, wouldn’t lay down, and then she had this panicky episode where she just stared and paced.

I’m in the “do everything” camp. I want to try the med adjustment the cardiologist suggested and maybe add the cough suppressant. My husband keeps saying we’re just extending suffering and that it might be time to let her go while she still has “some dignity.” Hearing him say that makes me feel like he’s giving up on my baby.

What happens when you and your partner disagree on treatment? Like logistically - who gets final say? And how do you decide…

Any other “sandwich” people doing this with kids AND parents? I’m drowning.

I’ve got two kids (7 and 10), my dad moved in after a stroke last year, and now my dog Milo (6) was diagnosed with IVDD. He can still walk but it’s shaky, so we’re on strict crate rest, meds, pee breaks, the whole thing. The kids keep forgetting and trying to “help” by letting him out. My dad needs help with meals and PT exercises. I’m the only driver. 😞

Parents and multi-caregivers - how do you juggle kids, other family members and a sick dog without losing it? Also, if you’re the only adult, what happens when there’s a dog crisis and you’re supposed to be at work or doing school pickup?

Any real help or tips are appreciated.

Luckily, I work from home, but I live in a small town, Aix-les-Bains, France.

Balance · Boundaries · Communication

Your dog’s illness doesn’t exist in isolation – it affects your work, your relationships, your finances, and your family life.

Here you can talk about the parts that don’t always fit neatly into other spaces: conflicts with a partner, stress at work, money worries, decisions around kids, or the feeling that everything is stretched too thin.

You’re welcome to share:

• situations you’re struggling with

• conversations that didn’t go well

• questions about boundaries or balance

  
  

This is a place to talk about the wider impact – honestly and without judgment. 🧡