How I check facts, and every correction
What “vet-sourced” means here, the checks a page goes through before and after it goes live, and a dated record of everything I have corrected. Leer en español →
What “vet-sourced” means
Every health, safety or legal fact on this site traces to a named authority: veterinary bodies such as AAHA, the AVMA, AVSAB and WSAVA, references such as the Merck Veterinary Manual and VCA Animal Hospitals, the ASPCA and the Pet Poison Helpline for poisons, and the ADA and the U.S. Department of Justice for service-dog law. Each article lists the sources it actually uses, and each free printable shows its sources on its page.
I am a dog owner, not a veterinarian, and no veterinarian reviews these pages. “Vet-sourced” means the facts come from veterinary sources, not that a vet signed off on them. The about page says more about who I am.
How a page is checked
- Sources first. I gather the facts from the primary sources before I write, and where authorities disagree, I show the range instead of picking one.
- No numbers without a source. A figure, percentage or timeline goes on a page only if a named source gives it. I don’t give medication doses.
- A separate accuracy review. Every new batch of pages gets a second, line-by-line check of each health claim against the source it cites, and a separate review of the Spanish.
- Automatic consistency checks. The food verdicts in the Toxic-Foods Checker, the “Can dogs eat…?” answers and the printable fridge chart are checked against one master list every time the site is built, so they can’t contradict each other.
- Honest dates. A page’s “updated” date moves only when its main text changes, not when a link or a card is added.
If you spot an error
Please tell me. The fastest way is a message through my Etsy shop. When something is wrong, I fix it, put a dated note at the foot of that page, and add it to the log below.
Every correction
- /puppy-weight-calculator/: The size-class growth percentages are now labelled as this site’s own estimate, an unsourced “within about 10–20%” accuracy claim was removed, and the ages at which puppies stop growing now follow Salt et al. (PLOS ONE, 2017).
- /free-printables/puppy-weight-chart/: The chart’s percentages are now labelled as this site’s own estimate, and an unsourced “within about 10–20%” accuracy claim was removed from the sheet and this page.
- /dog-toxic-foods-checker/: Cooked bones now read “Never give” (a physical hazard, not a poison), matching the fridge chart and the cooked-bones answer; ripe pitted cherries and ripe red tomato have their own entries; “most” adult dogs being lactose-intolerant now reads “many”.
- /service-dog-vs-esa/: The emotional support animal answer now reflects HUD’s 2025–2026 changes: ESA housing protection now depends largely on state law.
- /blog/service-dog-vs-esa-vs-therapy-dog/: Two FAQ answers about ESA housing now match the article’s own update for HUD’s 2025–2026 changes.
- /free-printables/dog-seizure-log/: Two or more seizures in 24 hours (cluster seizures) moved to “Go now”, and this page’s FAQ now treats them as an emergency.
- /blog/dog-dementia-signs/: The Salvin et al. figures now read correctly: about 14% of older dogs had signs of cognitive dysfunction, and only about 2% had a diagnosis.
- /blog/ivdd-crate-rest-at-home/: The Merck Veterinary Manual figure now reads 2–3 weeks of strict cage rest; a “4–6 weeks” figure it does not give was removed.
- /blog/how-to-stop-dog-counter-surfing/: Chocolate is a separate ASPCA poison-control category (another 13.6%), not part of “food and drink”.
- /free-printables/counter-surfing-prevention-checklist/: The “Also call” column now says to call now, matching the alcohol and raw-dough answers.
- /free-printables/dog-food-safety-chart/: Cooked bones moved to the Never column, and avocado now says to skip it.
- /blog/can-dogs-eat-peas/: The FDA’s 93% figure refers to the products named in the 524 reports, not to the cases.
- /blog/can-dogs-drink-milk/: The AKC’s wording is now quoted accurately: a few tablespoons can be a treat for a dog that tolerates milk.
- /blog/can-dogs-drink-alcohol/: The hops warning now refers to raw and spent hops from home brewing, not to beer itself.
- /blog/can-dogs-eat-chicken/: The raw-food germ warning now cites the FDA: pets fed raw food can carry these germs in saliva and stool even when they look healthy.
- /blog/can-dogs-eat-cooked-bones/: The FAQ now matches the Toxic-Foods Checker, which lists raw meat (not raw bones) as Caution.
- /blog/preparing-your-dog-for-a-new-baby/: The CDC emergency-department figure is now dated: it comes from 2001 data.
- /blog/introducing-a-cat-to-a-new-baby/: The CDC wording is now exact: you don’t have to give up your cat, and the litter-box precautions lower the risk of toxoplasmosis.
- /blog/how-to-introduce-a-dog-and-a-cat/: Added the cat signs that need a vet right away: no food for 24 hours, or straining in the litter box with little or no urine.
- /blog/raising-an-lgd-puppy-with-livestock/: The point the sources agree on now reads “management and close supervision”, plus rewarding calm around the stock.
- /free-printables/new-cat-checklist/: Straining in the litter box with little or no urine, or trembling after a flea product, is now marked as an emergency.
- /free-printables/senior-cat-quality-of-life/: Straining in the litter box with little or no urine is now marked as an emergency.
- /free-printables/kitten-vaccine-schedule/: Added the nose-drop vaccine’s repeat series: every 3–4 weeks until 16–20 weeks, then yearly.
- /breeds/french-bulldog/: The emergency sign now reads “struggling to breathe, collapse, or a blue or grey tongue”; noisy breathing alone is common in the breed.
- /blog/service-dog-vs-esa-vs-therapy-dog/: Updated for HUD’s September 2025 rescission of its assistance-animal notices and its May 2026 enforcement memo, which change how ESA housing cases are handled.
The same day as the October 15 entries above, a language review also made 330 smaller corrections across the Spanish pages (regional words, false friends and number formats).