The Dining Dog & Friends — Attraction in South Whitehall Township

Having a tragic event occur to one of your fur members is such a hard thing to deal with. I woke up to my spunky, crazy 9 year old Yorkie on the brink of death, vomiting, diarrhea and blood! I rushed him to the local emergency Vet because I knew this was a life ending situation. As I carried his lifeless body into the Vet, in my pajamas, sobbing, they greeted me with no sense of urgency and provided me with absolutely no comfort or reassurance that things would be ok! I waited outside of the Vet for bloodwork results to be completed before making any decisions. The labs didn’t provide us many answers, but my little Benny was a fighter! While visiting him(in the ICU)the next day, I requested his lab work, in paper form so I could take it up to Althea, at The Dining Dog to see if she could provide me with any type of guidance(because the Vet could not)in what I needed to give my fur baby to nurture him back to health. I have been going there for over 10 years and have seen and heard the knowledge they have for helping animals. So I was hoping they could provide a miracle for my little man. I have absolutely no words that could provide the true picture of love, concern, and reassurance the entire staff gave me! They listened to all my concerns, comforted me through my tears and sat there brain storming with me on what would be the best things for him to help build up the strength he needed to survive! We added marshmallow drops, liver support and other drops to his freshly made yogurt and pumpkin broth once he was able to come home. That was all he ate the first 24hrs after he came home. I believe he would have ended up back in the emergency Vet if it wasn’t for them! The Vet was syringing baby food down his throat because he didn’t want to eat! But smelling the goodness in his little bowl gave him the desire to eat, even if it was only a small teaspoon or so every 2-3 hours. Once he was feeling a little better, we tried some of the canned soups, freshly made goat milk along with many other things to help build up his appetite and strength. They provided so much to Benny as well as me and my family and there is no way I could pay them back for all that they did for us! If you find yourself in any kind of situation and you need guidance for any fur member, The Dining Dog is the place to go! They also provide so many amazing goodies from homemade soups, yogurts, tarts, cookies and the list goes on and on! Again, thank you Althea and amazing staff at The Dining Dog! You have no idea what you did for a family that was losing hope fast! You gave us all a happy ending and we are eternally...

So on 12/23/2017 Dexter went for x-rays and Doc hit me with it looks like cancer, I like to give it two weeks to make sure and we will do more X-rays. He said the typical option is to amputate the limb but dogs rate is 5% of surving and longest he seen a dog live after taking a limb was 12-18months max. It was a hard two weeks, of crying ,talking with family on what to do. You feel helpless. Dexter was dropping weight, losing his fur, the cold weather was harsh even on healthy pups. I dried my eyes and started making a dog bucket list. I was taking Dexter to indoor dog park with his dog friends but it snowed . So that night on my local tv channel there was a restaurant/pet shop called The Dining Dog. I was like that is awesome Dexter loves food, My boyfriend said let's go! We went and employees just started giving Dexter yogurt, treats and water it was a feast for him! Next thing a woman runs up to Dexter and tells me something is wrong with him, I was like ugh on the inside, it was just supposed be stupid fun day. I told her he has cancer, she goes tell me everything! I didn't even know her name but we felt like instant friends, I was like this is weird faith, that we met at this time. She goes I can help! She tells me she not a Vet so l can clear everything with Dexter's Vet. She gave me list of people food that I can cook to slow cancer cells down. She recommended duck food, I said that is food I can switch to it. I was unsure for everything else because my vet wasn't sure at the time.. She said here is my number and call me after the vet appointment.  Janurary 12,2018 We we back to the dining dog and Althea showed us everything that can help and work with science meds for Dexter,we had nothing to lose by trying. Dexter leg was holding strong but the bone was getting to thin. Vet recommended amputation  We all as a team decided. June 26,2018 we had his leg amputated.   He is recovering still but he is with us. Biopsy confirmed Osteosarcoma. I haven't been able bring him down to the store yet but when I bring home his favorite treats, He spins around on three legs! All the staff is helpful they all want what's best for your pets! There is not enough words of gratitude for all the help we continue to receive! "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger...

Where do I even begin? If I could give the people at The Dining Dog 100000 stars, I would. My near 12 year old dog has done a complete 180 and is like a puppy again.

Never have I seen people love every single animal so much just as if they were their own....and treat us as if we are their only customers. This treatment is given to all customers and fur babies. I didn’t know people this incredible actually existed.

Our story: We brought Misha here after a trip to his regular vet as well as to an oncologist for a second opinion. We initially received devastating news that he had metastatic lymphoma and then were told that he most likely had something else- another form of cancer or a lipoma.

Being an older guy and considering his quality of life, we opted out of an extremely invasive surgery and for more palliative care. I was interested in more holistic care rather than prescription drugs, so naturally I started researching what I could do. From the second we called The Dining Dog- which initially started to just get him on a better food, we were welcomed as family with open arms. Little did we know that this experience would change Misha’s (and our) lives. Althea and Sarah asked us for more information regarding Misha and we filled them in...

We were asked for pictures of him for an initial review and then asked to bring him for a consultation. Althea and Sarah watched him closely and carefully....assessing him down to his coat condition, gums, ears and stiffness while walking just to name a few. They were so in tune with my dog...They knew what he needed right away. After careful observation, they created a unique plan just for him and adjust his care and protocol based on his progress pictures and in-person assessment. All of our questions are answered and we have learned so much in terms of caring for and advocating for our baby.

After just 3 weeks, Misha is completely different. Every time we come for a check-in, he is continually showered with love. So. Much. Love. from each and every person there. I feel it in my heart and I cannot express the gratitude I have for the support, care and knowledge we have received. We are family.

If you are contemplating taking your animal here for anything from a toy to a birthday cake to a full on consultation to develop an individualized plan for your baby... just stop scrolling and go. We are...