As joyful as pet ownership can be, it also comes with serious responsibilities. Along with daily needs like food and water, caring for your pet’s health is essential.
But even with your best efforts, it’s not always easy. After all, pets can’t speak up when something feels wrong.
That was exactly the struggle for a woman in Miami, Florida, whose dog wasn’t acting like herself—and the cause wasn’t immediately clear.
A misdiagnosis didn’t help, and it took two more weeks and a thorough vet exam to find the real issue.
The Diagnosis She Didn’t Expect
A sweet little Shih Tzu named Juniper had always been a playful and happy presence in her Miami, Florida, home. But her owner, Kayla Valdes, noticed a change—Juniper just wasn’t herself anymore.
At first, Kayla assumed it was an ear infection, but that was quickly ruled out. She then took Juniper to the vet, who decided to run a blood test to check for allergies.
Kayla agreed to the test, but the results took two weeks to come back. When they finally arrived, Kayla was stunned.
Juniper was allergic to fish, peanuts, and turkey, all staples in her regular meals. Naturally, Kayla felt awful, which she shared openly in the caption of the TikTok clip she posted via her account, @junietheshihtzu.
“I feel like i failed as a dog mom,” she wrote at the beginning of the clip caption.
But the post ended on a hopeful note:, stressing that she is “so glad that [Juniper] is now eating food she can have!”
Although it took some time to get answers, Kayla ultimately did the right thing, proving her dedication as a pet owner.
Pet Owners Share Their Own Stories
The TikTok video quickly went viral, drawing in comments from other dog owners who’d faced similar situations.
Here are a few standout replies.
“My dog is similar. Dudes allergic to everything,” one user wrote.
“my dog is allergic to ground beef and sweet potatoes, learned the hard way for both,” another added.
And the third quipped: “I switched my dog to hydrolyzed food and it changed her life!”
Thankfully, Juniper’s story had a good outcome. But in many cases, allergies can be harder to detect and manage.
That’s why recognizing symptoms early is so important.
And it’s not just food; did you know that some plants can be toxic to dogs, too?
To stay informed and protect your pet, VCA Animal Hospitals offers helpful allergy and safety resources.