I’m a super organized person, and with six animals, I don’t have much of a choice when it comes to being the best mom I can be. Vet appointments, vaccines and ID updates, heart worm meds, license renewals, play dates – there’s a lot to keep track of! Use these tips to become a better organized dog mom (or other pet parent). They will help you easily remember all of the important responsibilities you need to take care of.
Dog Mom Planning
I’m allll about using a planner. In fact, I have three Happy Planners! I always plan out my week ahead of time to include anything I need to do with my dogs or cats. Whether it’s a play date, vet appointment or heart worm medication reminder, I write it down. Recently I needed to renew county licenses for Wynston and Khloee, so I wrote it down with details.
Tips for Using a Planner
- Make it fun and colorful with stickers, markers, colored pens and bright post-its.
- Plan out your week ahead on the weekend so come Monday you have everything written down. Of course you can always add items to your weekly plan if you need to.
- Make it a routine. I always sit down with my planner on Sunday night to plan my week. I made it a habit so it’s simply a part of my routine and I never forget to do it. I always feel so much better when I start my work day Monday knowing that there aren’t any likely surprises.
- Make your planner a positive place. Sure, your planner may be filled with a ton of tasks, but put positive items in there as well. They could be words of encouragement, goals you accomplished, happy colors, or anything that makes you happy. Did you run a mile one day? Right it down – you should be proud of yourself!
- Always check items off the list so you can see how productive you are being. You are a bad ass no matter what. If you’re struggling with motivation (which I know way too much about), write down something simple like “take a shower” and check it off the list when you do. Any task completed counts as accomplishment.
Don’t have a planner? I have a simple weekly planner for you below! (Click it to print/download)
Appointments & Play Dates
Besides writing appointment days and times in my planner, I also put them into my computer calendar, which syncs with my Google calendar. If I put an appointment or play date time into my phone, it goes directly to my computer and vice versa. Having a planner and two calendars ensures that I literally keep track of everything at all times and no matter where I’m at.
Medications
Recently Wynston had dental surgery so he was on a daily medication. I also have my dogs on a monthly heart worm medication. There’s a few ways you can keep track of medication or supplement usage:
- Write it in your planner
- Keep track in your phone or on your computer
- Have a chart or dry erase board on your refrigerator
- For heart worm, right the date you administer it on the box each month.
Paperwork
I keep ALL of the vet records for all of my animals until they pass away. I have folders for each animal, and the receipts and records are organized by date. The newest records at the front of the folder. It’s a simple filing system and it works. The folders are super basic and they are extremely inexpensive during back to school season. Write the name of your pet on the front of the folder, and you’ve got a sweet vet record organization system.
Vaccines and Renewals
I get renewal notices in the mail for my dogs’ county licenses, and I very much rely on them for reminders. I then write down the info in my planner so I can renew their tags. I personally don’t get yearly vaccines for my dogs or cats, but I have my vet help remind me of the need for a new rabies shot at the very least. You may also need to renew a microchip subscription if you have one. Be sure to always keep that info updated with your latest address and phone numbers.
There are a number of ways you can stay organized as a dog mom. How do you plan and stay organized?
Affiliate links may be used in this post but Amanda only shares products that she uses and believes in.
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