Gooch the Labrador: How a Dog Went Everywhere We Went on PD - and Why Hygiene Came First
People ask me what got me through peritoneal dialysis. I tell them the truth: a yellow Labrador retriever named Gooch, and a very strict hand-washing and hygeine routine. One gave me a reason to keep going. The other kept me safe while I did.
My name is Jean Clermont. I have lived on PD, I design the products behind Stickman Dialysis at KidneyStuff.com, and Gooch was at my side for all of it. This is his story - and the hygiene and safety rules that let me keep him close without ever putting my health at risk.
Gooch went everywhere I went
When I started home peritoneal dialysis, I thought my world would shrink. Instead, Gooch made it bigger.
He rode shotgun to appointments. He laid his head on my knee after exchanges. When I set up my portable solution tripod in a hotel room, he found the one patch of sun on the carpet and waited patiently while the bag drained. Traveling on PD used to feel intimidating until I realized I was never really doing it alone.
There is something about a dog's calm that steadies you. Gooch never cared that I had a catheter. He never looked at my PD battle scars with distain or pity. He just wanted to be where I was going, and because I had the right gear and the right habits, where I was could be almost anywhere.
That companionship is not a small thing. The love and the routine and the good feeling of a normal day - a walk, a car ride, a nap on the couch - are exactly what home dialysis is supposed to protect. PD is meant to fit into your life, not erase it.
The rule that made all of it possible
Here is the part I will not soften: pets and PD can live together beautifully, but only when hygiene and safety come first. Every single time. Not most times.
Peritoneal dialysis hygiene is not about being afraid of your dog. It is about keeping the two worlds separate at the one moment that matters - the exchange. Peritonitis is the risk we all carry in the back of our minds, and the everyday habits below are what keep it there.
Wash your hands like it is the whole job
Before you touch anything - the bag, the tubing, your transfer set, your exit site - wash your hands with soap and water, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and let it dry completely. This is the single most important step in peritoneal dialysis hygiene. No shortcuts, no "I just washed them twenty minutes ago."
Keep the exchange space clean and pet-free
Choose a dedicated, hard, cleanable surface for your exchanges and wipe it down before every one. Gooch learned the word "out" early, and he learned it applied during setup and dwell. This is the moment to keep the Gooch outside of the room, not beside your open connections. A closed door or a baby gate is not a punishment - it is part of you exchange.
Mask up when you connect
A surgical mask during the connect and disconnect steps protects your catheter from the tiny particles you and everyone around you breathe out. If someone helps you with an exchange, they wear one too. Fresh mask, clean hands, quiet room.
Protect and inspect the exit site
Your exit site is the doorway to your peritoneum, so it gets treated like one. Clean it the way your nurse taught you, keep the dressing dry, and look at it every day. Redness, soreness, or discharge is a call to your clinic, not something to wait out.
Keep pets away from the catheter and the supplies
Gooch was never allowed to nose at my transfer set, chew a line, or curl up on top of a box of bags. Keep your supplies off the floor and out of reach, and keep your tubing tucked and secured so a wagging tail or a curious paw cannot catch it. A Tuck-Away PD Belt holds your transfer set close and safe during the day, and the PD-Showermate keeps it protected and hands-free in the shower with a breakaway safety release, so nothing gets snagged.
Watch the small daily tasks
The everyday chores around PD are where habits slip. The Beep-Away Spring reduces nighttime cycler alarms so tube kinks do not wake the whole house - dog included. The Drain-Away Toilet Clip keeps effluent draining hands-free and contained. The Daytripper warmer keeps your solution at a safe, consistent temperature so you are never tempted to rush a warm bag with unwashed hands.
You do not have to choose between your dog and your health
Gooch lived a full, spoiled, wonderful life beside a full-time PD patient, and he never once caused a problem - because the boundaries were clear and the habits were boring and repeatable. That is the whole secret. Love your dog generously. Run your exchanges like a professional.
If you are new to this, start with the free Home Dialysis Handbook, and take a look at the Stickman Starter Kit. It bundles the belt, the shower protection, the alarm reducer, the toilet clip, and the handbook so your setup is safe from day one - the way Gooch and I eventually got it.
Home dialysis is a challenge. Do not make it lonelier than it has to be. Let the Pup stay. Just wash your hands first, and do the right things. Your PD nurse with be invaluable about this topic.