I'm worried ive abused my dogs. They sometimes sit on my lap and sometimes id get a groinal response. It makes me sick even thinking about hurting my dogs or abusing them. I also had to check my dogs private area since I thought I saw a flea and I feel so gross for doing that. I was just worried something was wrong since I saw a black bit on his skin. I also scratch my dogs backside a lot since he likes me doing it for some reason? I didn't think anything of it but now I'm really worried I had some hidden intentions or wanted to hurt them. I also had intrusive thoughts about animals and got a groinal response I'm really worried what that means it was really disturbing and I dont know why my brain even came up with that.

It sounds like your OCD is attacking where you’re most vulnerable by attacking whom you love. For that, I send you comfort and urge you to keep fighting those thoughts that stick doubt in your mind. You know you care for your dogs responsibly. Your dogs know it too. If fighting your OCD for yourself doesn’t feel like a good enough reason for all the trouble, despite the fact that YOU ARE WORTH IT, try fighting it for your dogs’ sake. By that, I don’t mean to rethink everything you already do, as your OCD is trying to get you to do. I mean, fight it, so you can still be a kind, loving, and responsible dog owner/pawrent/etc. You are so not alone with this. If it helps, I would totally let you play or snuggle with my dog.

Trigger Warning: kinda gross; dog penis; ticks— I thought there was a tick on my dog’s penis, but like towards the inside of the outer part of his penis. In order to check, I had to get really close and personal. Plus ticks already just make me feel so violated. And ticks on private parts are just — ugh!!! It turned out to be something else. I don’t even remember; maybe dirt, or a piece of vegetation, or even just a gross glob or dried pee! So gross! But we check even those places because as unpleasant as that can be, especially with OCD turning it into kindling with which to burn us, we do it to keep our pets safe! I also have a friend who did have to remove ticks from two of his dogs; both at different times, had been bit on the penis! So it definitely is important to check even places that seem so private to us humans!