My Dog's Symptoms : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Canine Leptospirosis Vaccination Decisions: Endemic Spread and Risk-Based Choices

Leptospirosis a zoonotic bacterial disease that affects many species, including dogs. The infection can cause mild flu-like symptoms or can turn into a life-threatening disease. Leptospirosis responds well to antibiotics—if treatment starts early. The real problem is recognizing it in time. Early symptoms often look like a mild flu—lethargy, poor appetite, vomiting—so diagnosis is frequently delayed. By then, the bacteria…

by Jana Rade

Melanocytoma in a Dog: Cookie’s Eyelid Bump that Was Not a Cyst

A melanocytoma is a benign tumor of cells that produce pigment—melanocytes. Only a histopathologist can determine the difference between a melanocytoma and a malignant melanoma. As a general rule, tumors of the pigment-producting cells are usually benign where the skin is covered by fur and malignant in bare-skin areas such as lips or nail beds. The one exception are eyelids…

by Jana Rade

Fatty Tumors in Dogs: If It’s Got To Be A Lump, Let It Be Lipoma

A lipoma is a soft, round, moveable lump of fatty tissue under the skin. Lipomas are common benign tumors in dogs. Awesome—we can all go home now, right?Wrong. Never assume your dog’s lump is just a fatty tumor. Never let your veterinarian diagnose a lump by feel alone. The only way to identify a tumor is a fine needle aspirate—even…

by Jana Rade

My Dog Is in Heat: Signs, Management Tips, and What I Needed to Learn

We adopted Pepper, our new lovely Rottweiler mix, two weeks ago. I knew she was two years old and intact. Without any further details, I wondered when she might go into her heat cycle. As it turns out—right now. Most dog parents never experience their girl going into heat because of standard early spay and neuter. We’ve never had an…

by Jana Rade

Canine Pancreatitis: What Causes It? Triggers Beyond Diet

The most common and well-known trigger for pancreatitis in dogs is a fatty meal or table scraps. That’s why veterinary emergency clinics see a surge in cases during holidays, when rich foods abound. But is the answer really that simple? Why some dogs can raid the garbage, devour fatty bits, and stay perfectly healthy, while others fall severely ill after…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care into my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

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