Articles by Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. 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. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely 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 get a diagnosis. 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 how to 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 save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

IVDD Diagnosis in a Dog: Bulging Disc and The Importance Of A Second Opinion—Jingle's Story

When the cushioning disc between the spinal vertebrae bulges or herniates and press on the spinal cord, it is referred to as intervertebral disc disease. It is an extremely painful condition and it can lead to lameness, weakness, and paralysis; not to mention a severe reduction in quality of life. Thank you, Luanne, for sharing Jingles’ story. Jingles’ story Jingles…

by Jana Rade

Dog Lameness Assumption Trap: Tosha's Snake Bite

Acute and chronic lameness are likely to have different causes. That doesn’t mean that figuring out what happened is easy. Past experiences, things we read and hear breed biases. When your dog starts limping, don’t jump to conclusions; make sure you know what is really happening. Thank you, Kevin, for sharing Tosha’s story. Tosha’s story It all started with a…

by Jana Rade

How Dogs Get Kennel Cough: Stress And Crowded Places Might Mean Kennel Cough

For an infectious agent to result in a sick dog, there are two requirements — exposure and failure of the immune system to thwart the infection. Crowded places provide high probability of exposure. Stress can be one of the circumstances that weaken the immune response. To learn how stress increases susceptibility to infection, read The Function of Cortisol: What Happens…

by Jana Rade

Antifreeze Toxicity in a Dog: AntiFreeze Isn't Just A Winter Hazzard

It takes only a tiny amount of antifreeze to kill a dog. The other problem is that after the first few hours looking really sick, your dog starts to look better. If you have no suspicion of antifreeze poisoning, a day or two later your dog’s kidneys will fail. Further reading: Antifreeze Poisoning Thank you, Lenore Holditch, for sharing Chico’s…

by Jana Rade

Breathing Problems in a Dog: Pebbles' Laryngeal Paralysis

While people might still refer to this condition as laryngeal paralysis, it has been determined that the problem is bigger than that. It would appear that laryngeal paralysis is a part of a bigger neurological problem. It has been renamed to Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis Polyneuropathy (GOLPP). GOLPP is a progressive degeneration of nerves that first manifests as laryngeal paralysis—the…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. 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 in 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 how to 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 save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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