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.

Examine Your Dog’s Pee: What’s In The Urine? What You Can Notice On Your Own

Examining your dog’s urine can provide a great deal of information about their physical condition and health. Urine contains compounds produced by the body, and monitoring them can provide valuable diagnostic clues. Changes in urination and urine quality can not only indicate problems within the urinary tract itself. They can signify a systemic disease. Urinary habits If you notice any…

by Jana Rade

Chronic Nasal Swelling in a Dog: Diagnosing Biscuit’s Swollen Nose

What could be behind your dog’s swollen nose? In case of acute swelling, you might suspect insect stings or bites, a snake bite, perhaps an infection. But what if the swelling is chronic? With cute swelling of your dog’s nose, you need to be careful because the situation could progress and lead to difficulty breathing. When in doubt, see a…

by Jana Rade

Canine Collie Nose: Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) In Dogs

In spite of its name, the canine collie nose is not limited to Collies. What is lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that a dog’s immune system attacks their own tissues. There are two types of lupus in dogs: systemic and discoid. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is fortunately relatively rare in dogs. The immune system of dogs suffering…

by Jana Rade

Do Dogs Grieve: Kaypo’s Mourning The Loss of Her Mother

Do you think that dogs experience grief? Yes, dogs can mourn the loss of a companion, human or canine. In my experience, the level of grief is individual and depends on the depth of the bond. Some dogs are more independent, while others form deep relationships with their housemates or canine friends. Three times our dogs experienced the loss of…

by Jana Rade

Is Inability to Urinate an Emergency?

If your dog cannot empty their bladder, it is an emergency. See a veterinarian asap. What can cause the inability to urinate? The causes break down into two groups – urinary obstruction and urinary retention. In any case, though, your dog needs to see a veterinarian immediately. Urinary obstruction Your dog can suffer urinary tract obstruction, either due to a…

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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