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.

Canine Intestinal Foreign Body: Jade’s Almost Deadly Snack

Things don’t have to be poisonous to pose a life risk to your dog. Corn on the cob is one of such dangers. Corn on a cob isn’t a good snack or a chew toy. Dogs tend to gulp down the entire thing or large pieces. Unfortunately, corn on a cob will not break down in the stomach and poses…

by Jana Rade

Dog CCL Injury Misdiagnosis: Lucy’s Hind Leg Lameness

Cranial cruciate ligament tears are one of the most common causes of hind leg lameness in dogs. How often does it become a default diagnosis? Experience bias is a dangerous thing. If what CCL injuries are what you see most often, it is what your brain goes to when you see a dog lame on their hind leg. Yet, it…

by Jana Rade

Talk To Me About Dog ACL/CCL Injuries: My Dog Ruptured Their Cruciate Ligament

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) damage is one of the most common causes of hind leg lameness in dogs. If your dog suddenly starts limping on their hind leg, particularly a large breed dog, the chances are they suffered a CCL injury. The essential thing to note, that without treatment, your dog’s knee will only become worse over time, developing arthritis…

by Jana Rade

Regenerative Therapy to Treat IVDD: Bailee’s IVDD

Intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) can be a devastating diagnosis for your dog. The condition can be extremely painful and lead to various degree of impaired mobility including paralysis. Never underestimate the degree of pain your dog might suffer even if they don’t show it. IVDD is a degenerative process in the intevertebral discs that leads to disc displacement, swelling, or…

by Jana Rade

Albuterol Poisoning in a Dog: Clarke Chews Up an Asthma Inhaler

When your dog chews on and punctures an asthma inhaler, they can suffer severe, acute poisoning. Asthma inhalers contain one of two substances: drugs that expand the lungs (such as albuterol) steroids One inhaler can contain up to 200 doses of medication. If your dog gets that in their system, the poisoning is severe. Potential effects include: agitation hyperactivity vomiting…

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.

View Full Profile →