Articles by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

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. Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc is our wonderful sponsor and has been kind to edit and fact-check my important articles.

Unexplained Bruising in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Bleeding under the Skin? Don’t Think Minor Trauma

Trauma is not my prime suspect when I see a bruise on my dog. The main thing to understand about bruising in dogs is that while a trauma can cause a bruise, it would need to be quite a substantial trauma. Dog skin is much thicker than human skin, and their fur provides further protection. The only time JD had…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Scooting in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Dragging Their Bum On The Ground?

Scooting is used to describe a dog dragging their bottom along the ground. Bare ground, grass, carpet, anything will do. It is not a new trick your dog invented; they are trying to relieve an itch, pain, or discomfort that they cannot reach otherwise. Anal gland issues If you’re one of the people whose mind immediately jumps to an anal…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Reverse Sneezing in Dogs: Is My Dog Choking?

Unless you are familiar with it, reverse sneezing can look like your dog is choking. Reverse sneezing involves a lot of snuffing, snorting, gagging, and generally scary sights and sounds. It looks nothing like regular sneezing, which is recognizable to anybody. Instead, reverse sneezing looks absolutely scary the first time you witness it. What is the difference between sneezing and…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Green Vomit in Dogs: What Made My Dog’s Puke Green?

How scary would it be to discover your dog vomiting green stuff? Quite frightening even though it typically doesn’t involve demons or extraterrestrial lifeforms. Now, bile/stomach juices can have a greenish tint to them. In theory, anyway; I’ve never seen bile vomit of that color. I’ve seen various shades of yellow and white, but not green. After eating enough grass,…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Coffee Grounds in a Dog’s Vomit: What Is That Dark Grit in My Dog’s Vomit?

When talking about blood in vomit, I touched on the fact that blood doesn’t always look like blood, meaning doesn’t always have the typical bright red appearance. Fresh blood does; blood that has already been digested does not. So instead, in the vomit, it looks like coffee grounds. I include an illustration because I don’t want to freak anybody out…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

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 →