Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Veterinary (and human) medicine is at least as much of an art as it is a science. What does this mean for dog owners? You should consider any diagnosis that your dog receives to be a “work in progress.” No vet would intentionally misdiagnose a dog, but certain diseases are notoriously difficult to pin down. If you have been told…
Last time, I talked about (and hopefully clarified) some of the confusing terminology associated with diseases affecting the canine kidney. I touched upon the basics of both acute kidney failure (or acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney failure. Today, I’d like to go over what all this means for the dogs in our lives. In other words, what happens to…
When I was writing my book the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms, Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian, the kidneys caused me no end of grief. Not only are the kidneys themselves complicated, but so is the terminology associated with the diseases that affect them. So here’s a primer on canine kidneys and all the associated verbiage. Kidneys: Where are They and…
If your dog has been diagnosed with pancreatitis, it may seem like you didn’t get straight answers to your questions. The disease can be confusing, and not just for owners but for the veterinarians who treat it as well. Pancreatitis can be no more serious than a mild “tummy ache,” or it can be a killer. It may be a…
How can you tell whether your dog’s injury or illness calls for an emergency veterinary visit? Dogs seem to get sick or injured at the worst possible times. Of course this is not their fault, but nonetheless, it does often put owners in the position of having to decide whether an after-hours visit to the veterinarian is truly necessary. Jana’s…