Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Cody was an 11 months old female Labrador Retriever when she became lame after hitting a shed. A veterinary visit produced a scary misdiagnosis. You would figure that diagnosing lameness is a straightforward process. From my own experience, I can tell you that it can be far from it. I have been through most of them–a foot injury, foreign body…
What would you do if your dog started losing muscle mass without an obvious reason? Allie was as sweet as a Maltese can be. A beautiful, loving little girl. On the surface, Allie seemed perfectly fine. Her appetite was good, she wasn’t losing weight. While her weight remained stable, Allie kept wasting before her mom’s eyes. Allie was losing muscle…
Paralysis is the partial or full loss of body movement. Symptoms of canine hind end paralysis can vary in severity. Mild neurological deficit leads to weakness and knuckling. Full paralysis results in a dog dragging their rear legs. Associated problems include pain, potty accidents, inability to urinate or constipation. R.G. was a happy, active girl, until one day she suddenly…
Unexplained weight gain can be just that–weight gain. Can a veterinarian misdiagnose weight gain in a dog? Suki was a 7 years old spayed female Labrador/Beagle Mix. Rescued dogs can teach us many valuable lessons but this one was unexpected. The first thing that stood out about Suki when she was adopted was a low-hanging belly. It was the first…
Bernie McSquare is a member of the McSquare Doodles; don’t you just love that name? Bernie is a sweet, happy-go-lucky mini Labradoodle whose ultimate goal is to become a certified therapy dog. He is working hard toward that goal. In November of 2016, Bernie received a diagnosis of atypical Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed…