Obstructions

The individuality of Dog Symptoms: A Subtle Sign for One Dog, a Major Red Flag for Another—Jade’s Story

Some dogs are picky eaters, and turning down one meal won’t get you reaching for the car keys. On the other hand, some dogs might have a chronic condition, such as Jasmine, and refusing a meal now and then meant that her inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was acting up. However, walking away from a full bowl is a big red…

by Jana Rade

Intestinal Obstructions in Dogs: Chance’s Upset Belly—The Case Of The Well-Hidden Obstruction

Gastrointestinal obstruction is the partial or full blockage of the digestive tract. It can occur in the stomach or in the intestine. It can be life-threatening. Symptoms might include vomiting diarrhea loss of appetite straining to poop pain lethargy Thank you, Dawn Munger, for sharing Chance’s story. Chance’s story Chance was a four y/o American Bulldog mix. I volunteer at…

by Jana Rade

Unexplained Vomiting in Dogs: The Story Of Flossy And The Mystery Vomiting

Vomiting is often caused by a problem in the GI tract itself. But the issue might be originating somewhere else altogether. Figuring out what is making your dog throw up is essential to a successful treatment. Do you think that diagnosing vomiting is simple? Think again. Potential causes of vomiting include: Causes within the GI tract dietary indiscretion food intolerance/food…

by Jana Rade

Bowel Obstruction and Peritonitis in a Dog: Mort’s Brush with Death

Peritonitis refers to the inflammation of the abdominal cavity that results from injury to the lining tissues. Potential causes include: injuries/wounds bacterial or chemical contamination pancreatitis ruptured bladder or gallbladder liver abscess and the like Thank you, Jen deHaan, for sharing Mort’s story Mort’s story This is the story of Mort’s third brush with death. Mort is a 3-year-old Australian…

by Jana Rade

Linear Foreign Bodies in Dogs: For the Love of Mango! (or How I Learned To Loathe Rope Toys)

Dogs seem to ingest things they shouldn’t all the time. Socks, balls, and an assortment of other objects can cause enough trouble. However, linear foreign bodies are an especially dangerous situation. Linear foreign bodies in dogs are a disaster in making. Further information: Linear Foreign Bodies in Dogs and Cats Thank you, Dr. Karel Carnohan, for sharing Mango’s story. Mango’s…

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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