Real-life Stories

Melanocytoma in a Dog: Cookie’s Eyelid Bump that Was Not a Cyst

A melanocytoma is a benign tumor of cells that produce pigment—melanocytes. Only a histopathologist can determine the difference between a melanocytoma and a malignant melanoma. As a general rule, tumors of the pigment-producting cells are usually benign where the skin is covered by fur and malignant in bare-skin areas such as lips or nail beds. The one exception are eyelids…

by Jana Rade

Fatty Tumors in Dogs: If It’s Got To Be A Lump, Let It Be Lipoma

A lipoma is a soft, round, moveable lump of fatty tissue under the skin. Lipomas are common benign tumors in dogs. Awesome—we can all go home now, right?Wrong. Never assume your dog’s lump is just a fatty tumor. Never let your veterinarian diagnose a lump by feel alone. The only way to identify a tumor is a fine needle aspirate—even…

by Jana Rade

Extraocular Myositis In Dogs: The Whites Of My Dog’s Eyes Are Swollen

Extraocular myositis (EOM) is a relatively uncommon condition. It affects Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and other retrieving or large-breed dogs. Despite how alarming it looks, extraocular myositis (EOM) in dogs is non-painful and not infectious. What exactly is extraocular myositis? EOM is an immune-mediated inflammation of the muscles behind the eye, not the eyeball itself. These muscles control eye movement.…

by Jana Rade

Idiopathic Vestibular Disease in Dogs: Phoenix’s Story

A few things are as scary as watching your dog unable to walk or even stand. Some terrible conditions can be behind your dog ending up in such a sorry state. One potential reason looks just as horrifying but not dangerous to your dog–vestibular disease. Ataxia caused by idiopathic vestibular disease is due to a disturbance in the balance center. But,…

by Jana Rade

Foreign Body Ingestion in Dogs: Levi Eats 200 Gauze Squares

Labrador Retrievers are notorious for eating things that have no business making it down the gullet. According to PetFirst insurance, Labrador Retrievers are the top breed likely to get in health trouble by swallowing inedible things. Is that because they are such a popular breed that it influences the statistics? Maybe but it seems there is more to it than…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. 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 into 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 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 use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

View Full Profile →