Real-life Stories

Front Leg Lameness in a Rottweiler: Cookie’s Sore Front Legs

Hind leg lameness has been my biggest fear. Yet, a sore front leg can be way more complicated. The most common causes of hind limb lameness in dogs include: cruciate ligament injuries hip dysplasia arthritis (often secondary to one of the above) Front leg lameness can have various causes, the most common ones being elbow dysplasia and shoulder injuries. Neck…

by Jana Rade

Gastrointestinal Parasites in Dogs: Nero’s Spaghetti Diarrhea

Puppies contract intestinal worms through their mother’s milk. The parasites’ clever life requires multiple treatments to eliminate them from their system. The common intestinal parasites in dogs include: hookworms roundworms whipworms tapeworms In puppies, severe infestation can become a life-threatening problem. Depending on which parasite is ailing the puppy, symptoms might include: diarrhea vomiting excessive gas weight loss pot-bellied appearance…

by Jana Rade

Unsteady Gait in a Dog: Raven’s Stumbling and Trouble Walking

Dealing with your dog’s mobility issues can be equally hard on you and your dog. The list of potential things that can impair your dog’s ability to walk is long and can include: injuries/trauma degenerative conditions metabolic disorders endocrine disorders heart and blood disease infections poisoning immune-mediated conditions adverse reactions neurological conditions cancer The potential suspects differ with acute or…

by Jana Rade

TPLO Post-Op Disaster: Sampson Destroys His TPLO Repair

Every surgery carries potential complications. Some of them are common and predictable, but sometimes your dog might surprise you with what they manage to inflict on themselves. The more invasive the surgery is, the more room for a disaster. Yet, serious complications are quite rare. Some of the common TPLO complications include: swelling, bruising, and seromas at the incision poor…

by Jana Rade

Canine Idiopathic Renal Hematuria: Sclerotherapy—Lucy’s Unique Life-Saving Procedure

If your dog starts peeing blood, it typically involves two potential scenarios—damage to the tissues of the urinary tract or conditions that cause abnormal bleeding. The most common cause of blood in your dog’s urine (hematuria) are urinary tract infections (UTIs) or urinary tract stones. Other potential causes include: trauma non-infectious inflammation cancer Further information: Blood in the Urine in…

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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