Real-life Stories

Vomiting and Collapse in a Dog: Sickly Dixie Collapses in the Exam Room

Persistent vomiting signals a potentially life-threatening problem, especially when paired with lethargy. Regardless of the cause, dehydration caused by consistent vomiting can result in enough problems such as: confusion/depression low blood pressure and resulting organ damage GI bleeding seizures brain damage shock and death Other complications of persistent, severe vomiting include: electrolyte disturbances aspiration pneumonia esophageal damage pH changes Sounds…

by Jana Rade

IMHA in Dogs: Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde—Razzle’s Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia

Who doesn’t know the story of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde? How does the story relate to autoimmune disease? What happens during the disease Your dog’s body was designed to maintain health, and it has a fantastic guard against disease—the immune system. His immune system protects your dog against disease by identifying and killing invaders, foreign (infections), and domestic (tumor…

by Jana Rade

Veterinary Communication with Clients: Breaking The Bad News When It Could Be Something Else—Penny Does Not Have Cancer

Is there a good way of breaking bad news to dog parents? That is a hard one. But what if there is a lack of certainty? How would you like your veterinarian to discuss such news with you? Penny Recently I received a distressed email from a friend regarding her dog. I wanted to reach out to you and tell…

by Jana Rade

Do Dogs Get Nosebleeds: Bella’s Nasal Cancer

Dogs don’t get nosebleeds as commonly as people do. It would take quite a trauma for a dog’s nose to bleed from within the nose itself. In other words, a nosebleed in a dog is a reason for concern. The potential reasons why your dog’s nose might bleed include: clotting problems foreign bodies severe dental disease fungal infection but most…

by Jana Rade

Canine Nosebleeds: The Easy Answer Isn’t Always The Right Answer—Buddy’s Nosebleeds

If your dog’s nose starts bleeding, it isn’t likely they just bumped it on something. There are many potential causes for canine nosebleeds but minor trauma isn’t likely to be one of them. Buddy’s story is shared with us by Mary Kara. Thank you, Mary. Buddy’s story Buddy is a 10-year-old Golden Retriever (neutered male). He is my little brother……

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.

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