Blood work

Elevated Calcium Levels in a Dog: Too Much Calcium in the Blood Is a Diagnosis?

Describing a problem is not an explanation of a problem. When interpreting your dog’s blood work, don’t hesitate to insist on an explanation of anything out of normal range and what can be the potential reasons for it. Juno’s story Last week, a friend contacted me, concerned about her dog drinking like there was no tomorrow. Of course, a dog…

by Jana Rade

Interpreting Lab Results in Context: Cookie’s Elevated Kidney Values

When your dog’s lab results show irregularities, don’t panic but don’t ignore them either. Figure out what is going on. It has been my experience that often one value or another can be off on blood panel. With Jasmine, every other panel had something out of range. The question is what to do when that happens? Investigate. Immediate values and…

by Jana Rade

Veterinary Highlights: New Way To Diagnose Kidney Disease Early – redirect

The standard tests to diagnose kidney disease are urinalysis and complete blood profile. Dogs with chronic kidney failure may have anemia, abnormal electrolyte levels, and elevated blood pressure. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels in the blood are evaluated to assess kidney function. BUN is rather ambiguous and can be elevated for a number of reasons. It is not…

by Jana Rade

Elevated ALT in Dogs: Regular Wellness Exam—Cookie’s ALT Was Elevated

Checking ALT levels is the mainstay veterinary test for liver disease in dogs. The typical reason of ALT elevation is liver and bile duct disease but there are other potential causes. Further information: Why Are My Dog’s ALT Levels Abnormal? Cookie’s wellness exam Regular wellness exams are one of the most important things you can do for your dog. Many…

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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