Dog health advocacy

What Makes a Good Veterinarian: Veterinarians Are People First

When I reflect on all the veterinarians we’ve worked with—and it had been quite a few, it brings up an important question. What makes a good veterinarian? Out of all the choices you need to make for your dog’s well-being, this is one of the essential decisions. A good veterinarian is worth their weight in gold. Spoiler alert: A good…

by Jana Rade

2026 Top Dog Health Books: Essential Reads for Nutrition, Longevity, and Preventive Care

As we head into 2026, breakthroughs in nutrition science, holistic wellness, and preventive medicine increasingly shape dog health trends. With a growing emphasis on extending canine lifespans through whole-food diets, toxin-free environments, and personalized care, this curated list of 10 top 2026 Top Dog Health Books highlights science-backed resources for dog parents. Drawing from recent veterinary recommendations, reader reviews, and…

by Jana Rade

Examine Your Dog’s Pee: Color Changes, Urinary Habits, and What They Mean

Examining your dog’s pee can provide a great deal of information about their physical condition and health. Your dog’s urine contains compounds produced by the body, and monitoring them can provide valuable diagnostic clues. Changes in urination and urine quality don’t only indicate problems within the urinary tract itself. They can signify a systemic disease. Urinary habits If you notice…

by Jana Rade

Canine Fecal Analysis: What Can Your Dog’s Poop Reveal About Their Health?

Believe it or not, any wastes that come out of your dog’s body carry useful information. Gross is in the eye of the beholder. Our dogs feel about poop quite differently than we do. To a dog, poop can be a source of intel, a snack, as well as sometimes a source of missing nutrients. What can your veterinarian learn…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Dog Poop Color: Why Is My Dog’s Poop Weird Color?

Healthy dog poop is typically brown. What makes poop brown is bile—fluid from the gallbladder. Bile aids in the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. It also helps eliminate certain waste products from the body. There can be some variation in color depending on what your dog ate. You might notice that particularly when you’re feeding a variety…

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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