Dog health advocacy

Veterinary Visit Checklist: Before the Visit

Do you know what questions to ask your veterinarian? In the past, when I was going to a vet, whether it was for a scheduled exam or with a medical problem, I just went. What else would one need, right? Show up, bring the dog–that’s it, isn’t it? Then I came home and realized how many things I forgot to…

by Jana Rade

Veterinary Wellness Exams: The Secret Benefit

Do you take your dog for regular wellness exams? Or do you wait until something is wrong? Wellness exams are often an underappreciated part of preventive health care. But why go to a vet when there is nothing obviously wrong? By the time there is something obviously wrong–except for trauma or infection–it’s been going on quietly for quite some time.…

by Jana Rade

Abdominal Pain & Vomiting in Dogs: What Would You Do If It Was Your Dog? Mort’s Story

How much should you worry when your dog starts vomiting? If your dog vomits once and acts like nothing is going on, it’s likely not a concern. Vomiting repeatedly with signs of abdominal pain, however, is a different story. Mort is an Australian Kelpie and he was 3-years-old at the time. Mort is an agile, high-energy dog who loves any…

by Jana Rade

Ear Infections in Dogs: Titan’s Excessive Head Shaking

Dogs shake their head in response to an irritation–pain, itch, tickle, or a bug bite. Excessive head shaking is a common sign of an ear infection. Titan is a big boy. He’s six years old and weighs about 130 pounds. He has a heart of gold. Titan has been shaking his head regularly every morning for years but it didn’t…

by Jana Rade

Loss of Appetite in a Dog: What Would You Do If It Was Your Dog? Aspen Loses Appetite

When your dog suddenly seems under the weather and loses their appetite, it can be a sign of a medical emergency. It happened fast. One day, Aspen was wrestling with her housemate and having a good time. She was enjoying her day and nobody would suspect there could be anything wrong. The next day, Aspen didn’t finish her turkey wing.…

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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