Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Cody was an 11 months old female Labrador Retriever when she became lame after hitting a shed. A veterinary visit produced a scary misdiagnosis. You would figure that diagnosing lameness is a straightforward process. From my own experience, I can tell you that it can be far from it. I have been through most of them–a foot injury, foreign body…
Allie MalteseSeniorspayed female Allie was as sweet as a Maltese can be. A beautiful, loving little girl. On the surface, Allie seemed perfectly fine. Her appetite was good, she wasn’t losing weight. While her weight remained stable, Allie kept wasting before her mom’s eyes. Allie was losing muscle mass and she was losing hair. When Allie was brought to see…
R.G. German Shepherd spayed female R.G. was a happy, active girl, until one day she suddenly became lame on her rear end. She could barely walk. When examined, she was showing neurological deficits. The preliminary diagnosis was a disc injury. The veterinarian recommended an MRI. R.G.’s parents agreed to the testing. When the results came back, R.G. was diagnosed with…
An obvious diagnosis might not be the right diagnosis. Don’t let your vet insist on a diagnosis based on the first thing they might stumble upon when trying to figure out what’s wrong with your dog. Even if it might make sense at first. If your dog isn’t getting better with treatment, either the diagnosis or the treatment is wrong.…
Don’t leave until satisfied When I come back from the vet I like to feel reasonably confident both about the [working] diagnosis and the treatment. This can be easier said than done. Not every diagnosis can be achieved by one listen with a stethoscope. The main point is to feel that things are on the right track. Does the diagnosis…