Knee issues

Simitri Stable in Stride Stabilization: A Unique Surgical Option to Treat Cruciate Injuries in Dogs—Interview with Dr. Neil Embleton, Co-Inventor of Simitri Stable in Stride

Not a whole lot has changed in surgical options for the treatment of canine cruciate injuries in quite a while. A few years back, the Triple Tibial Osteotomy (TTO) made its debut in New Zealand. It’s a hybrid between the TPLO and TTA surgeries and I actually quite liked it even though it still quite invasive. However, whether it is…

by Jana Rade

PRP Treatment for CCL Injury: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment for Cookie’s Bad Knee(s)

Can platelet-rich plasma treat a partial cruciate ligament tear in your dog? When we found out that Cookie’s knee(s) were bad, we had to make a decision about what to do next. Of course, there are the surgeries … but could we try something else first? We decided to give regenerative medicine a chance. It’s not like the surgery option…

by Jana Rade

Canine Partial Cruciate Tear: Theory and Actual Decisions for an Actual Dog—Cookie’s Knee Injury

As it turned out, Cookie has a partially torn cruciate in her left knee. We’ve been through this already with Jasmine. Bad ligaments in both knees. Decisions to be made. Back then, when Jasmine got her diagnosis, I had no idea what a cruciate ligament was, why it would get injured and what were our options. I had to learn…

by Jana Rade

Canine Compensation Injuries: Cookie’s Lameness—What Else Is Going On?

The dog’s body is a finely-tuned machine where all the parts work together to facilitate motion. If one of the parts cannot do its job. something else has to take over the job. That why often one thing leads to another. Cookie was rehabbing from her iliopsoas injuries and was progressing well. She looked good, and her range of motion…

by Jana Rade

Complicated Diagnosis in a Dog: Holly And Her Illness

Illness can get complicated and diagnosis such cases is a process. Sometimes your veterinarian tries a treatment, and it might work even though it is unclear what’s wrong. And sometimes, the immune system and the body’s healing potential end up having to do the job. Sometimes you don’t know. All is well that ends well. Thank you, Julia Davis, for…

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.

View Full Profile →