Joint issues

Veterinary Highlights: Canine Unicompartmental Elbow Resurfacing (CUE)

Osteoarthritis from elbow dysplasia may result in complete loss of cartilage on the medial (inner side) weight-bearing surfaces of the joint, (Medial Compartment Disease (MCD). At this stage, the part of the joint collapses, resulting in the grinding of bone on bone. Canine Unicompartmental Elbow (CUE) is a surgical treatment option to consider where other treatments are no longer effective.…

by Jana Rade

Veterinary Highlights: Elbow Replacement

Did you know, that dogs now can have bad joints replaced? Your dog can get a total hip replacement, total knee replacement, and yes, even total elbow replacement. Dogs suffering from elbow dysplasia, who didn’t respond to other treatments, can get a spanking new elbow. The procedure has been performed on over 200 dogs with positive results. The recovery is…

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

Canine Total Knee Replacement: Veterinary Highlights

A total knee replacement is an invasive surgery that comes with serious risks. It can, however, be a life-saving procedure for dogs with a bad knee that doesn’t respond to other treatments. Do keep in mind there is the potential for serious complications including: ligament damage joint dislocation prostheses issues implant infections Further information: Total Knee Replacement Surgery It is…

by Jana Rade

CCL Tears And Early Spay And Neuter: Is There a Connection?

Is there a connection between early spay and neuter? The data has been compiled. I went through our patients over the last ten years who are over the age of three years old. A summary of the data shows that while 2.1% of our spayed and neutered patients had to undergo ACL surgery, only 0.3% of the intact animals had…

by Dr. Robert Foley

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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