Ataxia

Loss of Balance in Dogs: Phoenix’s Loss of Balance and Ability to Walk. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Phoenix was a fourteen-year-old Labrador Retriever. One day he lost his balance and started falling over. What can cause loss of balance in dogs? The list is relatively long. Some potential causes include injuries stroke poisoning infections neurological issues immune-mediated conditions cancer What happened with Phoenix? Phoenix was a service dog and a great companion. But then scary things started…

by Jana Rade

Is Inability to Stand an Emergency?

There is a difference between acute inability to stand and an ongoing condition where the dog might have already diagnosed issues such as spinal injury or any other problem causing paralysis, extreme weakness or loss of balance. A chronic, established condition isn’t an emergency unless something abruptly changes. For example, after her hyperthermia horror, Jasmine was unable to get up…

by Jana Rade

Dog Care Decisions: Would Taking JD to a Vet Immediately have made a difference?

When things go wrong, it is important to reflect on what has happened and whether something could or should have been done differently. When it comes to my dogs’ health, I am very paranoid and advocate seeing a vet as soon as possible. Sometimes immediately. I am not one to promote procrastination, putting things off, watching a disease to progress…

by Jana Rade

Dog Arthritis Acting Up? If You Catch Yourself Using These Words, Consider an Abdominal Ultrasound

What the heck am I talking about? What does arthritis have to do with the abdomen? Just had another friend, whose dog’s arthritis started acting up, facing a diagnosis of a splenic tumor. Yes, arthritis can get more painful on some days, particularly if your dog overdoes it, or is a weekend warrior. For some dogs, weather can play a role…

by Jana Rade

Ataxia in a Dog: What Turned Out Not Being An Adverse Drug Reaction After All—JD’s Story

When your dog suddenly becomes unsteady on their feet, it is a scary thing to witness. The medical term for it is ataxia but that is not a diagnosis. It is simply describing the situation. What can cause ataxia? The problem can originate in: inner ear brainstem spinal cord brain There can also be systemic causes such as changes in…

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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