Loss of appetite

Is Loss of Appetite an Emergency?

There are many physiological as well as psychological reasons a dog can lose interest in food. The reasons for your dog’s anorexia might be well-known, such as with Jasmine’s IBD, or any chronic disease. Your dog’s stomach might be upset from a prior adventure in the garbage can or otherwise getting their paws on something they should not have eaten. Stress…

by Jana Rade

Hannah Gets Ill: Addison’s Disease Awareness—What’s Wrong With Hannah?

Addison’s disease is caused by adrenal insufficiency. It is a condition in which the adrenal glands fail to produce enough steroid hormones. Whether there are too many or too little of these hormones in the blood, your dog can get quite ill. Further reading: The Function of Cortisol: What Happens In A Dog’s Body When It Goes Awry? Thank you,…

by Jana Rade

Loss of Appetite in a Puppy: A Puppy That Doesn’t Want To Eat Or Play Is An Emergency—Aurora’s Story

Parvovirus is a serious, highly contagious disease that can be fatal. Unvaccinated puppies and dogs with compromised immune system are most susceptible. Common parvo symptoms include: lethargy loss of appetite fever vomiting severe and often bloody diarrhea Thank you, Dr. Krista, for sharing Aurora’s story. Aurora’s story The first day that I met these girls was a Sunday. The newest…

by Jana Rade

Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Jasmine’s IBD—Undiagnosed For Five Years

Inflammatory bowel disease is a syndrome caused by an immune reaction to chronic irritation of the GI tract. The cause is poorly understood but the result is immune cells infiltrating the tissues of the gastrointestinal tissues. The common theorized causes are chronic parasites, bacterial infections, or food allergies. Symptoms can vary in severity but commonly consist of chronic vomiting, diarrhea…

by Jana Rade

Top 10 Symptoms in Dogs: Veterinarians List Their Top Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog

How often do we say we wish our dogs could talk to us, tell us when they hurt? But they do. We need to learn how to listen. Veterinarians share their list of top 10 symptoms to watch for in dogs. Dr. Julie Buzby Having just experienced a tragedy that still has my friend’s children crying themselves to sleep, I…

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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