Symptoms

Coffee Grounds in a Dog’s Vomit: What Is That Dark Grit in My Dog’s Vomit?

When you hear blood in vomit, you probably imagine bright red streaks. But blood doesn’t always look like that. With exposure to stomach acid, it turns dark, grainy, and clumpy—in your dog’s vomit, it will look exactly like used coffee grounds. Could it be actual coffee grounds? Couldn’t a dog get into the garbage and eat some actual coffee grounds?…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Bulging Eyes in Dogs: When Your Dog’s Bulging Eyes Are Not Normal, And You Should Be Concerned

As with everything, consider bulging eyes in your dog in context. Is that how they’ve always looked—or has something changed? Does your dog show any signs of discomfort or distress? My daughter’s Chi had eyes so large they looked like they’d pop out of her face at any minute. Every time I was around her, I worried about her eyes…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Is Tarry Stool an Emergency? Melena in Dogs – Causes, Symptoms, and When to Rush to the Vet

Your dog’s poop will become black and tarry because of the presence of digested blood. How does digested blood end up in the poop? When a dog is bleeding in the stomach or small intestine, iron in the blood oxidizes as it passes through the colon, which gives the blood a black color. It might not look as scary as…

by Jana Rade

Extraocular Myositis In Dogs: The Whites Of My Dog’s Eyes Are Swollen

Extraocular myositis (EOM) is a relatively uncommon condition. It affects Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and other retrieving or large-breed dogs. Despite how alarming it looks, extraocular myositis (EOM) in dogs is non-painful and not infectious. What exactly is extraocular myositis? EOM is an immune-mediated inflammation of the muscles behind the eye, not the eyeball itself. These muscles control eye movement.…

by Jana Rade

Dog Poop Consistency: From Hard to Watery—What Does It Mean?

Why does it matter what your dog’s poop looks like? Dog poop consistency is one of the most useful clues about your dog’s health. The longer I’ve been a dog mom, the more attention I’ve learned to pay to poop. It started with Jasmine who had ongoing poop issues from the day she came to us. After years of being…

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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