Symptoms

Canine DCM Symptoms: What Would Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) Look Like in Your Dog?

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) has made it on everyone’s radar lately. The reason is the emerging pattern of increased incidence of the disease both in higher numbers than usually as well as in breeds where you wouldn’t expect so many cases. Moreover, the prime suspect at this time is diet. FDA is investigating whether that is the case and what exactly…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Canine Hairy Feet (Hyperkeratosis): What’s Happening to My Dog’s Feet?

Because dogs don’t [typically] wear shoes, their footpads are equipped with extra thick skin; nature’s equivalent of shoes, really. The outer layer that looks like little tightly-packed cones is tough to protect the feet when walking on rough surfaces. Normally, everything the body does is well regulated, so everything is where it belongs and functions the way it was meant…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Alabama Rot in Dogs: Four Words You Don’t Want to Hear In the Same Sentence as your Dog’s Name—Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV) aka Alabama Rot

If you think cancer is the worst thing that could happen to your dog, you might be wrong. These days, many cancers can be treated, and there are diseases that can kill your dog way faster than most cancers could. What is Alabama rot? This disease had first appeared in the UK six years ago. It has killed at least…

by Jana Rade

When Your Dog Stops Eating: Julie’s Story

When a Labrador stops eating and when a Border Collie becomes lethargic, even just a little bit, you know you ought to worry. Julie is a two-year-old Border Collie, and she did both. Stopped eating and had less energy than usual. Julie is a typical girl for her breed. Happy, active, spending a lot of time outdoors, living the perfect…

by Jana Rade

Shoulder Injury in a Dog: It Never Rains … though Rain Did Have a Lot to Do with It

Playing in the snow is usually quite safe fun. Unless there are layers of ice buried underneath. We did get to the bottom of Cookie’s uneven stance. We treated, got her chiropractic adjustments and paid close attention to the right hind leg. Then I noticed that she seemed to have been dropping her front left shoulder when walking. It’s not easy…

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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