Symptoms

Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: Advanced Praise

What do you know, my first book, “Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog”, is finally about ready to face the world. I am at the final stages of getting it out there. Right now I am working on getting advanced reviews and I already got a few very kind ones that I wanted to share. Reviews from veterinarians Symptoms…

by Jana Rade

Swollen Eye in a Dog: Bugs. I Hate Bugs. But They Seem To Have Nothing to Do with JD’s Puffy Eye

Eye swelling in dogs can be a serious situation. Potential causes include insect stings, allergic reactions, infections, and injuries. JD’s swelling didn’t affect the eye itself but rather the area around the lid. Because it was a bug season and he had no other ill effects, it made sense to suspect a bug sting. I hate bugs Bugs are the…

by Jana Rade

Head Pressing in Dogs: A New Trick or an Emergency?

Surely your dog pressing their head into corners or against objects sounds harmless enough? It is one of the things that might come across as funny, quirky or weird. Or maybe it can make you think your dog is pouting. What would you think of it if your dog started doing that? Compulsive pressing head against a wall or objects…

by Jana Rade

Another Note on Canine Lameness: It’s Like a Murder Mystery

As much as one would consider canine lameness to be one of the symptoms the cause of which can be easily identified, many times it’s nothing short of a mystery. A long time ago I have already learned that what you think you see is not always what you got. It was that way with Jasmine, it has been that…

by Jana Rade

Intestinal Blockage in Dogs: RIP Johny

Gastrointestinal obstructions are a common but potentially life-threatening problem in dogs. Johny passed away yesterday. His mum wanted other pup parents to learn from their experience so you don’t go through what they went through. Johny’s story I was an avid chewer. His mum thought he was really good at spitting pieces out. But Johny died because he had pieces…

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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