Symptoms

Don’t Wait to Aspirate: JD Grows New Bumps

Nobody likes to find new bumps on their dog, particularly since one was a mast cell tumor already. Since having his bumps aspirated and a mast cell tumor removed last October, JD decided to grow a couple of new ones. Again, they were quite small and there was the possibility that he might have run into a branch and that’s…

by Jana Rade

Iliopsoas Injury Symptoms: What Did Cookie’s Iliopsoas Injury Look Like

If you have a dog with a difficult, can’t put your finger on it, lameness have your vet check the iliopsoas muscle. Iliopsoas injuries can not only be hard to treat but also hard to diagnose and detect. Signs can be as subtle as a male dog no longer lifting a leg to pee. Cookie’s story After all the medical…

by Jana Rade

Limited Exercise Fallout: Downside of Exercise Restrictions

Strict rest or restricted exercise is essential to injury recovery. But limiting activity comes at a price. With limited use, muscle strength dwindles and strong muscles help stabilize and protect joints. As your dog is recovering from one injury, it can make them more susceptible to a new one. Cookie’s story Cookie’s recovery from iliopsoas injury was going well. She…

by Jana Rade

Transient Dog Mobility Issues: Figuring out What Might Be Going on with Cookie’s Legs—The Process

There are common causes behind dog mobility issues, and then there are mysteries. Cookie’s case started as a mystery. Cookie’s legs transiently not working as if they were partially paralyzed was a mystery. It was nothing I have seen before. I have put a lot of time and work into taking care of Cookie and figuring out what’s is going…

by Jana Rade

Ticks on Your Dog: It’s a Conversation if You’re Listening

It is well-known that ticks can harm your dog by the disease they carry. But can a tick bite itself hurt your dog? It might depend on where the tick attaches. It seemed to be the case with Sam whose foot became severely painful when a tick attached. Listening to your dog The only way to ever learn anything is…

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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