Pain

Canine Myofascial Trigger Points: Unraveling The Mystery Of Fascia and Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points

Ah, what a tangled web they weave, those fascia bundles! Fascia is a network of connective tissue that surrounds body organs, muscles, groups of muscles, nerves, etc. It is a dense maze of collagen fibers that provide structure and support for these internal body parts. My first semester of PT training involved literally tearing through the fascia layers to get…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Bowel Obstruction and Peritonitis in a Dog: Mort’s Brush with Death

Peritonitis refers to the inflammation of the abdominal cavity that results from injury to the lining tissues. Potential causes include: injuries/wounds bacterial or chemical contamination pancreatitis ruptured bladder or gallbladder liver abscess and the like Thank you, Jen deHaan, for sharing Mort’s story Mort’s story This is the story of Mort’s third brush with death. Mort is a 3-year-old Australian…

by Jana Rade

Is Limping an Emergency?

Limping is usually not an emergency unless … A limping dog should get veterinary help immediately if there were a significant trauma fracture or dislocation bleeding severe swelling hot limbs or dragging of limbs Limping is an emergency when accompanied by severe pain. What causes limping Limping always indicates pain or dysfunction of some kind. Whether or not it is…

by Jana Rade

Is Severe Pain an Emergency?

Ugh, doh. Severe pain for any reason is an emergency. Injuries aside, pain is one of the top reasons for visits to human ER. Severe pain is the body’s way of alerting to a serious problem. The main motivation for rushing to the ER is both the pain itself as well as the fear that comes with it. Does pain hurt…

by Jana Rade

Pain And Itch in Dogs: Are They Two Sides Of The Same Coin?

Pain and itch – two sensations that are really just intensified versions of the sense of touch. Pain and itch play an important protective role. They alert to harmful stimuli and/or irritants. However, when the sensations become chronic, dogs suffer. For years, scientists have longed to determine how closely itch and pain are related. Historically, it was believed that the…

by Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. 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 in 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 how to 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 save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

View Full Profile →