Skin lesions

Sores and Lameness in a Dog: Is there a Connection between Star’s Mysterious Lameness and Skin Issues?

Star’s mom went to search for answers when Star came down with some mysterious problems. It all started with Star having pain in her legs and difficulty getting around. The initial suspect was hip dysplasia but that was ruled out. Then Star’s face broke out with nasty, painful sores. In spite of all attempts for diagnosis, all results came back…

by Jana Rade

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

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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