Straining to urinate

Changes in Urination/Urinary Accidents: Why Is My Dog Peeing in the House?

If your dog starts having urinary accidents in the house, what is the first reason that comes to your mind? Dogs don’t pee in the house because they are absentminded, don’t care, or are trying to get back at you for leaving them alone, losing their favorite toy, or not giving more treats. Dogs don’t like soiling their dens, and…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Examine Your Dog’s Pee: What’s In The Urine? What You Can Notice On Your Own

Examining your dog’s urine can provide a great deal of information about their physical condition and health. Urine contains compounds produced by the body, and monitoring them can provide valuable diagnostic clues. Changes in urination and urine quality can not only indicate problems within the urinary tract itself. They can signify a systemic disease. Urinary habits If you notice any…

by Jana Rade

Canine Bladder Stones: Lulu’s Straining to Urinate

Bladder stones in dogs start out small but over time can grow in number and/or size. Never punish your dog when they suddenly start having potty accidents. Instead, look for a medical explanation first. Bladder stones can be the reason. All you might observe is your dog asking to go outside with increased frequency and having accidents indoors. Typical symptoms…

by Jana Rade

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.

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