Straining to urinate

Examine Your Dog’s Pee: Color Changes, Urinary Habits, and What They Mean

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

by Jana Rade

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

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 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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