My Dog's Symptoms : Page 148 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Can Ticks Kill a Dog? Death by Ticks—Julia’s Story

The common way ticks pose a health risk to dogs is the transmission of diseases. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, some of these diseases can be life-threatening. Some of the common tick-borne diseases include: Lyme disease ehrlichiosis anaplasmosis babesiosis Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever In the modern world, an undiagnosed or untreated infection is rare and pretty much the only way…

by Jana Rade

A Word on Compensation: The Domino Effect

The body adopts an abnormal posture that compensates for the weakness by a redistribution of body weight. I get to write about myself because I believe it is relevant to dogs as well. Sue already wrote an excellent article about compensation, but this is my recent personal experience. My story I don’t get hurt often. When I do get hurt…

by Jana Rade

Interpreting Lab Results in Context: Cookie’s Elevated Kidney Values

When your dog’s lab results show irregularities, don’t panic but don’t ignore them either. Figure out what is going on. It has been my experience that often one value or another can be off on blood panel. With Jasmine, every other panel had something out of range. The question is what to do when that happens? Investigate. Immediate values and…

by Jana Rade

Fear-Free Veterinary Visits: The Stench of Fear—Is There Good and Bad Timing for Vet Visits?

There is no good reason why your dog’s veterinary visit should be a terrifying experience. It’s hard on the dog, and it is counter-productive. Fear-free veterinary visits have since become a movement that even comes with a certification. There are many ways of taking the fear out of visiting the vet. But would you think that the time of the…

by Jana Rade

Addison’s Disease in a Chihuahua: Kermit’s Story

In dogs, the main cause of Addison’s disease is an immune process. Dogs can show a variety of different signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease, including lethargy vomiting diarrhea lack of appetite shaking and weakness Addison’s disease in a Chihuahua Kermit was a spirited sweetie with a unique personality, adopted as a stray. He was an oddball, who brought his…

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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