My Dog's Symptoms : Page 151 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Canine Intestinal Parasites: Cookie Has Tapeworm Infection

Dogs normally get tapeworm infection by ingesting an intermediate host—a flea. Cookie never had fleas, though. So how did it happen? Cookie’s story Hunting and snacking on rodents has backfired. Cookie has tapeworm infection. In theory, we knew this could happen. In practice, this is really our first experience with intestinal parasites. Jasmine did have roundworms once when she was…

by Jana Rade

Abnormal Lab Results: How Far To Take It When The Dog Isn’t Sick?

Does an abnormal result on your dog’s lab work automatically mean there is a problem? Not necessarily. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek an explanation and retest. Cookie’s elevated ALT ALT is short for alanine aminotransferase, which is an enzyme found primarily in the liver but also in other tissues (kidneys, heart, muscles, and pancreas). When a cell is damaged,…

by Jana Rade

Mammary Cancer in Dogs: Mia’s Story

Mammary gland tumors are the most common type of tumor diagnosed in unaltered female dogs. Mia’s story Mia is an 8.5 years old Irish Wolfhound. When she was about 7.5, her mom found a small, pea-sized nodule on her belly. Senior dogs do get the odd lump or bump. It was small so she wasn’t overly worried. Particularly because the…

by Jana Rade

Loss of Appetite in a Puppy: A Puppy That Doesn’t Want To Eat Or Play Is An Emergency—Aurora’s Story

Parvovirus is a serious, highly contagious disease that can be fatal. Unvaccinated puppies and dogs with compromised immune system are most susceptible. Common parvo symptoms include: lethargy loss of appetite fever vomiting severe and often bloody diarrhea Thank you, Dr. Krista, for sharing Aurora’s story. Aurora’s story The first day that I met these girls was a Sunday. The newest…

by Jana Rade

Allergic Reaction in a Dog: How Can A Routine Walk Turn Into An Emergency: Juno’s Story

Did you know that dog allergic reactions can become life-threatening? In fact, allergic reactions are one of the common causes of emergency vet visits. The cause is often not discovered—anything can be an antigen for your dog. Juno’s story You take your dog for a lovely evening walk and suddenly you notice some bumps around the muzzle. The bumps turn…

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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