My Dog's Symptoms : Page 153 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Jasmine’s IBD—Undiagnosed For Five Years

Inflammatory bowel disease is a syndrome caused by an immune reaction to chronic irritation of the GI tract. The cause is poorly understood but the result is immune cells infiltrating the tissues of the gastrointestinal tissues. The common theorized causes are chronic parasites, bacterial infections, or food allergies. Symptoms can vary in severity but commonly consist of chronic vomiting, diarrhea…

by Jana Rade

Elevated ALT in Dogs: Regular Wellness Exam—Cookie’s ALT Was Elevated

Checking ALT levels is the mainstay veterinary test for liver disease in dogs. The typical reason of ALT elevation is liver and bile duct disease but there are other potential causes. Further information: Why Are My Dog’s ALT Levels Abnormal? Cookie’s wellness exam Regular wellness exams are one of the most important things you can do for your dog. Many…

by Jana Rade

Minor Eye Irritation in Dogs: Cookie’s Unhappy Eye

Eye injuries in dogs are serious business. An eye can go from minor irritation to a disaster in no time. With Cookie, I am surprised that she doesn’t have one eye problem or another at least once a week. She’s an enthusiastic hunter and throws herself into bushes and brambles without inhibition. It gets more complicated when you cannot see…

by Jana Rade

Unhealthy Gut—Unhealthy Dog: Mandy’s Story

The most common cause of acute pancreatitis in dogs is the ingestion of a fatty meal or table scraps. It is by far not the only cause. Further, the picture gets more complicated with chronic pancreatitis. Anything that disrupts the tissue of the pancreas can trigger panccreatitis. The list of all potential causes is quite long and includes: breed predisposition…

by Jana Rade

Assessing Your Vomiting Dog: One Vomit, No Vomit

How should one assess their vomiting dog if they only throw up once and seems fine otherwise? Our foreign languages professor, back in college used to grade based on this philosophy: One mistake, no mistake. Meaning you could make one mistake on your oral exam or paper and still get an A. He also used to cite his rule every…

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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