My Dog's Symptoms : Page 161 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Dog Dental Care: Judging A Mouth By Its Cover—There Is More To Dental Health Than Meets The Eye

Clean-looking teeth equal a healthy dog. True or false? Yes, it is a trick question. Healthy teeth, or rather a healthy mouth, equals a healthy dog. But how do you know whether your dog’s mouth is healthy? Obvious signs of dental disease There are some obvious signs that there is a problem with the mouth, such as: bad breath discolored,…

by Jana Rade

Veterinary Highlights: Walks Like Lyme, Quacks Like Lyme … Borrelia miyamotoi – redirect

Just when you thought there were enough reasons to hate ticks already, the Tufts researchers discovered yet another tick-borne disease. Just look at those little bastards. Image Ladyamorea What if your dog was showing all signs of Lyme disease and yet test came back negative? Could it be that he does have Lyme but his body isn’t doing anything about…

by Jana Rade

Canine Seizures Management: How We Handled Alex’s Seizures

A seizure is an abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Technically, then, a seizure is not a symptom; the resulting convulsions or other related disturbances are. Witnessing your dog having a seizure is terrifying. What can you do to help your dog? Thank you, Lexie Smith from Beagle Daily for sharing Alex’s story. Alex’s story My mom went out and…

by Jana Rade

Chronic Bronchitis in a Dog: What Started as Undiagnosed Kennel Cough—Kolchak’s Story

Infectious bronchitis, Kennel Cough, can sometimes progress to life-threatening bronchopneumonia or chronic bronchitis. A dog sick with Kennel Cough may or may not need medical treatment depending on how hard the infection hits them. And sometimes things can get complicated. Thank you, Jodi Chick, for sharing Kol’s story. Kolchak’s story Looking back, I wish I had just trusted my gut.…

by Jana Rade

Dealing with a Vomiting Dog: The Gross Factor—When A Dog Vomits In Your Hands

Nothing gets a dog parent moving faster than the sound of a vomiting dog. Did you ever try catching your dog’s vomit in your bare hands? Thank you, Kimberly Gauthier, for sharing your story. The gross factor What is the measure of the gross factor? If you really take the time to think about what we do on a daily…

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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