My Dog's Symptoms : Page 164 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Misdiagnosed Lameness in a Dog: Cody’s Spinal Cord Diagnosis

Veterinarians are only human. And even the best veterinarian can misdiagnose your dog. Arriving at the right diagnosis isn’t always easy. What if everything points one way while the problem is something else altogether? Thank you, Dee Bogetti, for sharing Cody’s story. Cody’s mishap Cody was 11 months old. A yellow Lab in training to be my wilderness search and…

by Jana Rade

Disc Injury in a Rottweiler: A Time Bomb Ought To Go Off At Some Point, I Guess: Jasmine’s Neck

Even though some breeds are more susceptible to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) than others, any dog that has a spine can suffer a disc injury. Intervertebral disc disease is a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst (herniate) into the spinal cord space. Further information: Slipped Disc, Bad Back, and Muscle…

by Jana Rade

PRP Treatment for Canine Arthritis: Cookie’s Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Many dogs end up suffering from arthritis at some point in their lives. It can become a crippling problem for your dog. Apart from weight management and physical therapy, the standard treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medications. While many dogs do well on these drugs, they can be damaging to the dog’s health. Further, sometimes the arthritis pain exceeds the ability…

by Jana Rade

Canine Allergy Blood Testing: Jasmine’s Allergy Blood Test Results—We Ruled Out Everything Else

For the longest time, Jasmine’s vet and us couldn’t agree whether allergies could be behind Jasmine’s episodes (and some of her other off-and-on issues) Allergies have always been one of the theories on the table, with our vet being quite convinced that this is at the root of the problem. Allergies might be the most viable theory we have, at…

by Jana Rade

Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips for Dogs: New Solution To An Old Problem for Dogs With Mobility Issues

What are ToeGrips and how could they benefit your dog? Slippery floors are no friend to any dog but can pose a serious problem for dogs with mobility issues. When our dogs had mobility challenges, we dealt with it by plastering the floors with rugs. That might not be a solution for everybody and you can take them with you…

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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