My Dog's Symptoms : Page 4 of 176 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Examine Your Dog’s Pee: Color Changes, Urinary Habits, and What They Mean

Examining your dog’s pee can provide a great deal of information about their physical condition and health. Your dog’s urine contains compounds produced by the body, and monitoring them can provide valuable diagnostic clues. Changes in urination and urine quality don’t only indicate problems within the urinary tract itself. They can signify a systemic disease. Urinary habits If you notice…

by Jana Rade

Polka Dot Stools in Dogs: What Are Those White Things in My Dog’s Poop? Intestinal Parasites and When to See a Vet

If your dog’s poop looks like somebody just had a birthday party in their belly, somebody did. Those polka dots on your dog’s poop are cooties… in other words, parasites! Unfortunately, your dog’s polka dot stool will not look as cute as in this illustration. How fresh is the poop? If the pie isn’t freshly baked, the worms might not…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Dog Poop Contents: What Is the Stuff in My Dog’s Poop? Should I See a Vet?

What else, other than color and consistency, should you look at when examining your dog’s stool? What does your dog’s poop contents tell you about their health? Mucus Healthy poop should not have any coating on it. Sometimes you’ll find poop covered by a slimy substance – mucus. Mucus is produced in the intestine to lubricate and protect the gut…

by Jana Rade

Difficulty Defecating in Dogs: Causes of Straining to Poop, Symptoms and When It’s an Emergency

If your dog is straining to defecate, it’s merely constipation, isn’t it? Not so fast. Constipation does make evacuating stool difficult, but it is far from the only reason that can make your dog strain to defecate. Don’t jump to conclusions if your dog straining to poop is the only clue Your dog could be constipated, sure, but it might…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Dog Poop Color: Why Is My Dog’s Poop Weird Color?

Healthy dog poop is typically brown. What makes poop brown is bile—fluid from the gallbladder. Bile aids in the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. It also helps eliminate certain waste products from the body. There can be some variation in color depending on what your dog ate. You might notice that particularly when you’re feeding a variety…

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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