Articles with cancer

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

Veterinary Highlights: Limb-Sparing Surgery For Bone Cancer

This is the kind of thing I love to read about. I understand why the amputation of the affected limb makes sense. But seriously, chopping off limbs doesn’t really qualify as a treatment to me, sorry. Whether amputation is a good option would also have to depend on which limb had been affected and overall condition of the dog. Removal…

by Jana Rade

Canine Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Twiggy’s Legacy—The Battle with Bladder Cancer

Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) is nasty cancer that invades the urinary bladder. Bladder tumors in dogs are relatively rare but if your dog is going to have one, the odds quite high that it’s going to be TCC. The common signs, straining to urinate and blood in pee, are not unique to cancer and can be caused by other conditions.…

by Jana Rade

The Antidote to Canine Cancer: You Will Never Look At Fat The Same Way Again

Adipose tissue (fat) is the biggest endocrine organ that produces hormones and cytokines that create a constant state of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a recipe for disaster. Obesity predisposes dogs to many serious diseases such as cruciate ligament ruptures intervertebral disk disease osteoarthritis congestive heart failure Cushing’s disease skin disorders and some types of cancer Introduction What if I…

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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