Articles with dog care

Dog Wellness Exams How To: What’s the Difference between Annual Exams and Wellness Exams?

Annual versus wellness exams–is there a difference? Veterinary wellness exams should be about much more than vaccination boosters. Even though vaccination reminders are often a tool veterinarians use to get you in the clinic, there are better reasons both parties should understand. When Keep the Tail Wagging raised this question, I was surprised. There is a difference? I always thought…

by Jana Rade

Dog Wound Care: Scissor-Free Bandaging

When taking care of your dog’s wound, the last thing you want is to introduce a new injury. I don’t know about you, but I hate the idea of scissors anywhere near my dog’s body. Scissor lacerations can land a dog in an emergency room. You never know when your dog might make a sudden move that will turn the…

by Jana Rade

Dog Foot Pad Bandaging: What Worked Best for Cookie’s Plantar Paw Pad Cut

Dog paw pads take a lot of abuse. This makes them difficult to bandage and get any wounds to heal. We did manage to get Cookie’s plantar paw pad cut to heal without any complications, though. During that time, I have received quite a crash course in bandaging. What worked best This was our first experience with bandaging. Despite all…

by Jana Rade

The Importance of Nail Trimming: What’s The Most Common Problem I See In My Canine Patients?

by Dr. Julie Buzby There is an extremely common problem making dogs suffer and vulnerable to injuries. Do you know what it is? Dental disease? That is undoubtedly a pervasive problem, affecting 80% of dogs over the age of three. The issue I’m thinking of occurs in over 90% of my new patients. Ear infections? According to veterinary pet insurance…

by Jana Rade

Signs of Pain in Dogs: Veterinarians Answer Whether They Often Have Difficulties Getting Clients To Believe Their Dog Is In Pain

Would you know if your dog was in pain? Would you believe if your veterinarian told you? Many people are still denial about their dog’s pain. I asked my veterinary friends how commonly they deal with denial regarding signs of pain in dogs. Question: Do you often have difficulties getting clients to believe that their dog is in pain? How…

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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