Articles with dog health

Trouble Walking in Dogs: Joey’s Fast Decline. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Joey was accident-prone so when he started walking a little stiff, his mom thought he injured himself. Finding his forever home was the best thing that happened to Joey. He needed lots of work to adjust to life in the city home but he learned amazingly well and became the best dog ever. The first thing Joey’s mom noticed was…

by Jana Rade

Music Therapy for Dogs: The Role Music Can Play In Your Dog’s Health, Wellness and Happiness

Music has been said to be a universal language. Stevie Wonder wrote the lyrics, “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand” in his 1976 song Sir Duke. I’d say that’s both pretty accurate and prophetic. It turns out that thus far, science mostly agrees with Stevie. However, the debate over the level of universality of…

by Jana Rade

Luxating Patella in Large Dogs: Juno’s Floating Kneecap

No, I didn’t get the photo mixed up. Juno is a 96 pound Dogue De Bordeaux, and this is her story. If a big girl like Juno starts limping on her hind leg, you’d think the prime suspects would be a torn cruciate ligament or hip dysplasia–issues that large breed dogs are most likely to get. Luxating patella is something that…

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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