Articles with dog symptoms

Stinky Urine in Dogs: Why Does My Dog’s Pee Smell Bad?

In people, some foods, such as asparagus, can make urine smell quite weird. I don’t expect your dog eating a plate of asparagus for dinner? I am even not sure it would make their urine smell bad because Jasmine did get some asparagus in her meals and I don’t recall any noticeable changes in the smell of her pee. Of course,…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Worms in a Dog’s Vomit: Why Is My Dog’s Puke Full of Worms?

Every time my dog throws up, I make sure I scrutinize the contents. When I discover something weird-looking, first I try to think of what they have or might have eaten. Over the years, I found all sorts of things from sticks, rocks, toy fragments, plastic pieces … even an accidentally swallowed sock once. Fortunately, with our dogs, all these things…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Polka Dot Stools in Dogs: Did My Dog Eat Party Confetti?

If your dog’s poop looks like somebody just had a birthday party in their belly, somebody did. Cooties… in other words, parasites! Unfortunately, it 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 have come out of your dog’s bum. They might have just shown…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Diarrhea/Runny Stools in Dogs: Why Is My Dog’s Poop Runny?

My dog has diarrhea. What caused it, and what do I do? Diarrhea is a medical term describing unformed, loose stools. Bowel movements can be larger or more frequent. The poop might contain mucus, blood, worms, and all sorts of other things. Who am I kidding–we all know what diarrhea is. The important question is what caused it and what…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Difficulty Defecating in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Straining to Poop?

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. Do you have any hard evidence? Yeah, I stooped…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. 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 in 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 how to 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 save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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