Articles with emergencies

Dog Suffocation Awareness: Bree Almost Suffocated In A Chip Bag—Prevent Pet Suffocation

Would you figure that your snack bag could cause your dog’s death? Dog suffocation in snack, cereal, and other bags and containers is common and happens quickly. Don’t let that happen to your dog. I cringe when I see people posting “funny” videos of dogs trying to remove a food bag that has gotten stuck on their head. How is…

by Jana Rade

Pale Gums in a Dog: Bailey’s Story—What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Do you know what it means when your dog has pale mucous membranes, such as gums? Do you think it would be an emergency? Pale, gray or white mucous membranes can be a sign of anemia, shock, blood loss or, severe dehydration, and more. The first thing that would be on my mind is anemia, an insufficient amount of red…

by Jana Rade

Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs: Jake’s Laryngeal Paralysis

Jake is a senior Labrador Retriever, and his story starts with an emergency veterinary visit. The poor boy was rushed to the clinic blue and suffocating. Jake has laryngeal paralysis–these days recategorized as geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis polyneuropathy (GOLPP). It was thought that laryngeal paralysis was just that–paralysis of the voice box (larynx). The larynx is the organ that controls…

by Jana Rade

Chip Bag Suffocation in Dogs: Milo Survived what many Dogs Don’t: #Preventpetsuffocation

Have you ever watched any of the funny dog video complications? Did that include footage of a dog or cat with their head stuck in a chip bag? Things like that are the reason I stopped watching these videos. A dog with a chip bag stuck over their head is not funny! It is a recipe for a disaster. Your…

by Jana Rade

Is Dog Bad Breath an Emergency?

Bad breath in dogs is usually a reflection of the state of their mouth. Dental disease does require veterinary attention but it usually is not an emergency unless your dog is in severe pain. Is there a circumstance in which bad breath could mean you need to see a vet immediately? Conditions that can cause bad breath Let’s start with…

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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