Articles with euthanasia

Grieving the Passing of a Dog: The Bond That Cannot Be Severed

Losing a dog can be just as painful as losing a family member or a loved one. After all, many dogs are family members. Jasmine’s passing hurt directly to the core. It was as if somebody ripped out a part of my heart. We will never forget Jasmine. My eyes look for you but cannot find youMy hands seek to…

by Jana Rade

Canine Euthanasia: Making the Final Decision for Your Dog

What criteria did we consider when making the last decision for Jasmine? I am not going to get into how terribly hard making the last decision for your dog is. Words cannot describe it. Only those who had to have made such a decision can truly appreciate that. I am merely going to explain the criteria we considered when making…

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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