Articles with foreign bodies

Doberman with Neck Swelling: Rio’s Story of a Mysterious Swelling on His Neck

The most common reason your dog might get swelling on their neck are infections. However, more sinister things can be at play. Could it be an abscess? A swollen lymph node? And what is the underlying cause? Potential causes of swelling in the area of the face and neck include: dental issues insect bites and stings other bites and wounds…

by Jana Rade

Dog Swallows a Toothpick: The Devil in the Hor D’oeuvres—Beware of Toothpicks around Dogs

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies that don’t like to show up on imaging can be the most dangerous. Did you watch the Needle in a Haystack House MD episode? A toothpick almost killed a perfectly healthy teenage boy. Not visible on imaging but punching holes through nearby organs. A teenage boy becomes gravely ill and a cause cannot be found. He bleeds in…

by Jana Rade

Plastic Ingestion in a Dog: Grocery Bag Is Not An Open Buffet—What Was In JD’s Vomit

Would you think there was a benefit to examining your dog’s vomit? While I agree that the gross factor is high, yes, I always examine my dog’s vomit. It can go a long way in helping me figure out why they threw up. JD’s story At about five in the morning, I was woken up by hubby rushing JD to…

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.

View Full Profile →