Articles with pain

Is Limping an Emergency?

Limping is usually not an emergency unless … A limping dog should get veterinary help immediately if there were a significant trauma fracture or dislocation bleeding severe swelling hot limbs or dragging of limbs Limping is an emergency when accompanied by severe pain. What causes limping Limping always indicates pain or dysfunction of some kind. Whether or not it is…

by Jana Rade

Is Severe Pain an Emergency?

Ugh, doh. Severe pain for any reason is an emergency. Injuries aside, pain is one of the top reasons for visits to human ER. Severe pain is the body’s way of alerting to a serious problem. The main motivation for rushing to the ER is both the pain itself as well as the fear that comes with it. Does pain hurt…

by Jana Rade

Pain And Itch in Dogs: Are They Two Sides Of The Same Coin?

Pain and itch – two sensations that are really just intensified versions of the sense of touch. Pain and itch play an important protective role. They alert to harmful stimuli and/or irritants. However, when the sensations become chronic, dogs suffer. For years, scientists have longed to determine how closely itch and pain are related. Historically, it was believed that the…

by Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM

How Dogs React to Pain: JD’s Turn To Become Lame And The Difference In Personalities

Through their lives, our dogs hurt themselves and became lame enough times. Cookie was just recovering from her own limp when JD hurt his leg. When I called for a vet appointment for JD’s hind left leg lameness, the receptionist jokingly asked, whether JD was having sympathy pains. Cookie’s footsie saga continued into the last week, when, after presumed all…

by Jana Rade

Complicated Diagnosis in a Dog: Holly And Her Illness

Illness can get complicated and diagnosis such cases is a process. Sometimes your veterinarian tries a treatment, and it might work even though it is unclear what’s wrong. And sometimes, the immune system and the body’s healing potential end up having to do the job. Sometimes you don’t know. All is well that ends well. Thank you, Julia Davis, for…

by Jana Rade

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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