Articles with Real-life Stories

Small Dog Knee Injury: Junior Stops Bearing Weight on his Hind Leg

Ruptured cruciate ligaments are a common injury in large breed dogs but small dogs can hurt their knee too. In small dogs, the injury can sometimes resolve with conservative management–rest and medication. Junior’s story Junior is an active, nimble senior dog–a little rocket. Age didn’t slow him down much. During one winter,t though, he suddenly stopped using his left hind…

by Jana Rade

Corneal Ulcer in a Pug: Bruce’s Eye Injury

The large, bulging eyes in the brachycephalic breeds look adorable but it makes them susceptible to injury. Eye injuries, inflammation and even loss of an eye are, unfortunately, common in Pugs and other smooshy-faced breeds. Not only the eyes are too large for the eye sockets, but the eyelids also might not be able to fully cover the eye when…

by Jana Rade

Stress Fracture in a Dog: Moose Won’t Bear Any Weight on a Front Leg

Stress fractures are small cracks in a bone caused by repetitive force. It is typically an overuse injury though it can happen from normal use of a weakened bone. Moose’s story Moose is a 3-year-old active Cocker Spaniel. She loves her outings in the countryside. Little Moose’s mom suspected that a fun walk could end up with an emergency trip…

by Jana Rade

Barbiturate Poisoning in a Dog: Yogi’s Sudden Collapse

When you take your dog for a romp in the countryside, the last thing on your mind is the outing ending up at an emergency vet clinic. You might be aware the standard seasonal outdoor risks your dog might be exposed to. Potential dangers can lurk in standing water, buzzing through the air, growing or slithering in the grass. Having…

by Jana Rade

Bowel Obstruction and Peritonitis in a Dog: Mort’s Brush with Death

Peritonitis refers to the inflammation of the abdominal cavity that results from injury to the lining tissues. Potential causes include: injuries/wounds bacterial or chemical contamination pancreatitis ruptured bladder or gallbladder liver abscess and the like Thank you, Jen deHaan, for sharing Mort’s story Mort’s story This is the story of Mort’s third brush with death. Mort is a 3-year-old Australian…

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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