Articles with Real-life Stories

Negative Lyme Test in a Dog: Gus’ Missed Diagnosis

A common medical dilemma is a positive Lyme test in a healthy dog. What if a sick dog tests negative, though? What if your dog has all the symptoms of suffering from active Lyme disease but the test does not reflect that? Gus’ story Every dog can pick up an unwelcome deer tick here and there. Gus caught a number…

by Jana Rade

Canine Splenic Tumors: Walks Like A Splenic Tumor, Quacks Like A Splenic Tumor … It Must Be A UTI?

Mandy was about nine and a half years old, about the same age as Jasmine. She was showing some signs of aging but overall seemed to have been doing well enough. Mandy had fallen very ill during the Christmas holiday She was very lethargic; didn’t want to get up, didn’t want to eat. She was drinking and urinating a lot…

by Jana Rade

Root Signature Pain in Dogs: Elbow Problem Or Root Signature?

When your dog becomes lame, the first suspects are muscle or joint issues. Did you know, however, that lameness can have a neurologic cause? Figuring out whether the problem is orthopedic or neurologic can be challenging. Jasmine’s story As soon as Jasmine improved after her neck issues, without any break to speak of, we were dealing with sudden severe front…

by Jana Rade

Misdiagnosed Lameness in a Dog: Cody’s Spinal Cord Diagnosis

Veterinarians are only human. And even the best veterinarian can misdiagnose your dog. Arriving at the right diagnosis isn’t always easy. What if everything points one way while the problem is something else altogether? Thank you, Dee Bogetti, for sharing Cody’s story. Cody’s mishap Cody was 11 months old. A yellow Lab in training to be my wilderness search and…

by Jana Rade

Disc Injury in a Rottweiler: A Time Bomb Ought To Go Off At Some Point, I Guess: Jasmine’s Neck

Even though some breeds are more susceptible to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) than others, any dog that has a spine can suffer a disc injury. Intervertebral disc disease is a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst (herniate) into the spinal cord space. Further information: Slipped Disc, Bad Back, and Muscle…

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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