Articles with Real-life Stories

Canine Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus: RIP Barbie

Veterinary Partner calls bloat the Mother of all Emergencies. According to some sources, bloat is the number two dog killer, right after cancer! Gastric dilatation is a distention of the stomach from an accumulation of gas and fluid. Gastric dilatation can be further complicated by volvulus, in which the distended stomach rotates on itself (gastric torsion), cutting off its blood…

by Jana Rade

Chronic GI Upset in a Dog: Diagnosing Precious—GI Issues That Are Not Going Away

Precious was ill since the end of the year. An exploratory surgery, three vets, four months, and several treatments later, he was not getting better. His guts were not happy and nobody could figure out why. Precious’ story Precious was a 3-year-old Rottweiler, happy and always healthy prior to this event. The problem started on the 29th of December after…

by Jana Rade

Heartworm Infection in Dogs: Reading About Heartworm Is One Thing; Watching A Dog Suffer Is Another

Heartworms are mosquito-borne parasites that live in the heart and blood vessels of an infected dog. These worms cause damage, often significant damage, to the cardiovascular structures and can lead to serious illness in the infected dog. In severe cases, heartworms can be fatal. Ashley agreed to share her first-hand experience with heartworm infection. Newton’s story It is one thing…

by Jana Rade

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs: Weight Loss, Brittle Fur, Starving All The Time … Beaner’s Story

The pancreas is an essential organ that is involved both in food digestion and metabolism. The two crucial functions it fulfills is the production of digestive enzymes and the production of insulin. Without digestive enzymes present, your dog cannot break down their food and can literally starve to death regardless of the amount of food they consume. Thank you, Angie…

by Jana Rade

Canine Cushing’s Disease: Viva Has Cushing’s

Cushing’s disease is caused by excess cortisol in the body. Canine Cushing’s disease is most prevalent in middle-aged to older dogs, especially poodles, dachshunds, Boston terriers, boxers, and beagles. You can learn why too much cortisol in a dog’s body is a problem here. Viva’s story Helping Viva to get better and improve health is a lot like peeling the…

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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