Articles with weakness

Why Is My Dog Acting Strange: Changes In Canine Behavior and Habits

Changes in behavior are one of the most misunderstood and overlooked symptoms. In fact, most of the time, behavior changes are not considered a symptom at all. If you were to remember just one thing, remember this – every change is significant. That absolutely includes any changes in the way your dog acts. Listen to what your dog is telling…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Rat Bait Poisoning in a Dog: Penny’s Eats Rodenticide

Rodenticides are not poisonous just to rodents. There are two kinds of mouse and rat poisons: long-acting anticoagulants (LAACS) cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) While either of them can kill your dog, anticoagulants have an antidote, while lethal levels of Vitamin D3 do not. In my opinion, poisons that don’t have antidote should not be sold in the first place. Yet, cholecalciferol…

by Jana Rade

Surviving IMHA: Jazmine’s Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia

IMHA is an auto-immune reaction that results in severe anemia because the immune system destroys your dog’s red blood cells. The survival rate is low—a dog needs quick and aggressive treatment to make it. Most of the time, you might never find out what caused it. Certain conditions can trigger the reaction, such as an infection, cancer, or drug reaction.…

by Jana Rade

Internal Bleeding in a Dog: Lucy’s Sudden Weakness

Blood loss for any reason is bad news. With external bleeding, at least you see it. When your dog is bleeding internally, how can you tell? Think about what blood does–it caries nutrients and oxygen to all tissues in the body. Symptoms of blood loss, then, reflect the lack of oxygen and include: pale mucus membranes (e.g. gums) panting lethargy…

by Jana Rade

Weakness and Lethargy in Dogs: Mandy Cannot Walk. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Mandy became ill quite suddenly. She became lethargic, didn’t want to get up, and didn’t want to eat. Mandy was a nine-and-a-half-year-old female German Shepherd. Considering her age, she was in good shape until this happened. It was apparent Mandy was not well. Besides losing her appetite and strength, she was extremely thirsty and started having potty accidents at night.…

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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