My Dog's Symptoms : Page 3 of 166 : Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.

Canine Parvovirus

Canine parvovirus is a severe, potentially fatal gastrointestinal disease that infects dogs. Puppies and young dogs are most susceptible and tend to have the most severe infections. However, dogs that didn’t acquire immunity can get the infection at any age. Symptoms of parvovirus in dogs Parvovirus attacks the intestinal tract, essentially destroying the inner lining of the intestines. Symptoms most…

by Dr. Lorie Huston

Homemade Playdough Poisoning in a Dog: Daisy’s Trip to Veterinary Emergency

If you make your kids’ modelling mixture at home, it is perfectly safe, isn’t it? After all, everything you put in there is edible, right? Right. But not everything that humans can eat is safe for dogs. Let’s take a look at an example homemade playdough recipe. The ingredients include: 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup salt 4 teaspoons cream…

by Jana Rade

My Rottweiler is Going under Anesthesia: Anesthesia Considerations for Large-Breed Dogs

Anesthesia is a drug-induced loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness. In veterinary medicine, anesthesia facilitates painful or lengthy procedures such as surgery. Non-surgical procedures that might require anesthesia include: diagnostic imaging (x-rays, CT scans, MRI) endoscopy radiation treatments Further information: A Primer on Anesthesia in Dogs We decided on general anesthesia for Cookie’s follow-up PRP treatment because…

by Jana Rade

Canine Distemper Virus

Canine distemper is a life-threatening disease that most commonly affects puppies and young dogs. Distemper is caused by a virus that can spread easily through an unimmunized (unprotected) population. Fortunately, adult dogs often develop some degree of immunity with age and are less likely to develop the disease. How Does Canine Distemper Spread? Canine distemper spreads through respiratory secretions that…

by Dr. Lorie Huston

Pain and Neck Swelling in a Dog: Pippa Has Puppy Strangles

Sometimes, when you hear hooves, you need to think of zebras and not horses. Particularly if your dog has a constellation of severe symptoms that don’t fit a straightforward explanation. Puppy strangles is a rare but potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease that affects young dogs. There seems to be a genetic component but the condition is considered idiopathic with no known…

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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