DECODING DOG HEALTH SPEAK

Graphic designer Rade offers a compendium of illness descriptions to help dog owners become better health advocates for their pups.

The author lays out her subject matter according to 24 broad categories of symptoms, including “Vomiting,” “Diarrhea,” “Excessive Drinking,” “Lethargy/Weakness,” “Panting,” and so on, and provides details of each via real-life examples. One representative account tells of how Otis, a 3.5-year-old Labrador retriever, ate potato chips, a plastic wrapper, some garlic, and dried currants, which “brought him to death’s door” with nonstop vomiting. He was rushed to an emergency clinic, where doctors found that Otis’ kidneys were failing, with the currants as the main cause: “Grapes, raisins and currants are toxic to dogs.” In another story, doctors discover that a golden retriever named Julie has eaten a rope toy “that had expanded into a chaotic mess” inside her stomach, resulting in chronic vomiting and lethargy. Rade’s writing style offers a blend of meticulous research and a conversational tone that’s aimed at fellow dog owners. She writes from the perspective of a dog owner, rather than of a medical professional, drawing upon memories of decades of health issues with her own canines; she notes that she doesn’t hesitate to consult a veterinarian, when needed, and urges readers to do so as well. Her easygoing style makes for an overall pleasant read as she reduces complex medical terminology into everyday terms for newcomers, making the stakes of each situation clear, as when she explains that one dog “was diagnosed with pancreatitis…a potentially life-threatening condition.” Readers will appreciate the book’s layout as well, with each dog’s symptoms on the left side of each chart and “Potential [ancillary] Symptoms” on the right. The table of contents lays out just about every dog illness or problem that one might encounter, making it relatively easy to home in on a particular interest.

A comprehensive manual designed to help dog owners understand what their pet is trying to tell them.