What's Wrong with My Dog?: A Pet Owner's Guide to 150 Symptoms - and What to Do about Them [Paperback]

Jake Tedaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

When something's wrong with your pet, you need to know what to do -- now!

Your dog is limping. He's suddenly drooling heavily without any apparent cause. She's scratched herself raw -- and she's on a good flea-preventive. He's started vomiting. She's inexplicably losing weight. His ears smell funny. What's wrong with your dog -- and what should you be doing about it? In What's Wrong with My Dog?, acclaimed vet Jake Tedaldi, DVM, gives you the answers. More than a first-aid book but as easy to follow and use, What's Wrong with My Dog? is organized by symptom. Each of the 150 symptoms is clearly described (and illustrated if needed). Once dog owners have keyed out their pet's problem using the Symptom Finder at the front of the book, they can turn to the relevant pages and quickly verify their pet's problem, see what's causing it, and determine what they should do. They'll find clear explanations (again supplemented by illustrations if needed) of how to treat their dogs, whether they need to take the dog to the vet or to an emergency care clinic, if their dog will get better without supplemental care, and what they should do long-term to prevent the problem from happening again. Remedies cover a broad spectrum, from cutting-edge conventional medicine to alternative therapies to home remedies that really work. There's even a section on putting together a home first-aid kit for your dog. Indexes by symptom and by problem provide quick reference.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jake Tedaldi, DVM, was educated at Harvard University and received his veterinary degree from Tufts University. He is the founder of Vetcall, a housecall practice specializing in dogs and cats in the Boston area. Jake lives

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Fair Winds Press (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592332498
• ISBN-13: 978-1592332496
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The missing guide to having a dog has finally been found, September 1, 2007

By 

L. Pilgrim (Washington DC, for the moment) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's Wrong with My Dog?: A Pet Owner's Guide to 150 Symptoms - and What to Do about Them (Paperback)

I have had a dog since 1992 and have often searched for a book to consult when my dog seems a little "off," acts a little sick, gets a little hurt -- especially because it typically costs $150 to $200 just to visit a vet, and then if a bunch of tests are performed, the bill grows. Hundreds or thousands of dollars later, you are told that everything is going to be okay. Or worse, I don't go to the vet right away when my dog has had a little something wrong for a while that I ignored because I thought it was "no big deal" etc. and I could not identify a book or a website that gave me any productive information.

Instead, I found many books over the years that (1) provide a few pages of information that are applicable to my dog, and me or (2) provide me with indecipherable technical information suitable for veterinary student. For some reason there has never been any book in which the ENTIRE book is useful and understandable and applicable to my dog or my friends' dogs. Even an online search reveals the same polar extremes of information, unless you are "feeling lucky," which I never am. Perhaps this is because some vets rely on those stupid little questions that turn out to be nothing for their income or they are just a little too cautious, or they understandably don't want to give advice over the phone without seeing your dog? (I don't know the answer.)

However! When I discovered What's Wrong with My Dog?, I thought to myself: "This is the book I've been looking for--for more than 15 years!!! I love it. It's easy to read, written with a sense of humor, AND totally provides professional advice from an ACTUAL VET who was willing to potentially give up some easy office visits to provide dog owners with answers to simple questions. Oh, but apparently, he doesn't have an office; he makes house calls (you'll see his mode of transport in a picture in the back of the book. If I said words like "hoot," I would say it is one!). So...maybe he was hoping to avoid a few extra trips??? I don't know, but it was a generous endeavor--a gift of accessible information. Thank you, Dr. Tedaldi, for finally writing this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Information on Dog Health Issues, October 7, 2009

By 

MC (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: What's Wrong with My Dog?: A Pet Owner's Guide to 150 Symptoms - and What to Do about Them (Paperback)

I recently adopted a little long-haired stray from the city pound. I was instructed not to bathe him for at least ten days because he had just been neutered the day I picked him up. The poor dog's hair was very matted and he smelled something fierce. And, worst of all, he was constantly scratching and he seemed to be miserable. I thought the odor and scratching were just natural, because he probably had not had a good bath since forever. After the waiting period passed he got his bath and his hair was trimmed. To my dismay, I discovered that he had a horrible skin condition. His skin was crusty and oozing and in some spots it was very irritated because he had been scratching so much. I even thought it was mange. I also discovered that he had a discharge from the right eye and his skin was irritated in that area.

I thought of taking him to the vet, but first I decided to do some research in the Internet and I came across this book at Amazon. I have not read the whole book yet, but I thumbed through it and read, among other items, the sections that were pertinent to my dog's condition. I am happy to report that, after following the book's advice, my dog's skin is now in perfect condition. He is not miserable any more, no scratching, no sores, no crusts. The bare spot on the inside of his right eye has has all but disappeared and the discharge has cleared completely.

I am not saying that I will never have to take my pet to the vet because I have this book. In fact, in several sections of the book Dr. Tedaldi suggests the pet should be taken to the vet right away. However, I know for a fact that I saved several hundred dollars and paid for the book many times over with just the advice that I got for the problems described above.

The book has 304 pages. It has a table of contents and an index, and is divided into 18 Parts. Part 1 lists what a dog owner needs in his/her Canine First-Aid Kit and some basic information on first-aid treatments. The remaining Parts and sub-parts describe the conditions a dog may present. I am not going to list all the parts and sub-parts because they are very numerous, but some of the titles are: My dog is bleeding from her eye; My dog has irritated skin on her face; My dog has dark areas on his skin; My dog is gulping or swallowing strangely; My dog has something stuck in his paw; etc., etc. Each Part and sub-part follows a uniform format. First Dr. Tedaldi describes what to look for, then he explains what to do. Also included in every Part and sub-part are frames entitled "Warning" and "When to Get to the Vet". The book has a few photos and drawings as well. I found this book to be very well organized, extremely useful, clear and informative.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book by an extraordinary vet, October 24, 2007

By 

A. Gold "Ajax's mother" (Brookline MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What's Wrong with My Dog?: A Pet Owner's Guide to 150 Symptoms - and What to Do about Them (Paperback)

Jake Tedaldi is without a doubt the best veterinarian our family has ever known. This book is a great contribution to human-dog communication. If our dogs could speak to us they would tell us many of these things, but instead Dr. Tedaldi speaks for them, in clear and reassuring language, not flinching from the sometimes startling or upsetting things our dogs are going through, but always giving their humans great guidance on how to be their best friend. This is the kind of book you can pick up in the middle of the night to find out what to do if your dog has just been sprayed by a skunk. Or maybe you just can't figure out why "my dog keeps smacking her lips." It's organized into sections such as "my dog has something stuck" and "my dog seems sick." It is a very practical book written with affection and compassion for both sides of the human-dog equation.