Pets

10 Ways to Tell If Your Dog is Healthy

By Lewis WallerFebruary 6, 2012

Keeping an eye out for early signs of medical problems is one of the most important things you can do for your dog, and could save you a lot of stress, time and money in the long run – not to mention your dog’s health. Here’s a list of 10 checks to perform regularly.

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1. Monitor Their Eating Habits

If your dog goes off his food or drink for more than 24 hours it’s time to contact the vet, especially if your dog is usually a big eater. Remember, you know your dog better than anyone — if you think something is up, it probably is.

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2. Do a Body Check

On a weekly basis you should be (whilst grooming if appropriate for your breed) performing a full body check of your dog. Gently run your hands over every part of your dogs body and check for lumps, cuts, inflammation and any signs of discomfort.

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3. Keep an Eye on Their Walking

When you’re out on walks, watch the way your dog moves when he walks and runs. Does he/she ever seem stiff? Overly tired? Or have a limp? Coughing and excessive panting may also indicate problems. Again, if it seems out of the ordinary take your dog to your vet.

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4. Check Their Weight

Obesity is the cause of a huge number of problems in dogs and of course, should be avoided. Keep your dog on a steady, well balanced diet. If things start to get out of control, seek advice sooner rather than later.

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5. Monitor Their Toilet Habits

Diarrhea, constipation, blood and mucus are the four things to look out for in your pooch’s stool. Similarly if the urine looks dark, cloudy or blooded then this should be cause for concern. Keep an eye on the regularity of your dogs toilet habits and make sure the appearance is consistent.

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6. Check Their Mouth

Check the mouth for anything out of the ordinary. Gums should be pink, so darker/redder patches may indicate a problem. Check for growths and lumps, and make sure that the teeth are clear and that none are loose. Check the tongue for cuts and sores. Unusually bad breath could be an indication of digestive problems.

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7. Check Their Eyes

Your dogs eyes should be clear and the pupils should be the same size. Check for ingrowing eye lashes or hair that looks like it’s causing a problem. There should also be no excessive discharge or signs of irritation. If there is, visit the vet.

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8. Check Their Nose

Your dogs nose should be moist and cool. Keep an eye out for excessive discharge, sneezing and that breathing is easy and unobstructed.

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9. Check Their Feet

Examine your dogs feet for any cuts, grazes or growths. Long nails can sometimes cause problems and should be trimmed, either with dog clippers or a file. Be careful when cutting/trimming your dogs nails as this can sometimes cause bleeding.

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10. Check Their Ears

Finally, check your dogs ears for wax-build up, swelling and bad odor. Wax can be removed gently with cotton wool but you should never poke anything directly down your dogs ears. Bad odor or swelling will need the attention of your vet. These 10 basic checks should be performed on a routine basis and doing so will ensure you catch any sign of trouble early on. Remember, if anything looks out of the ordinary consult your vet.

Lewis Waller is the co-founder of Dog Walkers City, the online directory of Dog walkers and sitters that covers the US and the UK.

Be sure to check out more exciting pet articles at PetsAdviser.com and WebVet.com!