It is important to keep your dog healthy at all times. Below you can read about what a healthy dog is. It is suggested that you print out these notes and first aid notes and put them in a folder for future information. It could save your dogs life some day.
SKIN
Healthy skin is smooth and flexible, ranging from pale pink to brown or black. Spotted skin is normal in dogs with
spotted or solid-color coats. No scales, scabs, growths or areas of redness should be visible. Dogs have seasonal
shedding cycles, which may occasionally change. A healthy coat, however, is glossy and pliable, without dandruff,
excessive oiliness or areas of baldness.
Check to see that dog does not have fleas, ticks, lice or other external parasites by running your hand against
the grain of the coat; some pests are stationary, while others, like fleas, may scurry away as soon as they are
exposed. Signs of fleas include itching and the presence of small black and white specks on the skin, which are
flea dirt or feces. It's a good idea to check the skin of longhaired dogs in several places.
EYES
A healthy dog has bright, shiny eyes free of excessive watering or discharge. Eyelashes and hair should not rub
against the eyeball; this is especially a concern for owners of longhaired breeds. Examine the moist pink inner
lining of the eyelids (the conjunctiva) by placing your thumb near the edge of the eyelid and pulling gently upward
or downward. This smooth membrane should not be inflamed, swollen or have a yellow discharge. The whites of the
eyes should not appear yellowish.
The dog's third eyelid, a light pink membrane, is located under the lower lid and is most easily visualized in
the inner corner of the eye. How much the third eyelid is visible on the surface of the eye varies from breed to
breed. Get to know what is normal for your breed, so you will be able to spot any changes that could signal a problem.
EARS
The outside of the ear flap is covered with hair similar to the rest of the body. The skin inside the dog's ears
is light pink, clean and lightly covered with hair. A small amount of yellow, brown or black wax may be present
in the ear canals, but an overabundance of this wax is abnormal. Healthy ears do not emit a bad smell, they are
not red, swollen, itchy or painful to the dog, and do not exude a discharge.
MOUTH
To examine the inside of a dog's mouth, gently grasp the top of the muzzle with
your fingers on one side and thumb on the other. Use the other hand to pull down on the lower jaw. Healthy gums
will appear pink or pigmented (black or spotted) and will feel firm. The edges of healthy gums surround the teeth,
which are free from soft white matter and hard white, yellow or brown material. A dog should not have unpleasant
breath.
Young dogs have white, smooth teeth, which tend to darken a bit with age. The average puppy has 23 baby teeth with
no molars. Normal adult dogs have 42 permanent teeth, although some breeds have fewer because of the construction
of their jaws. Once adult teeth have emerged, the baby teeth should not remain. These sometimes have to be removed
by a veterinarian.
A dog may have a scissors bite (the upper front teeth tightly overlap the lower front teeth), a level bite, an
overshot bite or an undershot bite. The type of bite preferred in each breed is described in the breed's standard.
NOSE
A dog's nose is normally cool and moist. Any secretions from the nose are clear and watery, not cloudy, yellow
or green, thick or foul smelling. Black noses are most common, though a variety of colors and even spots can be
normal. The nose should not be red or irritated-the possible result of an injury, disease or sensitivity to sunlight.
Many people mistakenly believe that the condition of a dog's nose is the best indicator of its health. A sick dog,
however, may have either a warm, dry nose or a cold, wet one, and owners are advised to use a rectal thermometer
to correctly determine if the dog has a fever.
TEMPERATURE
The normal temperature range for a dog, taken with a rectal thermometer, is from 101 to 102.5 degrees F (38.3 to
39.2 degrees C). It's important to keep the dog still while you are taking its temperature. This is best done while
the dog is standing, but lying on its side will also work.
Begin by shaking down the thermometer and lubricating the bulb with petroleum jelly, or mineral or vegetable oil.
Lift the dog's tail and gently slide the thermometer into the anus-the distance depends on the size of the dog.
Half the thermometer may be required for a large dog, while an inch may do for a small one. Remove the thermometer
after three minutes to read the temperature.
PULSE
The heart of a healthy dog depends on its size and condition. Normally, the heart beats 50 to 130 times per minute
in a resting dog. It is faster in puppies and small dogs, slower in large dogs or those in particularly good physical
condition.
To feel a dog's heartbeat, place your fingertips or palm (never your thumb, because you have a pulse of your own
in your thumb) against the left side of the dog's chest just behind the elbow, or place your ear against the chest
over the heart. To feel the dog's pulse, gently press on the artery that lies on the inside of the thigh where
the leg joins the body.
ELIMINATION
Urine excreted by a healthy dog is yellow and clear. Most adult dogs move their bowels once or twice a day; the
stools are well formed generally brown. The amount and color of stool produced by your dog will be affected by
diet. Large amounts of odorous, loose or unusually colored stools are abnormal.
It is most important to regard persistent diarrhea, difficult elimination or a change in the frequency or amount
of urination as signs of possible illness. Any of these signs should be brought to the attention of a veterinarian
without delay.
WEIGHT
Even if your dog appears fine in every other way, it can't receive a clean bill of health if it is underweight
or, more commonly, overweight. Obesity is usually the result of overfeeding and can be easily corrected by changing
the dog's diet. But a visit to the vet is in order first, to rule out a hormonal imbalance or other physical problem.
An underweight dog, or one that refuses to eat, can have internal parasites or other serious health problems. Again,
a visit to the vet is the best way to deal with this problem.