Signs of a Healthy Dog: What to Check Every Week
A quick nose-to-tail check that catches most problems long before they get expensive.
Dogs are stoic. By the time a problem is obvious it has often been building for weeks. A weekly hands-on check, done while you brush, is the simplest countermeasure.
Nose to tail
- Eyes: clear and bright, no cloudiness, redness or discharge.
- Ears: pale pink inside, no smell, no dark waxy build-up, no head shaking.
- Mouth: pink gums, no strong odour, no broken or brown teeth.
- Skin and coat: run both hands over the whole body feeling for lumps, scabs, ticks or sore spots.
- Feet: pads intact, nails short enough not to touch the ground when standing.
Baselines worth knowing
Resting heart rate is roughly 60–140 beats per minute depending on size, breathing 10–35 per minute at rest, temperature 38–39.2°C. Press a gum and the colour should return within two seconds.
Weight
Weigh monthly. Gradual gain is easy to miss and is behind a large share of joint and heart problems.
When to call the vet
Repeated vomiting, a distended abdomen with unproductive retching, pale gums, laboured breathing, sudden collapse, or refusing food for more than a day.
