If you care for your pet, and we know you do, then it is important to also allow a veterinarian to care for them. Your vet is the one who can provide vaccines, check your pet for ongoing conditions like arthritis and parasitic infections, and recommend medications to treat fleas and ticks. Most vet are very familiar with treated dogs and cats, and many will also treat rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, and other household pets. If you'd like to learn more about veterinary care, then plan on spending some time on this website. It's a good resource for any curious pet owner.
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If you're like most people who share their hearts and homes with a cherished canine companion, you never miss regularly scheduled checkups at your veterinary clinic. After all, these checkups often detect emerging health issues in time to prevent them from progressing to serious stages. However, issues sometimes develop between visits to the veterinarian, and disease as well as the normal aging process progresses more quickly with dogs than with their human counterparts. Fortunately, dog owners can perform simple, at-home wellness tests designed to provide a heads up for any potential health problems.
Following are five quick wellness checks to include in your everyday dog care routine.
Check the Nose
Although the old wives tale that says that a dog with a warm nose is sick and that its counterpart with a cold nose is healthy has been proven untrue by veterinary science, your dog's nose can nonetheless tell you something about the state of its health. Discharge, sensitivity, sores, and extreme dryness and cracking are all indications that a visit to the vet is in order.
Check the Eyes
Your dog's eyes should be clear, bright, and free of any discharge or discolorations. You should also check to ensure that the pupils are the same size and that the eyelids aren't swollen. The animal should also be able to blink easily without squinting.
Check the Ears
The ears should be free of discharge, sores, abrasions, and redness. It's also important to take note of any unusual odors coming from the ear canal — this can indicate issues that you can't see, such as infections in the inner ear or ear mites.
Check the Mouth
Your dog's gums should be a healthy pink color and be free of lesions, bumps, and red patches. Be sure to take note of any unusual sensitivity, and as with the ears, be mindful of odors. A dog with bad breath may be experiencing the onset of periodontal disease, which can have serious health repercussions in dogs if left untreated.
Check the Body
The final step in an average wellness check is to run your hands over your dog's body, feeling for lumps, sores, lesions, ticks, or anything else that's unusual. Pay special attention to the area under the jaw — lumps and bumps here may be enlarged lymph nodes.
Ask your veterinarian for advice on customizing your home wellness check routine. For instance, if your dog is a cancer survivor or if either of the animal's parents suffered from cancer, your veterinarian may recommend certain at-home cancer screening techniques for detecting cancer in its beginning stages.
For more information on dog care, contact a clinic like the Murrells Inlet Veterinary Hospital.
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