Yes! You can learn how to do a physical exam for your dog in the privacy of your own home.
We should mention, this exam is not to substitute for taking your dog to your veterinarian regularly. The purpose is to help you understand the basics of what is normal for your dog.
Photo of Kuki provided by Roxanne Rossbach
I have learned that our veterinarians and technicians are only human. They on occasion fail to notice a bump or area of concern. They see a lot of patients each day and like our overworked doctors on the human side, sometimes they will unintentionally fail to notice what you would think would be so obvious. I recommend making a list taking it with the dog on its visit. Many times I will even mention what I am concerned, about over the phone to the tech when making an appointment, hoping that some of my concerns will show up in the dogs records for the Vet to read just before he sees the appointment. Sometimes our vets may be distracted by what may be going on behind the scenes of their clinic. We need to help them help our dogs and cats.
HOME EXAM BASICS
Now perform the exam in a relaxed environment when your pet is not stressed or excited, or after an exercise session or nap. Starting with the tip of their nose, you work your way to the tip of their tail.
NOSE
Starting with their Nose. Check for debris, if you dog likes to dig and eat dirt you might discover a bit of left over dirt or their last meal dried and blocking one of the nostrils. Take note of whether the nose is wet or dry. Your pet’s nose will not always be wet, it will typically vary from moist to dry throughout the day, depending on your pet’s body temperature, activity level and hydration.
Have you noticed any congestion, sneezing or coughing?
Have you noticed any blood coming from the nose?
Have you noticed any nasal discharge?
EYES
Next, take a look to see whether there is abnormal eye discharge. Again, you will likely know what is normal for your pet. For instance, if your cat or dog never gets eye discharge and suddenly has it, it’s a sign that there could be a problem.
Check whether your pet’s pupils are symmetrical and look at the whites of their eyes. Red sclera (the part of the eye that is normally white) could mean inflammation of the eyes.¹
Look at the globe, shine a flashlight into the eyes to see if the pupils are responsive and the same size, see if the eyes seem sunken or the skin under them is pale or discolored. If you notice any abnormalities at all you should take her to your vet for further evaluation.²
Have you noticed an increase or decrease in tear production?
Do the eyes appear cloudy or red?
Have you noticed any discharge coming from the eyes?
Do the eyes appear bloodshot?
Are the pupils the same size in both eyes?
Have you noticed your pet rubbing or pawing at eyes?
Is your dog squinting his/her eyes?
Do the eyes appear to be sunken or excessively protruding?
EARS
Check the ears for debris, odor and cleanliness.¹
- Lift up the ears and look at the skin before looking inside. You will know what normal is for your dog and they should look normal, not yellow, swollen, dry and flaky, etc. Look into the ear canal without trying to put anything inside. If the ears smell, have a discharge, or are discolored, you can try cleaning them with vinegar or an ear wash for dogs. But you will probably need to take her in to your regular clinic. Ear problems are annoying but not an emergency.²
However, an ear infection can become serious if left untreated, or if ear wax blocks the ear canal.
MOUTH/TEETH
If your pet is not accustomed to having its mouth examined, slowly acclimate your pet to facial massages so that you can eventually check their mouth, gums and teeth. When you can, check inside their mouth for lesions, swelling, and bad breath. Their gums should be pink, their teeth free of tartar and plaque, their tongue clear and the roof of their mouth clean and free from debris.²
Check the jaw line to see if it feels normal.
What color are the gums – tissue just above the teeth?
Is your dog able to open and close the mouth normally?
Is there any pain involved in opening or closing the mouth?
Have you noticed any excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth?
Is your dog able swallow food normally?
Looking inside the mouth, are there any foreign objects such as bones or sticks stuck on the roof of the mouth or around the teeth?
PAWS
Look at their claws and the pads of their feet, there should be no debris between their toes. Check for heat and swelling over your pet’s body, and test the range of motion of the joints; do the joints move freely, without resistance or difficulty? If they are chewing on their pads look for a sticker or splinter.
BODY
Chest and abdomen: All dog owners should purchase a stethoscope. They are inexpensive and only take a few minutes to get used to. Listen to your dog until you find the heart and count how many times it is beating per minute. (A big dog might have a heartbeat of 60 times per minute, a little dog at 160, so you should check this and write it down every time you examine your dog, while she is healthy.) Find the artery on the inside of the back leg and press down on it to count her pulse. The number should be the same as the heartbeat. If either of these are not what you are used to, or if her pulse is so weak that you cannot find it, go ahead and get her in to be checked.²
Brush back the hair and look at the skin and coat. Check for excessive flakiness, lumps and bumps on the sides of the spinal cord, and evaluate muscle tone and weight. If you feel your pet is carrying extra weight You need to addressing it by increasing activity and feeding a species-appropriate diet (a meat-based, carb-free living food diet).
¹Gently palpate their belly to look for lumps and notice if your pet seems to experience discomfort. This is a good time to also gently check both mammary chains (do this for male dogs, too).
Is your pet experiencing any difficulty breathing?
Have you noticed any panting?
Is there any pain when the chest area is petted?
Have you noticed any recent coughing?
What is the heart rate?
Is the heartbeat steady and consistent?
Place your hand or your ear on the left side of your dog's chest, just behind the elbow. You should be able to feel or hear the heartbeat. Count how many beats the heart pumps in one minute.
Examine the Dog's Abdomen/Stomach Area:
Has your dog been having any diarrhea or vomiting?
Is your dog able to eat and drink normally?
Does the abdomen/stomach area appear swollen or distended?
Does your dog appear in pain when the stomach area is petted?
Is your dog known to chew on non-food items such as clothing, towels, strings, etc.?
Examine the Dog's Urinary and Reproductive Systems:
Have you noticed any difference in urinating?
Does your dog seem to strain when urinating or cry in pain?
Does your dog repeatedly try to urinate with no urine produced?
Is there any blood in the urine?
How frequently does your dog urinate?
Is your female dog spayed? If so, at what age?
Did your female dog ever have puppies? At what age?
If not spayed, when was her last heat cycle and was she bred?
Is your male dog neutered?
If so, at what age?
Do you notice any discharge from the vaginal area?
Do you notice any discharge from the penis?
If your dog is not neutered, do you notice any swelling of the testicles?
Have you noticed your dog excessively licking or grooming the genital area?
Even if you don’t know the names of all the parts you are touching, if you examine your pet regularly you will begin to know what is normal for your companion. When there are changes you will notice them quite quickly because you are familiar with the terrain of his or her body. Also examine your pet’s bottom for cleanliness.¹
Have you noticed any limping?
Are any legs or joints swollen?
Has your dog been excessively licking at one area of his/her legs?
Does your dog show signs of pain when walking?
Is your dog able to walk normally?
Does your dog walk on his/her knuckles?
Does your dog drag any legs when walking?
Have you noticed any pain when petting your pet?
Finally ask your veterinarian or a vet tech to show you how to check these items. Even if you have to pay for an office visit to get enough time to be shown all of these areas, the value of knowing just what is normal vs what is not, will in the end save you a lot of stress in deciding if you have an emergency or when something will wait for your next regular visit. I doubt vet clinics will charge you for the time to show and explain what to look for. At least I have never had any in North Alabama ever charge extra.
When I fostered a diabetic dog thanks to my training at my vets, I was able to give the twice daily insulin shots in home instead of bringing the dog twice a day to the clinic. I learned how to administrator a saline bag of fluids to several severely dehydrated puppies instead of them having to stay at an emergency clinic. All dog owners should purchase a stethoscope, if you buy one then take it along on your next visit to the clinic and ask them to show you how to use it.
Of course I have noticed many of our readers and friends are Vet techs, nurses or in the health care professions, for you, I am talking in the wind. If this is true we ask that you please comment below your recommendations, on doing a pre-exam at home. How can we learn to help rather than hinder working with our medical friends? It was even suggested that a owner might want to print out this list and answers and take with them to the appointment to help narrow quickly the possible areas of a problem.
Sources:
¹http://healthypets.mercola.com
Photos provided by:
Roxanne Rossbach- lead photo
Stacy Clear - Fizzy's nose
Edited by: Julie Bradford