The Weekly At-Home Health Check for Dogs

Why five minutes a week pays off

Most things that go wrong with dogs start small. A lump the size of a pea, a slightly smelly ear, a chipped tooth, a nail growing into the pad: all easy to deal with early and all considerably harder later. The problem is that nobody notices, because looking at your dog is not the same as checking them.

A routine solves that. The point is not to diagnose anything. It is to know what your own dog normally feels like, so that anything different stands out immediately. It also has a second benefit: a dog who is handled calmly every week is far easier for a vet to examine.

Before you start

Pick a time when your dog is naturally settled, usually the evening. Sit on the floor rather than standing over them, keep the whole thing brief, and pay in treats. If any part of it makes your dog uncomfortable, stop there and build that part up separately over days rather than pushing through it.

1. Choose a quiet moment and sit on the floor with your dog, with treats within reach.
2. Start at the head and work backwards in the same order every week.
3. Use flat hands with light, even pressure, comparing the left side with the right as you go.
4. Pause and reward after each area rather than at the end.
5. Stop at the first sign your dog is uncomfortable and come back to that area another day.
6. Write down the date, the weight and anything you found before you forget it.

Nose to tail, in order

• Eyes: clear and bright, no discharge, no redness, both the same, no squinting
• Ears: clean and pale pink inside, no strong smell, no dark waxy build-up, no head shaking
• Nose: no thick or coloured discharge, breathing quietly
• Mouth: gums pink, teeth free of heavy brown build-up, no broken teeth, breath not foul
• Neck and shoulders: hands flat, feeling for lumps and flinching
• Along the back and ribs: same hands, same pressure, both sides compared
• Belly and groin: gentle, checking for lumps and sore spots
• Legs: down each one, feeling joints and comparing left with right
• Tail and rear end: clean, no swelling, no dragging or scooting

Compare sides as you go. One side of a dog is an excellent reference for the other, and a difference between them is more informative than any absolute measurement.

Paws, nails and pads

Paws take the most wear and are checked the least. Look between the toes for redness, grass seeds, matted fur and cuts, and at the pads for cracks or burns. In winter, check for salt and grit between the toes after walks; in summer, check for burns from hot pavement.

Nails should not touch the floor when the dog is standing still. If you hear clicking on hard floors, they are too long, and overlong nails change how a dog stands and loads their joints. Do not forget the dewclaws, which never wear down and can curl into the leg. How long should dog nails be covers this properly.

Skin and coat

Part the coat in a few places and look at the skin underneath: it should be smooth and pale, without redness, flaking, scabs or spots. Check the base of the tail and the belly, which are the usual sites for flea dirt, and look for mats behind the ears, under the legs and around the collar.

A coat that has become dull, greasy or thin is worth noting even when the skin looks fine. So is a dog who has started licking one spot repeatedly, which frequently indicates pain in the joint underneath rather than a skin problem. Our guide on bathing a long-haired dog and the flat versus curved slicker brush comparison cover the grooming side.

• 

  Sakabase

  Curved Slicker Brush, View product

  $39.95

  Why it fits: A curved slicker reaches the undercoat where mats start, which is also where you want to see the skin.

  View product

• 

  Mr. Peanut’s

  Naturals Pet Wipes

  $26.95

  Why it fits: Large wipes for faces, ears and paws between baths, which makes the weekly check easier to finish.

  Currently out of stock

• 

  Quiet Rechargeable Pet Nail Grinder, View product

  $50.95

  Why it fits: A quiet nail grinder for dogs who dislike clippers; short regular sessions beat one long struggle.

  View product

• 

  JESPET

  De-Shedding Tool for Dogs & Cats, Choose size

  $27.95 – $29.95Price range: $27.95 through $29.95

  Why it fits: A de-shedding tool for the seasonal coat drop, when a weekly brush stops being enough.

  Choose size

What to write down

Keep a note somewhere you will find again: the date, your dog’s weight, and anything you found. Photograph any lump beside a coin for scale and date it. Two photographs six weeks apart answer the question a vet will ask, which is whether it has changed.

• Weight, monthly
• Any new lump: size, place, whether it moves under the skin
• Changes in appetite, drinking, toileting or sleep
• Anything that made your dog flinch
• Dates of flea and worming treatment
• Dates of vaccinations and the next due date

Findings that mean call the vet

• A new lump, or a lump that has grown or changed
• An ear that smells, is hot, or is being scratched repeatedly
• An eye that is red, cloudy, half closed or weeping
• Pale, white, blue or very red gums
• A broken tooth, or gums that bleed easily
• Any area that is painful, hot or swollen
• Weight loss you did not plan
• Drinking noticeably more or less than usual
• Limping that lasts more than a day or two

Teaching a dog to accept handling

The check only works if your dog tolerates it, and most dogs who object have simply never been taught that handling is brief and predictable. Building that takes a couple of weeks and it pays back every time you visit a vet.

1. Touch an easy area, such as the shoulder, for one second. Release. Treat.
2. Repeat a few times, then stop for the day.
3. On the following day, add one second, or move one body part further.
4. Introduce tools the same way: show the brush, treat, put it away.
5. Let your dog move away at any point without being held in place.
6. Work up to the difficult areas last: paws, ears, mouth, tail.
7. Keep every session shorter than your dog would tolerate.

The rule that matters is ending early. A session that finishes while the dog is still comfortable makes the next one easier; one that continues until they pull away makes it harder, and that is how most handling problems are built.

Seasonal additions to the check

Season	Add to the check
Spring	Grass seeds in paws, ears and armpits
Summer	Ticks, burnt pads, overheating signs
Autumn	Mud rash, ear infections from swimming
Winter	Salt and grit between toes, cracked pads

Grass seeds deserve particular attention in late spring and summer. They work into skin, between toes and into ears, and they migrate rather than falling out. A seed found during a weekly check is a minor annoyance; one found two weeks later is often a veterinary procedure.

Common questions

Does this replace a yearly vet check?

No. It is the thing that happens between them, and it makes those appointments more useful because you arrive with specifics instead of impressions.

My dog will not let me look in their mouth.

Build it up separately: lift a lip for one second, release, treat. Repeat over days. Most dogs will accept a quick look within a week or two, and the same approach works for ears and paws.

Are lumps usually serious?

Many are benign, particularly fatty lumps in older dogs, but the only way to know is a veterinary examination. Rather than guessing, note it, measure it and get it looked at.

How often should I check the teeth?

Weekly, as part of this routine. Dental disease is extremely common, painful, and almost entirely silent, so visible build-up and bad breath are worth acting on rather than tolerating.

What if my dog seems fine but something feels different?

Say exactly that when you book. Owners notice changes well before they can name them, and that information is genuinely useful to a vet.

The cat version is the weekly at-home health check for cats. For the daily routine around it, see a realistic daily dog care routine, and for the longer schedule, the preventive care calendar.