Signs of a healthy dog

A commonly believed piece of canine folklore is that a healthy dog is one whose nose is cold and wet. The origin of this gauge of health is unknown. Nor is it known how a cold nose could tell if an animal had any type of intestinal worms, hereditary birth defects of the heart, cranium, blindness or deafness. The sad fact is that even with the education materials readily available from veterinarians, pet stores, books and the Internet, many people still hold to this belief. Healthy dogs require responsible owners who will see to their nutritional needs and proper preventative, veterinary care. A cheap, low quality dog food will never give the results of full, shiny coats or small, firm stools. There are many signs of a healthy dog and the following are a starting point in your search.1. Coat – The coat should be full, shiny and soft to the touch. Wire coats should be springy and full of life. There should be no thinning or lack of undercoat in double coated breeds such as the Collie and German Shepherd.2. Skin – The skin should be smooth without areas of redness, open sores, scales, scabs or growths. Normal skin pigment can vary according to the breed and colour of the dog. Some will have pink, black, brown or even spotted areas to the skin. The dog should be free of fleas, ticks and other external parasites.
3. Eyes – The eyes of a healthy dog are shiny and bright. The area around the eyeball is known as the conjunctiva and should appear a healthy pink. Paleness in this area could be a sign if several underlying problems. There should be no thick, green or yellow discharge from the eyes. Certain breeds such as Poodles or Bichons tend to have a “watery” discharge that can often be considered normal.
4. Ears – Ears should be clean with no dark or bloody discharge or matter in the canal. Nor should there be any foul odor emanating from the ear, redness, or swelling.
5. Mouth – Gums should be pink or pigmented with black. Paleness in the gums can be a sign of anemia. Red, inflamed gums are often a sign of gingivitis or other periodontal disease. The dog should have no bleeding or foul breath.
6. Teeth – Young dogs will have sparkling white teeth where as older dogs will have a darkening to theirs. This darkening should not include any hard white, yellow, green or brown matter. The teeth should also fit into the gum with none of the root supply showing.