Daily Dog's Health Check

Introducing daily handling in the form of a health check will not only prepare your dog for a visit to the vets, it could also make a positive difference in preventing ailments and injuries.  For example, thorns, burghs and stones can create discomfort as well as break the skin and cause an injury so removing them quickly offers preventative care.  You might also notice lumps and bumps appear enabling early treatment.
 
Assuming your dog is happy to be handled all over, run your hand along your dog’s back and then their undercarriage, taking special notice inside of their front and back legs.  Then move down each leg to their paw and feel between the paw pads.  It’s really beneficial to stroke a dog’s tail upwards, in the way it needs to be positioned when having their temperature taken. It’s an unusual action so getting them used to this can help what can be an unpleasant experience.
 
Take special care around a dog’s head, especially for puppies, as they are very sensitive to being touched in this area.  Check your dog’s ears, eyes and carefully open their mouth.  Make sure you offer a tasty titbit after doing this, so they learn something nice happens afterwards and will want to do so again. In the long term, all dogs benefit from having their teeth regularly cleaned and some breeds require specific kinds of daily care such as cleaning between folds of skin.
 
Introducing a daily health check really helps a dog to be accepting of being examined by a vet but it also gives you peace of mind that you are caring for your dog well and being a responsible dog owner.