Any concerned person can and should do the simple, straight forward home examination. First, consider how the dog appears in general. Is it gaining or losing weight? Is its fluid and food intake and out put normal? Are there any personality changes? Does it limp, cough, sneeze excessively, or have halitosis? Have there been any changes since its health was last evaluated?
If everything appears normal you have passed the first hurdle. Next make a closer examination of the dog's eyes, cars, nose, and mouth. Do the whites of its eyes look normal and not inflamed? Do they squint or have an ocular discharge? Look in the ears: Are they clean with a minimum of brown waxy substance and with no excess hair? Smell them. Any unusual odor? Then examine the nose, lips, gums, tongue, throat, and teeth. Are the membranes a normal pink? Look at the teeth for plaque or tartar. Fan the hair and look for blemishes and parasite such as ticks, fleas, and lice. Lice look like motorized dandruff of the biting variety.
Next check the nails, pads, and between the digits.
