Home Vet Check: 5 Things to Check Weekly

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Home Vet Check: 5 Things to Check Weekly

Be your pup’s first line of defense

Most health problems in dogs don’t arrive with flashing lights and sirens. They start quietly — a small change in breath, a new lump, a little soreness your dog can’t quite explain. The good news? You don’t need a stethoscope or a veterinary degree to catch many of these early.

A simple weekly “home vet check” can make a real difference. Think of it as preventative care you do in slippers, not scrubs. Five minutes. Five checks. Big peace of mind.

Here’s how to become your dog’s first line of defense.

1. Eyes, Ears & Nose: Start With the Face

Your dog’s face tells you a lot — if you know what “normal” looks like.

Eyes:
They should be clear, bright, and free of discharge. A small amount of morning “sleep” can be normal, but redness, cloudiness, squinting, or thick discharge is not.

Ears:
Take a quick look and a gentle sniff. Healthy ears are pale pink and don’t smell much at all. Redness, head shaking, scratching, or a yeasty odor can signal infection — especially in floppy-eared breeds.

Nose:
A dog’s nose doesn’t need to be cold or wet to be healthy, despite the myth. What matters is cracking, sores, heavy discharge, or sudden color changes.

Weekly habit: Look, sniff, note changes. Consistency is everything.

2. Mouth & Teeth: The Often-Ignored Red Flag Zone

Dental issues are one of the most common — and most overlooked — health problems in dogs.

Lift the lips and check:

• Gums should be pink, not pale, red, or inflamed

• Teeth shouldn’t have heavy yellow or brown buildup

• Breath shouldn’t make you physically recoil

Bad breath isn’t “just dog breath.” It can point to dental disease, infection, or even systemic issues.

Bonus tip: If your dog resists mouth checks, go slow. Treats help. So does pretending this is no big deal (dogs are excellent drama detectors).

3. Skin, Coat & Lumps: Hands Are Better Than Eyes

This is where a gentle weekly “pet scan” really shines.

Run your hands slowly over your dog’s body:

• Feel for new lumps, bumps, or thickened areas

• Check for scabs, sores, or flaky skin

• Notice coat changes — dullness, thinning, or excessive shedding

Not every lump is dangerous. Many are benign fatty tumors. But new, fast-growing, or hard, fixed lumps are always worth noting.

Rule of thumb: If it’s new, changing, or worrying you — write it down and keep an eye on it.

4. Paws & Nails: The Daily Workhorses

Paws take a beating, and dogs are famously stoic about foot pain.

Check:

• Between toes for redness, swelling, or debris

• Pads for cracks, cuts, or dryness

• Nails for splitting, excessive length, or broken quicks

Don’t forget dewclaws if your dog has them — they don’t wear down naturally and can curl painfully.

Seasonal note: Winter salt and summer pavement both cause paw issues. Weekly checks help you catch problems before limping starts.

5. Movement, Mood & “Is This Normal?”

This final check isn’t hands-on — it’s observational.

Ask yourself:

• Is my dog moving the same way as usual?

• Any stiffness getting up or reluctance to jump?

• Eating, drinking, and bathroom habits unchanged?

• Energy level normal for my dog?

You know your dog’s baseline better than anyone. Subtle changes often show up here first — long before a vet visit would.

Trust your instincts. “Something seems off” is valid data.

Why This Matters

Weekly home checks don’t replace veterinary care — they support it. Catching issues early can mean:

• Simpler treatments

• Less discomfort for your dog

• Lower stress (and often lower costs)

Just as importantly, these checks build trust. Your dog learns that being handled gently is normal and safe, which makes grooming and vet visits easier down the road.

Make It a Ritual

Pick a day. Same couch. Same order. Same calm energy.
Five minutes once a week can quietly add years of comfort to your dog’s life.

You don’t need to diagnose. You just need to notice.

And honestly? That’s something you’re already very good at.

Cartoon of the Week!

A word from our Sponsor:

Question: “Cricket, my dog always seems to know when we’re about to leave the house—even before we grab the leash or keys. How does she know?”

Cricket answers:
Excellent question. This is a classic case of pattern recognition, not magic or mind reading.

Dogs are extremely good at tracking sequences of human behavior. You may think leaving the house is a single action, but to a dog it’s a predictable chain: you stand up differently, your footsteps change, you check the time, you put on shoes in a specific order, or you stop doing ‘sit-down activities’ like typing or eating.

Your dog has observed this routine hundreds of times and formed a reliable internal model:
If Human does A, then B happens. If B happens, I should get excited.

This is the same learning process used in basic machine learning—just with fur and fewer spreadsheets.

So no, your dog isn’t psychic. She’s simply very good at data analysis… and unfortunately, you are extremely consistent.

—Cricket ✔️

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