Spotting the Signs of a Healthy Pet: What Every Owner Should Know
Knowing the signs of a healthy pet is as important as knowing the signs of something being wrong with your furry friend. Often, we reach for information and advice when an injury, illness or a mishap has occurred. Spotting the signs of a well, healthy and happy pet, however, not only keeps them that way longer, but it also reduces your worry over it (and makes you feel good!), prevents health issues with your pet further down the line and increases their longevity.
Much like our own health and well-being most factors and indicators we aim for apply to pets too. Whilst I stand by the notion that you, as their pet parent, know your pet best, and you should always follow your intuition if you feel something is not right with your pet, let’s look at the happy stuff and discover the physical, behavioral and mood components of healthy pets so you can maintain these.
Physical signs of a healthy pet
A quick glance or gentle pat can reveal a lot, as physical signs are often the first line of defense in determining whether your pet is feeling good or not. Breed differences may play a role here, as may their age, so bear this in mind, but otherwise, the following points are great signs of healthy pets.
Coat and skin health
Their coat should be soft, glossy and shiny. Free from debris, dandruff, bald patches, rough feeling/brittle hair, itchy spots, hotspots and excessive shedding. It shouldn’t be dull, matted, knotted or thinning.
The skin should be smooth and a normal (for them) pink color with no redness, spots, sore patches or lumps. No wounds, scabs, unusual marks, itchiness, flakes or dandruff should be present either.
Eyes, ears, nose, and teeth
Eyes should be bright, clear, and open as normal, with no excessive blinking or pawing at the head and face area. There should not be excessive tear production, redness, discharge or cloudiness in the eyes or bumping into objects.
Ears are meant to be nice and pink, at a normal temperature and have no odor or wax buildup. Your pet should not be pawing at their ears, shaking them excessively, itching them or becoming startled by loud noises.
A healthy nose is usually soft, moist and drip-free! There should be no dryness, cracks, snot, discharge, noisy breathing or mouth breathing.
Teeth and gums… gums are meant to be salmon pink in color, smooth and firm, not pale, dry, inflamed or bleeding. Teeth remain white without tartar, staining, or calculus buildup and should present with no fractures, flattening of the tips, wobbly or missing ones. Breath often hints at trouble, so a quick sniff to check for new, different or offensive smells is a good idea.
Weight, energy and movement
A general rule of thumb for an ideal body weight can be found by pressing lightly on the ribs; you should be able to feel them but not see them. A visible waistline when viewed from above should be present, with no issues with breathing or snoring due to excessive weight. Weight ranges are available for most breeds as a guide.
They should be able to move freely and easily, being able to sit, lie, run, jump and walk without limping, pain, difficulty or tiredness.
Energy levels are not low or too high but congruent with their age, for example, an old boy is likely to sleep a lot more than a young pup, but if a puppy or young pet is extra tired all the time, this is indicative a check-up is needed. Resting easily shows your pet feels secure, and play is not only important in a pet’s development, but it is also an activity all dogs and cats partake in, and is a great sign of a happy, healthy pet.
Limbs and tail
The legs and tail should move freely with no discomfort, unease or limping. Nails are short, and your pet can get up and down from lying and sitting without any problem. No wounds, lumps or stuck-on debris (poop by the tail, for example) should be present and paw pads are smooth, soft, have no sore patches, debris or knotted bits of fur in between. Nails should be short but not cut to the quick or left to overgrow. Overgrown nails, particularly in older pets can become ingrowing as they curl around and pierce into the paw pads The tail should not be limp but wag or swish normally.
Behavioral signs of a healthy pet
Behavior and habits reveal how your pet feels on the inside. A healthy dog (hopefully!) greets you with eager tail wags, while a cat purrs or rubs their head, showing trust and ease. They are usually calm, confident, bright and unbothered by other pets, places, noises or people.
They shouldn’t be aggressive, fearful, pacing, barking, biting or anxious. Any sudden changes in behaviour or new habits require examination by your vet, as these can be a sign of illness or pain. Biting, licking at the paws, nibbling/licking at joints or guarding their movement are all habits indicating something is wrong.
Appetite and digestion
A healthy pet eats regular meals without skipping them or gobbling them up too fast. Refusal to eat or excessive hunger is not normal. They should eat freely, easily, without pain, not drop bits of food or be picky.
Digestion in a healthy pet runs smoothly with firm brown poop, passed daily without diarrhea, bloating, offensive smells, mucous/blood, constipation or strain. Vomiting remains an abnormal sign unless it’s due to a hairball in cats.
The above points are the most common indicators of healthy pets, and these are easily monitored at home. If you haven’t already, take a moment today and give your companion a gentle home exam and note what you see. Anything you find causing you concern, or you think might be abnormal, whether this is a universal abnormality or a change in your pet’s normal, then a check-up with your vet is advised.
Annaliese Morgan
Annaliese qualified as a veterinary nurse from Edinburgh and went on to attain a diploma in advanced veterinary nursing in surgery from London. Throughout this time, she worked in both small and mixed veterinary practices and gained head nurse status. Responsible for training other veterinary nurses she also ran the nursing department, nurse clinics, and patient care protocols.
She has looked after 1,000s of patients and owners and created new higher standard nursing regimes, whilst specializing in surgery and anesthesia. After being asked to co-author multiple veterinary nursing textbooks, Annaliese continued to write for further mainstream publications in the UK and USA and after twenty-plus years in both the veterinary and pet care professions, she hung up her scrub suit and now writes full-time.