How to tell the health of your pet yourself
The health of your pet is the focus of every owner’s concern. Learning to tell the health of your pet yourself can help us find problems in time and take measures. Here are some practical methods.
1. Appearance and fur
First, observe the fur of your pet. A healthy pet’s fur is smooth, shiny and soft. When you touch it with your hand, it will not feel rough or tangled. If the fur becomes rough and dry, it may be a sign of malnutrition or skin problems. For example, when a pet lacks essential fatty acids, its fur tends to lose its luster. At the same time, pay attention to the phenomenon of hair loss. Normal hair loss is a small amount and uniform, but if there is a large amount of local hair loss or alopecia areata, it is likely to be a skin disease, such as fungal infection, mite infection, etc. Also check whether the skin has redness, swelling, rash, ulcers, etc., which all indicate that the skin may have inflammation or other lesions. When checking the fur, you can use a comb to gently comb it, starting from the head and combing along the hair to the tail. This will not only allow you to see the hair loss more clearly, but also check whether there are parasites, such as parasites ticks and fleas. Ticks often attach to the roots of hair or the surface of the skin.
2. Eyes
Eyes are an important window to reflect the health of pets. Healthy pets have clear and bright eyes without excessive eye mucus or secretions. If you find that your pet’s eyes are red, swollen, tearful, have accumulated eye mucus, or are cloudy or white, it may be an eye infection, injury, or systemic disease. For example, some pets will have an inflammatory reaction in the eyes when they are infected with canine distemper. In addition, observe whether the pet’s eye movement is normal, whether there is tremor or strabismus, which may be related to neurological problems. When checking the eyes, you can use a cotton ball to dip a small amount of saline and gently wipe the eye mucus around the pet’s eyes to observe the eye condition more clearly, but be careful to be gentle to avoid hurting the pet’s eyes.
3. Ears
Check the pet’s ears. The inside of a healthy ear is clean and odorless, and the ear canal is pink. If you smell a bad odor in the ear, or see black or brown secretions in the ear canal, this may be a sign of an ear infection, and ear mites are common. Pets may frequently shake their heads and scratch their ears due to ear discomfort. Long-term ear infections may affect hearing if not treated. When checking the ears, you can gently pull up the pet’s ears, shine a flashlight into the ear canal, and check the internal situation, but do not insert cotton swabs and other tools deep into the ear canal to avoid damaging the ear canal and eardrum. You can use a cotton ball to dip an appropriate amount of pet-specific ear cleaning solution and gently wipe the external ear canal.
4. Oral
Oral health is essential for pets. Check the pet’s gums. Normal gums are pink and tough. If the gums are red, swollen, and bleeding, it may be gingivitis. Check whether the teeth are loose, discolored, or have tartar. These problems will not only affect the pet’s eating, but may also cause systemic infection. Bad breath is also a problem that needs attention. In addition to dietary reasons, bad breath may be a manifestation of oral disease, digestive system problems, or other diseases. When checking the oral cavity, you can gently pull the pet’s lips apart with your fingers to check the gums and teeth. You can also use pet-specific oral inspection tools, but be careful to avoid being bitten by the pet. If the pet does not cooperate, you can try it when it is relaxed, such as when the pet just wakes up or after eating.
5. Breathing and body temperature
Pay attention to the pet’s breathing rate and status. Under normal circumstances, pets breathe steadily and regularly, without panting or coughing. If they breathe rapidly or with difficulty, or have symptoms such as coughing or sneezing, it may be a respiratory infection, heart disease, allergies, etc. The breathing rate can be roughly judged by observing the rise and fall of the pet’s abdomen or chest. In addition, it is also critical to measure the pet’s body temperature. The normal body temperature range of different pets is slightly different. For example, the normal body temperature of dogs is 37.5℃ – 38.5℃, and that of cats is 38℃ – 39℃. A high body temperature may be a fever, which means that the body is inflamed or infected; a low body temperature may be a manifestation of serious conditions such as shock and hypoglycemia. When measuring the body temperature, you can use a pet-specific thermometer. Apply a small amount of vaseline to the thermometer and insert it into the pet’s anus. Keep it for a few minutes and read the data. The operation process should be gentle and the pet should be comforted to avoid struggling and getting injured.
6. Diet and drinking
Diet and drinking can directly reflect the health of the pet. Healthy pets have a normal appetite and are full of interest in food. If your pet suddenly loses appetite, is picky about food, or has no interest in food at all, it may be a sign of physical discomfort, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, oral pain, etc. In addition, observe the amount of water your pet drinks. If the amount of water you drink suddenly increases or decreases, it may also be a sign of disease. For example, kidney disease may cause polydipsia and polyuria, while oral pain may reduce your pet’s water intake. You can record your pet’s daily diet and water intake, and compare the data from different periods to determine whether there are any abnormalities.
VII. Excretion
The urine and feces of your pet can provide a lot of health information. Normal urine is light yellow and clear. If the urine color is abnormal (such as red, dark), has a peculiar smell, or the urine volume is too much or too little, it may be a urinary system problem. Feces should be formed, and the color and texture are relatively stable. Diarrhea, constipation, blood in the stool, or parasites in the stool all indicate problems with the intestines, which require timely attention and treatment. When collecting urine and feces samples from your pet, you can use a clean container and collect them as soon as possible after the pet urinates or defecates, so that you can take them to the veterinarian for examination when necessary.
Through careful observation of the above aspects and the use of some tips, owners can promptly detect subtle changes in their pets’ health in daily life so that they can seek veterinary help when necessary to ensure their pets’ health.
