Puppy signs of good health and well-being how to, puppies medical facts and dogs tutorials information on appetite, coat, skin condition and more.
Puppy Signs of Good Health
 
Abdomen
-Rounded, not bulging; soft and flexible, not taunt or drum-like; not potbellied; no swelling around navel.
Appetite
-Enthusiastic for food; no undue scavenging; no vomiting.
Anus
-Clean, with no stains, scouring, or matting by dry feces.
Breathing
-Quiet and even when at rest; no labored breathing; no coughing; normally panting to cool down after play.
Claws
-No splitting; no overgrown claws.
Coat
-Clean, pleasant-smelling; free from parasites, loose hairs or dirt; soft to the touch; not straw-like or brittle.
Demeanor
-Curious, alert, vital; quickly responsive to sounds and calls.
Ears
-Alert to slightest sound; clean, with no brown or yellow deposits; head and ears held in normal position; no scratching, rubbing or shaking of the head.
Eyes
-Clear, with no cloudiness of the cornea; not unduly sensitive to light; no discharge or weeping; not bloodshot.
Feces
-Consistently formed; color varying according to diet; should be passed regularly two to four times daily.
Movement
-Tends to be very active in short spurts with rest periods between; young puppies may sleep 16 out of 24 hours; bouncing, uncoordinated movement normal; young puppies tend to fall over their own feet; no limping or lameness.
Nose
-Condition depends on environment; likely to be cold and damp out of doors, warm and dry indoors; no persistent discharge; nostrils not blocked by dried mucous.
Pads
-No matting of hair between the digits due to contamination by mud, tar or grease; no cracked pads.
Skin Condition
-Loose and supple; clean, without undue amount of dander, inflammation, parasites, or sores.
Teeth
-Clean and white; gums pink except those of the Chow which may show darker pigmentation; shedding of the milk teeth normal occurs between two and five months.
Urine
-Straw colored, not cloudy; no blood in the urine; passes urine frequently, with no difficulty; both sexes tend to squat to urinate until puberty (starts at approx. 5 or 6 months of age), at which point male dogs may begin to start lifting their legs' to mark territory, fixed males may start later.
 
Taken in part with thanks to
"The Official SPCA Pet Guide
Care for Your Puppy"
Published by
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. London


Ask a Vet anything at
1-800 Pet Meds

 

Back to Top

 

Canine Quotes

 If your bark is worse than your bite, then youre not biting hard enough.

 Some days youre the dog, some days youre the hydrant.


We're trying to keep technical difficulties to a minimum
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them
-Phil Pastoret