It is considered that if the nose of the dog is cold and wet then he or she is a healthier one. Responsible owners can only make their dogs healthy by taking care of their dogs and they also must have knowledge of their requirement of nutrients and at the same time proper preventative and veterinary care also must be taken. Low standard food quality would not make him or her healthier. The body also may not shine because the quality factor is always responsible for these problems. A healthy dog shines with an excellent wonderful coat even if it is short. The eye of the dog sparkles.
There are various signs of a healthy dog which are discussed as under:
Coat: The dog's coat must be shinny and soft in touching. There must not be lack of undercoat in double coated breeds.
Skin: There should be no redness, scales, open sores. The skin pigment may vary according to the breed and the color of the dog. Some have black, pink, brown and also spotted areas of the skin. The dog must be free from diseases like fleas, ticks and etc.
Eyes: Healthy dog has a bright and shiny eye. Their eyes sparkle. Conjunctiva which is situated around the eyeball should be pink in appearance. If the eye seems to be pale then it is a sign that he or she is suffering from some problem or disease. The eyes must not discharge anything. Some of the breeds like poodles and bichons tend to discharge water like substance, which is at times considered to be normal.
Ears: Ears should be clean and clear it must not discharge a blood like thing. It should be free from dark matter. There must not be any odor emanating from the ears. Swelling and redness is not expected.
Mouth: Gums must be pink in color. It should be free from paleness. Red and inflamed gums are a sign of the disease. It must not have a foul breath and bleeding from the mouth.
Teeth: Usually young dogs have a sparkling tooth while the older dogs do not have that white teeth compared to young ones. The teeth should be fitted into the gums.
Nose: Generally the nose of the dog is moist and cold in touch. There should be only watery substance on the nose which makes it moist. If any foul smell is felt or there is green and yellow discharge that means something is abnormal. This abnormality is a symptom of the disease canine distemper.
Urine: The urine must be yellow and clear. Reddish or dark brownish color indicates the presence of blood in the urine. A dog should urinate according to the water taken by him. Huge decrease or increase in the proportion of urine may lea to kidney failure, diabetes, crystals, stones etc.
Weight: A dog that looks healthy may be overweight or underweight. It is because of improper balance of diet and other problems like diabetes, thyroid etc.
Temperature: The normal temperature of the dog is 101 degrees F.
