Dog health check

2009-10-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to get into a routine with your pet that you miss something early on. We have a 4 year old beagle that does not like us to trim his nails. Because of this we have found it is easier to take him to his vet's office and have them perform this routine grooming. Yes, there are cheaper places to have this done, but he is used to the people there and he actually likes to see them. It's stressful enough, so if he's comfortable there, why not. We had made an appointment and were getting ready to take him in when we happened to feel a little lump just under his collar. We made a note of it, and decided to keep on eye on it. He had his appointment and came home happy. A few days later we noticed the lump had increased in size quite significantly. We called to get him in for a lump removal and the early diagnosis was Mast Cell Tumor. We had noticed the lump early and had it removed quickly, so the outlook was good. After waiting impatiently through the weekend we got the good news the tumor was benign. So we started thinking about our normal routine, and realized we might not have found the little lump quite so early unless he happened to have that nail grooming appointment.

We have now added a quick and thorough check of our little guy every few days, and he just thinks he is getting a little extra love. We start out with a visual from nose to tail, then do a quick "pat down" from nose to tail, inspect his ears, and get a quick peak at his teeth. We finish with a quick check of all four paws and feel for lumps under his legs and the base of his tail. It only takes a minute or two, and he gets a dental bone treat when we're done.

By making a deliberate and consistent check frequently, we are able to spot small changes quickly and have the vet double check and the pup is rewarded with a little extra TLC and treat.

all4pets

Dog health check