How to Examine Your Dog’s Chest and Skin

Your dog’s well-being should be your number one priority as a pet owner. Unfortunately, you can’t visit the vet for a check-up every day. So, knowing how to assess your dog’s health at home is an excellent skill and makes it easy to identify issues to discuss with your vet. Learning how to examine your dog’s chest and skin at home is a great starting point.

Examining Your Pet’s Breathing

Assessing Fido’s respiratory rates is relatively straightforward. It can help you identify any issues that can be treated by your vet. When your dog is asleep, watch the rise and fall of their chest and familiarize yourself with what is and isn’t normal. For example, even quiet breathing is indicative of a healthy respiratory system, while wheezy or uneven breaths can indicate several infections or diseases.

To measure your dog’s breathing, watch them sleep. Their chest should be rising and falling steadily. Once you familiarize yourself with their breathing pattern, pull out your timer and set it to thirty seconds. Count how many full breaths they take over 30 seconds, then multiply it by two. Depending on activity levels, regular canine respiratory rates land between 15 and 60 breaths per minute. If Fido lands above or below that number, let your vet know. 

Examining Your Pet’s Skin

Assessing your dog’s skin is less complicated than determining their breathing. Normal canine skin is soft, unbroken, and has very minimal odor. Your pet could have a skin infection or condition if you notice a foul smell or patchy coat. Rashes and sores can indicate skin allergies in your pet. In older dogs, you might find lumps or bumps called lipomas, accumulations of fatty tissues. Believe it or not, you can also test your pet’s hydration levels with their skin. This is called a skin turgor test.

To perform this test, grab your pet and set them in front of you. Pull the skin on the neck or the back and stretch it as much as possible, then let it go. If the skin reforms, then your pet is properly hydrated. If the skin stays stretched out, they need to increase their water intake. Fun fact: you can perform this same test on yourself!