At Home Pet Wellness Check: A Step-by-Step Guide

A quick personal story: “One note in a notebook”

On a Sunday night, I was scratching behind my Beagle, Milo’s, ears when I felt a pea-sized bump on his rib cage. It was so small I almost ignored it. The next morning I jotted “right rib pea lump” in our wellness notebook with a circle around the date.

A week later I checked again. Same spot, slightly bigger. Because we had a record—and because I’d promised myself to act on changes—I called our vet. The mass turned out to be benign, and it came off easily. The surgeon said the size and location made it simple because we came early. That tiny notebook note is why I’m a believer in home checks.

Why your at-home check matters

You see your dog or cat every day. That means you’ll notice subtle shifts—things a once-a-year visit can miss. A structured pet health checkup helps you build a baseline for your pet’s health and spot trends: a new lump, thinner coat, faster breathing at rest, a few ounces lost each week.

This guide gives you a calm, repeatable routine you can do in 10–15 minutes each month (weekly for seniors).

Set the stage (2 minutes)

Choose a quiet time when your pet is relaxed—after a walk or during couch time. Gather a soft brush, a small flashlight, your phone (for photos), and a notebook or notes app.

Make the check pleasant: gentle voice, slow hands, treats queued up. If your pet is anxious, break the check into two short sessions.

Start with the big picture

Look at your pet from the side and above. Does the waist tuck in slightly? Any pot-bellied look, sudden bloat, or asymmetry? Is posture normal or guarded? Little changes here often point you toward the right next question.

Skin and coat: the fingertip scan

Use your fingertips to make slow, overlapping circles from head to tail. You’re feeling for:

• Lumps, bumps, or thickened areas

• Warm, tender spots

• Hair loss, dandruff, or greasy patches

• Scabs, hot spots, or unusual odors

Any new lump or one that grows, changes texture, or bleeds deserves a vet visit. For context on common masses, see these helpful reads:

• “Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs”
• “Canine Breast Cancer” 

Take a phone photo next to a coin; re-check weekly and note size/feel.

Eyes: windows to comfort and health

Eyes should be bright, clear, and free of squinting. Watch for redness, thick discharge, cloudiness, a bluish haze, or a sudden change in pupil size. A squinting eye is painful—call your vet the same day.

Ears: clean, not “perfumed”

Lift each ear flap: the skin should be pale pink, with mild wax and no strong odor. Redness, coffee-ground debris, or a sweet/yeasty smell suggests infection. If your dog shakes their head or keeps an ear low, schedule a visit.

Mouth and gums: quick, kind peek

Lift the lip to check gums and teeth. Healthy gums are bubble-gum pink and moist; press a fingertip to a gum and release—color should return in 1–2 seconds (capillary refill). Pale/white, blue-tinged, or very red gums are red flags.

Check for broken teeth, mouth sores, heavy tartar, or anything mushroom-like on the gum line. Bad breath plus drool and reluctance to chew points to dental disease. Learn more about oral masses and dental concerns here.

Lymph nodes you can feel

With a calm touch, compare both sides:

• Under the jaw (submandibular)

• Front of shoulders (pre-scapular)

• Behind knees (popliteal)

Pea-sized and symmetrical is common. New, enlarged, firm, or uneven nodes warrant a vet look, especially if paired with lethargy or weight loss.

Chest and breathing at rest

When your pet is asleep, count breaths for 30 seconds and double. Dogs usually rest at 10–30 breaths/min; cats 16–36. Consistently higher rates, belly effort, wheeze, or a cough that lingers past a week needs veterinary attention.

If coughs or breathing changes worry you, these deep dives help:

• “Why Is My Dog Coughing?”

• “Canine Lung Cancer: Early Warning Signs”

Heart rate and pulse (optional but useful)

Gently feel the inner thigh for the femoral pulse or place a hand over the left chest. Typical resting heart rates: dogs 60–120 bpm (small dogs can be higher), cats 140–220 bpm. Irregular rhythm, racing at rest, or fainting spells = call your vet.

Joints, gait, and muscle tone

Watch your pet rise, sit, and trot a few steps. Stiffness, favoring a limb, or bunny-hopping up stairs suggests discomfort. Run your hands over hips and thighs—notice any muscle loss, heat, or swelling.

Consistency matters: a mild limp that appears most mornings still deserves a note and, if persistent, a vet exam.

Weight and body condition

Do the rib test: you should feel ribs with light pressure but not see them sharply. Check the spine and hips for bony points. Sudden weight loss or stealthy weight gain are equally important; both can signal metabolic, GI, or systemic disease.

Abdomen: soft, not tense

With flat palms, feel the belly in a gentle “U” from rib cage to pelvis. It should feel soft and comfortable to touch. A tight, painful, or suddenly distended abdomen is a same-day concern—especially with pale gums or weakness. 

Eating, drinking, and bathroom habits

Track trends over a week:

• Appetite: new pickiness, skipping meals, or ravenous eating

• Water: noticeable increase or decrease

• Urine: frequency, straining, accidents, blood

• Stool: color, consistency, mucus or blood, sudden diarrhea or ongoing constipation

Blood in stool or a bloody diarrhea episode needs a vet plan—start here for context:
“Why Is My Dog Pooping Blood?”

Behavior and energy

Note changes in sleep, play, and social habits. Is your pet hiding more, pacing at night, or abandoning favorite activities? Vague behavior shifts often precede physical signs.

Build your baseline: the 10-line checklist

Create a one-page log and reuse it monthly:

1. Weight (home scale or vet scale)

2. Resting breaths per minute (asleep)

3. Gum color + refill time

4. Lumps/bumps (photo + size)

5. Eyes/ears/mouth notes

6. Appetite (normal / ↓ / ↑)

7. Water intake (normal / ↓ / ↑)

8. Urine/stool changes

9. Energy/behavior

10. “Worry list” to discuss with your vet

Five minutes of notes today makes decisions easier next month.

When to schedule a professional checkup now

Call your vet promptly if you find:

• A new lump or one that doubles in size within a month

• Pale/white, blue, or very red gums

• Rapid, labored, or noisy breathing at rest
  Unexplained weight loss over weeks

• Blood in vomit, stool, or urine

• Persistent cough (>7 days) or collapse/fainting

• Pain (crying when touched, guarding the belly, not jumping)

An at-home pet health checkup is powerful—but it’s not a diagnosis. It tells you when to act. Your veterinarian completes the picture with bloodwork, imaging, and targeted tests.

How the vet finishes the puzzle

Expect a thorough physical examination, history review, and often:

• Bloodwork (organ function, blood cells)

• Urinalysis (kidney and urinary clues)

• Fecal testing (parasites)

• X-rays or ultrasound for internal structure

• Fine needle aspirate or biopsy for masses

These are routine wellness procedures that turn your careful notes into a clear plan.

Add proactive screening to your toolkit

Many serious diseases—cancers included—start silently. Pair your monthly pet health checkup with non-invasive, proactive screening to flag risk earlier and prompt the right imaging and follow-up with your vet. Learn about Oncotect’s Cancer Screening Test Kit (risk screen, not a diagnosis).

Make the routine stick (and kind of fun)

• Tie your check to something you already do—Sunday brush-out, nail trim day, or post-walk couch time.

• Keep the same order every month so you don’t skip steps.

• Use high-value treats to reward stillness and slow breathing.

• Share your one-page log with your vet at every wellness exam.

Small, repeatable steps are how pets stay in good health for the long haul.

The bottom line

A monthly pet health checkup is simple, gentle, and incredibly useful. You’re not trying to be a veterinarian—you’re being a great observer of your pet’s health. By building a baseline, tracking small changes, and acting on red flags, you give your best friend the gift of time: time for earlier diagnosis, simpler treatments, and more good days together.

If today’s check revealed a question mark, jot it down, book that wellness exam, and bring your notes. You’ve already done the most important part—paying close attention.