Helping to keep your pet healthy and happy is easily accomplished by giving them a regular health exam. You can give your pet a healthy once-over by following these easy steps:

1. Massage your pet’s body. It not only feels good, but you also get to know which lumps and bumps are normal. If you find anything abnormal, make an appointment with your vet to have it checked out.

2. Run your hand through your pet’s coat, from head to tail, and check for flaking, scabs or parasites. Fleas and ticks are the most common external parasite found on cats and dogs. Fleas leave behind ‘dirt,’ which looks like pepper and turns red when moistened. A special fine toothed comb can be used, especially around the base of the tail, to check the coat for flea ‘dirt.’ Ticks look like small hard-shelled spiders when not feeding, and like fat grapes with legs when engorged with a blood meal. If you find a tick on your pet, it should be removed right away. First spray insecticide on the tick or cover it with vaseline. Then using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull with steady even pressure. If any part of the tick is left behind, consult your vet.

3. Check your pet’s eyes for any unusual redness or discharge.

4. Look in your pet’s ears. Do they look dirty? Is there any discharge or unusual odor? Has your pet been shaking its head or scratching at their ears? Saying yes to any of these symptoms often means an infection, ear mites or an embedded foreign object (like spear grass).

5. Take a look at your pet’s teeth. Is there buildup of tarter? Are the gums red and inflamed? Regular brushing, using toothpaste recommended for pets, will help prevent tarter buildup. Tooth brushes for dogs that fit over your finger are available at pet stores. For cats, a q-tip can be used. Dogs can also be given bones, rawhide or biscuits to help clean their teeth and stimulate the gums. Remember to take the bone away if it cracks, as it can then splinter easily.