Animal Care
- Created by: 14powellzo
- Created on: 07-11-18 15:47
General appearance checks (species specific)
Look at overall appearance for any signs that a more in-depth health check may be necessary, including:
Obvious signs of discharge from eyes or nose
Signs of excessive scratching
Bald patches/damaged scales or skin.
Rate the body condition of mammals (body condition
1— meaning that ribs, spine and pelvic bones are easily visible, obvious loss of muscle mass, no palpable fat on the chest.
2—meaning that ribs, spine and pelvic bones visible, obvious waist, minimal abdominal fat.
3– meaning that ribs, spine and pelvic bones not visible but easily palpable (felt through skin), obvious waist, little abnormal fat.
4—meaning that ribs, spine and pelvic bones are hardly palpable, waist is absent, heavy abdominal fat deposits.
5– meaning that there are massive fat deposits over chest, spine and abdomen, lack of waist, distended abdomen.
Weekly physical checks
Weekly physical checks on eyes
Healthy eyes in all species:
Clear, bright and round
No discharge
Unhealthy eyes in dogs, cats, rabbits, goats and chickens:
Visible discharge
Visible third eyelid (nictitating membrane)
Cloudy appearance
Bloodshot appearance
Unhealthy eyes in bearded dragons:
Shed scales stuck on eyelids, swelling, droopy eyes.
Weekly physical checks on ears
Healthy ears in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats.
Moveable
Clean
Having no visible signs of ear mites
Being warm to the touch
Unhealthy ears in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats
Unresponsive to sound
Dirty or waxy inside
Showing signs of ear mites (black or red spots and increased wax production).
Head tilting to one side indicating possible ear infection.
Unhealthy ears in chickens and bearded dragons
Blockage
Damage to membrane.
Weekly physical checks on nose
Healthy nose nostrils:
In dogs, cats and goats—moist to the touch
In rabbits—a dry, twitching nose
In chickens and bearded dragons—clean and free from discharge
In all species in the specified range—no visible signs of injury or discharge from the nose.
Unhealthy nose/nostrils:
In dogs, cats and goats—dry and cracked
In chickens and bearded dragons: thin, stringy mucus coming out of the nose.
In all species in the specified range: discharge (clear/thick and coloured) or crusty build up around the nostrils.
Weekly physical checks on mouth and teeth
Healthy mouth and teeth in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats:
All teeth are present (identification of diastema in rabbit dentition)
All gums are pink and healthy in colour (although some breed variations in dogs eg, Chow Chow having black gums) with a capillary refill time of between 1 and 2 seconds.
Unhealthy mouth in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats:
Damaged or missing teeth
Overgrown or chipped teeth
Foul smelling breath
Excessive drooling around the mouth
Slow capillary refill time (longer than 1—2 seconds)
Evidence of redness along gums
Tartar build-up on teeth
Healthy beak in chickens
Each half of the break should meet equally (might need trimming regularly)
No teeth present
Unhealthy beak in chickens
Overgrown of one half of the beak.
Healthy mouth in bearded dragon
Mouth full of small cone shaped teeth
Teeth are white and all present
Gums are pale pink in colour
Unhealthy mouth in bearded dragon
Missing teeth
A presence of pus
A yellowing of the gums or teeth.
Weekly physical checks on coat/fur/scales/feathers
Healthy coat and fur in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats
Full and glossy
Unhealthy coat and fur in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats:
Dull, greasy and patchy
Knotted or tangled
Bald patches
Healthy skin in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats:
Has elasticity (when pinch test is done, it bounces back in 3 seconds)
No visible lumps, bumps or cuts
Colour is breed dependent but there should be no redness of the skin.
Unhealthy skin in dogs, cats, rabbits and goats:
Flaky or shows evidence of dandruff
Redness
Swelling
Cuts or abrasions
Has little elasticity, tenting when the skin is pinched (usually due to dehydration).
Healthy scales in legs of chickens and in bearded dragons.
Lying flat against the body and all pointing in the same direction.
Shiny in appearance (although they become dull when due to shed). N.B. Shedding can be assisted by bathing a bearded dragon or by misting its tank (increased humidity).
Unhealthy scales in legs of chickens and in bearded dragons.
Sticking outwards or facing in different directions
Mites or ticks are present in between scales.
Weekly physical checks on limbs and paws/feet/hoov
Healthy limbs:
Free moving and gait is comfortable with no signs of pain
Unhealthy limbs:
Have signs of damage (cuts or abrasions)
Movement of limb or touching of limb results in animals hsowing signs of pain (vocalisation, change in temperament).
Healthy paws/feet/hooves
Free movement with no sign of pus
Unhealthy paws/feet/hooves
Signs of damage (cuts/abrasions)
Movement or touching of paws results in animal showing signs of pain (vocalisation, change in temperament)
Dirt or debris in between pads
Holding paw/foot/hoof off the ground when walking or for long periods of time when standing.
Weekly physical check on claws/hooves
Healthy claws in dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and bearded dragons:
Not overgrown
Full and clean with no splits in them
Cats’ claws should be fully retracted when walking
Unhealthy claws in dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and bearded dragons:
Cracked, flaky or split
Overgrown (with extreme overgrowth, they may need the toes to be pushed up, or will curl around and grow into the pad of the paw).
Healthy hooves in goats
Even in length, with even spread of weight over their surface.
Unhealthy hooves in goats
Overgrown front tips
Evidence of redness/swelling in between the two parts of the hoof.
Weekly physical check on anogenital area
Healthy anogenital area in all species in the specified range:
Clean surrounding fur/feathers/scales
No redness or swelling
In dogs and cats, the anal glands are empty when palpated (described as being located just below the anus,as though at 8 and 4 on a clock face).
Unhealthy anogenital area in all species in the specified range
Redness and swelling
Discharge
Faecal matter stuck in fur/feathers or on scales
Worm segments visible
In dogs and cats, impacted anal glands.
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