Since I got back from Louisiana a few weeks ago I’ve had: minor injury (Ranger), major illness (Beau), minor illness (me), and another minor injury (Ranger again).
This got me thinking: I used to keep pretty good records of the dogs’ physical fitness. A good physical exam is often the only way to know if a dog is making progress in a training/conditioning program, or the first sign that something is really wrong with him or her. You can do a basic exam at home.
I put together a simple chart for tracking your dog’s health between vet visits. It has a line at the top to record the dog’s name, Date of Birth, color/markings and gender. The chart itself has room to record the date, the dog’s weight, heart rate (very useful for a conditioning program), and there’s room for notes, such as vaccinations received, routine grooming (nail trimming, teeth cleaning), changes in diet, medications given, changes in conditioning, or warning signs such as wounds, vomiting, or diarrhea.
This makes it easier to keep track of how each dog is doing at home, plus it can help your vet with various details that you may have forgotten by your next trip.