Preventing Major Health Challenges: Stop Tolerating the Little Problems

By Christina Chambreau.

Does your dog have smelly breath? A slightly greasy coat? Need frequent vet visits to empty anal glands? Is your dog a picky eater, prone to digestive issues unless on a very specific food or supplement? Maybe there are mild—or sometimes challenging—behavior issues.

Many dog parents just tolerate. You bathe more often. Clean ears weekly. Walk late at night to avoid other dogs. Feed the same food every day. Accept it when your conventional veterinarian tells you, “That’s normal. Don’t worry.”

But here’s the truth: little problems are often early warning signs of deeper imbalance. When we tolerate them, we miss an opportunity to prevent more serious illness later.

At the same time, I’m not asking you to worry constantly. That may sound contradictory—but it isn’t. It simply means learning when to be fully present and when to be thoughtfully observant.

Living Like a Dog—Most of the Time

Most of the time, when your dog is not overtly ill, your job is to be more like a dog. Live in the moment. Don’t worry. Play. Laugh. Challenge your mind and body. Breathe deeply. Appreciate the world. Love generously. Be grateful for each drop of dew on the grass and every shared walk. Dogs thrive when their humans are calm, connected, and joyful. Chronic worry helps no one.

Using the Analytical Mind—On Schedule

Stop putting up with even minor problems and stop worrying about problems. Wait, you say – that is contradictory. Yes, we need to use different parts of our brain and heart at different times. Most of the time, when dogs are not overtly ill, we need to pretend to be a dog – live in the moment, do not worry, play and laugh a lot, challenge our minds and bodies, breathe deeply, appreciate, love and be grateful for each drop of dew on the grass. Then, part of the time—daily, weekly, or monthly—you intentionally switch gears. This is when you use the analytical part of your brain and heart. Not obsessively. Not fearfully. Simply observantly.

This is where tools like the Healthy Dog Journal come in—created because my own clients asked for a way to stay organized without spiraling into worry. During these check-ins, you:

• Note any Early Warning Clues of Internal Imbalance
• Evaluate BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood)
• Perform a gentle physical exam
• Review the entire Master Symptom List (current and past problems) for changes

You may gather observations from scraps of paper, memory, or notes you’ve jotted down since the last review. What matters is noticing trends, not perfection.

Teach Your Dog to Love Being Examined

One of the greatest gifts you can give your dog—and yourself—is teaching your dog to love physical exams and basic handling by you or others. This makes life easier, safer, and far less stressful in both routine care and emergencies. Every dog is different. Some need extensive training before they’ll allow you to gently pull down an eyelid to check for irritation or foreign objects. Others happily run over for a reward when they hear the nail clippers. Some merely tolerate nail trims—and that’s okay, as long as it’s calm and safe. Reminder: trimming nails every two weeks can prevent serious back and rear-leg problems. Keeping them short truly matters.

Training One Tiny Step at a Time

When Cold Nose College spoke at Holistic Actions in 2020, they emphasized a simple principle: start with the end in mind, then train one small piece at a time. This might mean just two minutes a day.

For example, on the way to the park—where your dog knows playtime is coming—you stop in a quiet spot. You ask for one paw. Gently wiggle the toes. Make a clicking noise with the clippers (or whatever step comes next). Praise. Walk a few steps. Then reward with play. Over time, your dog learns that handling leads to good things.

Dogs should be comfortable being touched everywhere—and with the tools that keep them healthy such as clippers and thermometer. They should also eagerly enter cars, crates, and carriers. In emergencies, you don’t want to struggle.

Be proactive. Start now.

Just as important, help your dog love going to the veterinarian. Seek out a fear-free, calm, compassionate practice whenever possible. If you don’t yet have a great holistic veterinarian locally, consider virtual support. Don’t wait until your dog is sick or needs grooming to begin this relationship. And remember: dogs don’t always generalize learning. A behavior learned at home may not transfer to the vet clinic or park. Retrain gently in different environments.

What to Look for During a Physical Exam

More detailed guidance appears in the Healthy Dog Journal (pages 23–24), and your veterinarian can demonstrate techniques—especially for taking heart and respiratory rates.

Start with the head, where there is much to notice. Observe eyes in general for size and brightness. Examine lids and eyeballs. Note discharge, lumps, hair loss, or dullness. Look at the cornea in bright light, then the iris and pupil. Watch how pupils respond to light. Record any spots or color changes. Note nose color, texture, discharge, sneezing, itchiness, and breathing quality—both at rest and during activity. Smell the breath. Look at gums (even a faint red line matters). Note saliva, tarter, lumps, ulcers, or pain. Record gum color so you know what’s normal for your dog—especially important if gums are pigmented or naturally pale. Look at both the flap and the canal. Feel for thickness, color, odor, discharge, and sensitivity. Learn that the dog ear canal has a sharp bend and have your vet demonstrate how to look in them. For the rest of the face look for lumps, fur changes, pain, muscle firmness.

For the rest of the body, feel for lumps, skin changes, bugs, or tenderness. Record size and location. Always compare both sides of the body. Check nails for cracking, thickening, or shredding. Examine pads and skin between toes.

If possible, listen to and count the heartbeat. Occasionally take a rectal temperature (normal is about 100–101.5°F). Notice whether your dog tends to seek warmth or coolness.

Once your dog enjoys this process, the entire exam can take ten minutes—or less.

Seeing Patterns, Building Health

Regular observation—at home and out in the world—helps you notice patterns. When symptoms appear, pause and consider context. Maybe your dog suddenly starts chewing their feet until sores appear. Instead of panicking, you remember recent construction nearby and heavy rain—possible chemical exposure. You avoid the area, wash and dry the feet, apply an herbal cream, and your dog improves.

If the issue worsens or the cause isn’t clear, that’s when you consult your veterinarian—perhaps a virtual homeopathic vet—using the skin symptoms to guide how the vital force is healing.

For any clue of imbalance, you have so many options to try at home to build vitality and balance, many covered at Happy Healthy Dog Magazine. Try one after the other, continuing to follow the trends.

May this approach—and a consultation with me if helpful—support 2026 as a year of increased confidence. A year where you trust yourself, build health proactively, and prevent future illness.

There is no single right answer, no right expert. We are all on a lifelong journey of learning. So breathe. Relax. Enjoy your dogs. Stay curious.

Jan 2026 – Want coaching on how to track symptoms and do a physical? Dr. Christina Chambreau graduated from veterinary college in 1980 and has been helping families be healthy since the late eighties. She now is faculty at the Holistic Actions Academy and offers Virtual Pet Health Advising. Email her at HealThyAnimals@aol.com for a consult which includes a dog journal ebook.