4 Top Health Concerns to Assess Before Adopting a Dog | Episode 27

Many people are determined to buy purebred dogs or puppies out of fear that they will otherwise take on a dog that has health issues.

Trust me, I get the fear of having to fork out a lot of money after just investing in getting a new dog. However, I can tell you that with my experience in a vet clinic, it is a lot more common for puppy owners to be requiring extra vet care rather than the newly rescued dogs. We often didn’t see rescue dogs for months or up to a year after they had been adopted because they had been recently and thoroughly vetted.

Nonetheless, I want to help make sure this isn’t a barrier in you getting a rescue dog.

I certainly had a leg up by being an RVT when adopting my dogs, I did a physical exam of both of my dogs during their meet and greet, prior to adopting them. But you don’t need to be an RVT or a vet to assess your dog for some of the most important health concerns and health indicators. You just have to prioritize looking in the right places and asking the right questions before you confirm your dog’s adoption.

You might be able to start assessing some of these in the dog’s profile photos but the final word will come from the rescue’s medical records and your in-person visit with the dog at your meet and greet.

Listen to the full episode to hear my 4 Top Health Concerns to Assess Before Adopting a Dog.

It’s up to you whether your dog fails or passes your assessment. None of these health concerns need to be a reason to not adopt the dog but, as always, the more informed you are the more likely you will be set up for dog adoption success and be ready to tackle any concerns.

Remember that pet insurance only goes so far. If the dog you are interested in has been assessed by a vet who has noted any concerns, these things will not be covered by pet insurance as they will be considered pre-existing conditions.

If you’d like to be more prepared in your dog adoption journey, check out my Dog Adoption Application Survival Kit