The dog health quiz scores wellness across seven pillars. Each one
measures something different, with its own signs, drivers, and
practical checks. Here's what the quiz is actually looking at.
Skin & Coat
Skin is the largest organ and the most visible read on what's
happening underneath. The pillar measures coat quality, scratching
frequency, and recurring skin or ear issues. It matters because
persistent skin problems are usually downstream of food
sensitivity, low omega-3 intake, or environmental allergens — all
addressable. The quiz scores answers across three skin questions
and adjusts for breed (Westies, Cockers, French Bulldogs all skew
higher on the score). The
skin-supportive
nutrients in our daily formula — algae omega-3, zinc, quercetin
— are the most-evidenced foundation for lifting this pillar.
Gut Health
Gut health is downstream of almost everything else: protein source,
cereal content, food transitions, stress. The pillar measures stool
consistency, gas, and eating behaviour across three questions.
Common signs something's off: persistent loose stool, frequent gas,
grass-eating, or a sudden refusal to finish meals. The quiz
triangulates these against current food quality and breed
sensitivities. For a deeper, stool-specific read once you've taken
the quiz, try our
deeper gut health
analysis — it's free and complements the wellness score.
Joints & Mobility
Joints are the pillar that's easiest to ignore until it's hard to
ignore. The quiz checks for stiffness after rest, hesitation on
stairs or jumping, and any change over the last 6 months. Larger
breeds and breed-prone dogs (Labradors, GSDs, Dachshunds) get
adjusted scoring. Catching a low score early matters because
consistent joint care over years works far better than reactive
treatment after symptoms set in. A
joint-supportive
supplement with glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and omega-3 is
the most-evidenced foundation; the quiz tells you whether it's
time to start.
Energy & Vitality
Energy isn't just exercise tolerance — it's a read on how
efficiently your dog converts food into usable fuel. The pillar
measures walk enthusiasm and mental sharpness. Persistent low
energy can track to food quality (cereal-heavy foods give calories
without metabolic fuel), low B-vitamins or CoQ10, or hidden
inflammation that's exhausting to manage. The quiz weighs these
against breed expectations — a Whippet's resting baseline is not a
Border Collie's. If energy is the weakest pillar, the engine
recommends specific cellular-energy support.
Cognition & Calm
One of the two new pillars in this quiz. It measures focus and
training response, anxiety signs at rest, and any sleep or routine
changes over the last 6 months. Cognition matters because it's the
most often-missed signal — owners explain it away as "just being
old" or "always been a bit anxious". The quiz separates
age-appropriate softening (older dogs get extra leniency here) from
patterns worth investigating. Senior dogs with cognitive shifts
see their plan adjusted to include DHA omega-3, the
most-evidenced cognitive support for ageing dogs.
Liver & Detox
The quietest pillar — most owners can't read liver health from
outside the body. The quiz looks at two leading external signs:
eye clarity and breath odour, and any recent change in drinking or
urinary patterns. It's deliberately a lighter weight in the total
score (8 of 100) because owner-observable cues are limited. Liver
issues are usually first picked up on routine vet bloodwork. The
quiz flags whether a vet conversation is worth having, alongside
gentle nutritional support like milk thistle and cranberry.
Weight & Body Condition
Carried in the Nutrition pillar, this is the single most-leveraged
metric in the whole quiz. Excess weight is the most common
preventable health issue in UK dogs and quietly drives risk in
joints, heart, liver, and metabolic health. The quiz combines body
type input, current food quality, supplement use, and life-stage
match to score nutrition. Overweight dogs almost always score
lower across multiple pillars at once — addressing weight tends
to lift the whole score.