Coco is a little white poodle. She came to see me because of a minor problem, but her owner mentioned something else during the visit.

He said that once in a while, for a few days, she seems reluctant or unable to jump up on the chair or sofa. She looks like she wants to, but can't. This is sometimes a sign of pain in the spine, either in the back or the neck.

There are little fibrous disks between each pair of vertebrae in the spine. In dogs, as in humans, these disks get less flexible with age. Sometimes they get ''squashed'' and pieces of the disk may get pushed up

against the spinal cord, or against nerve roots, and cause pain.

I suggested to Coco's owner that the next time she has one of these spells, he may gently push down on the spine and muscles in her back, between her shoulders and hindquarters. If the muscles seem tense and painful, that could be an indication of a back problem. He could also check for neck pain by lifting her chin, or lifting her hindquarters to see if she keeps her head up. Normally, if you lift a dog's rear end up high, he will flex his neck up to keep his head in a normal position, relative to the ground.

This may be helpful to other people too. Back problems are notorious in dachshunds, and commonly occur in poodles and other small breeds. You may want to push on your dog's back and flex his neck a few times when he is normal, so that you will be more likely to be able to spot an abnormal reaction.

There are other home examinations that could prove helpful. The heart rate is an important part of any physical examination, but the heart rate of a dog or cat in a veterinary exam room is usually a lot higher than under normal conditions at home.

You can hear the heart, at least in a larger dog, if you can ease up on him while he is lying on the floor snoozing, and put your ear to his chest. You may have a stethoscope, and if you don't, you may want to b

uy one. You can probably get an adequate stethoscope for about $15 at larger drugstores.

Put your ear, or the stethoscope, against the dog's chest on the left side, just behind the elbow. You should be able to hear the ''lub-dub ... lub-dub ... lub-dub'' sound of the heart. Don't be alarmed if there seem to be long pauses, sometimes, between beats. A dog's heart normally speeds up considerably when he inhales and slows down when he exhales.

To get the heart rate, look at your watch or a clock, and count the number of ''lubs'' (or ''dubs,'' but not both) in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to get the number of beats per minute.

The resting heart rate is valuable information in coughing dogs, dogs who faint sporadically, and dogs with heart problems.

Fainting is a problem in some dogs. Veterinarians don't usually get to see these episodes, unless they really happen often. If your dog faints, collapses, or s

eems to have a seizure, it may be very helpful if you can find out the heart rate during the attack. If it is a seizure, however, be very careful that your dog does not inadvertently injure you while you are making your examination.

Another thing that may be helpful to k

now is the color of the gums during a fainting spell or collapse. We humans can look at each other and spot the pale, ashen, or bluish color that may indicate shock, breathing, or circulation problems. In animals, veterinarians look at the color of the gums.

Most dogs and cats have at least some areas on the gums that are pink, and they are normally a brigh

t, shiny light pink color. You can look at the gums of your dog or cat to see what the normal color looks like.

If the gums are bluish or gray during a fainting spell this could be evidence that the problem may be in the heart, perhaps a temporary ''heart block,'' or an airway obstruction, like a collapsing voice box or windpipe.

Bright pink gums would be more indicative of an epileptic seizure, or some other type of seizure.

The rectal temperature can help you and your veterinarian decide if your pet should come in for an exam. I like the small electronic thermometers with the digital readout. You can buy one at your pharmacy for about $10 and if you only use it on your pets, you can just wipe it off gently with a damp paper towel after use. They make some with flexible tips, and these are safer and more comfortable for your pet.

Use petroleum jelly in the tip, and carefully slide the thermometer in, almost to the ''hilt.'' It will ''beep'' when ready to read.

Normal temperature for a dog or cat is somewhere between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature much lower than this can indicate shock, a sever infection, or other serious illness.

A bacterial or virus infection that is severe and just starting may cause the temperature to go as high as 105 degrees. Heat stroke, seizures and other conditions may cause dangerously high

temperatures of 106 or more, but it is very unusual to have to do anything special just to lower the temperature. Finding the underlying cause and correcting it is the best thing, and usually the only thing, that is required.

If you can try these

little examinations once in a while on your pet at home, it may be of real help in the future. If nothing else, your pet may enjoy the extra companionship and attention. Except maybe having the temperature taken, I suppose.