Health Concerns facing the West Highlands Terrier
The West Highlands White Terrier breed is overall a healthy breed. They are highly energetic, live a long life and are very active even in their old age. As all small breed dogs, they eat sparingly and love tidbits from the food that humans eat. There is a great tendency of overfeeding them, though they rarely suffer from obesity problems.
Periodic Health Check-Ups are the Key to Stay Healthy
There is a lot of trouble with the West Highlands Terrier care when then are young. Though they mature early and by 18 months they behave like adults, they are by nature overtly curious which often lands them in trouble. It is very common to have health emergencies with these breed because the chase everything they can and taste everything that is within they reach. A very important feature of the West Highlands Terrier care is the necessity to keep it safe when it is a puppy. They should be given an enclosed space, such as a crate or playpen where they can play without worrying about any accidents.
The West Highlands Terrier care mostly involves skin problems. The fur of these dogs is very dry and hence prone to skin infections and other problems. You should be careful that you check the skin of the puppy and adult dog everytime you groom it so you do not run into sudden surprises. It is actually a very good practice dictated by the West Highlands White Terrier care guidelines, to periodically have it checked by a veterinary doctor for any infections.
The other health concerns that affect these dogs are the Parthe’s disease which concerns the hip (in the old age of the dog), jaw problems (calcifications sometimes prevent them from opening their mouth fully), liver disease and hernia. Most of these diseases are the result of defective genes handed down to the puppy by its parents. This is why one of the most important aspects of West Highlands White Terrier care is to ensure that the proposed animal singled out for breeding does not suffer from any genetic deficiencies.
Other reasons that affect the West Highlands Terrier care are the nutrition of the dog. It is easy to fall into the temptation of feeding this dog what you eat because they are small and eat little. However, keep in mind that as an animal, it needs breed-specific nutrition or it will suffer from deficiencies that in turn will be reflected in a number of diseases.
Lastly, you should ensure that the West Highlands Terrier care includes a moderate amount of exercise, as this dog is basically a hunting dog and needs constant workouts to keep its body in top shape. A good and healthy regime would very much depend on how you choose a vet for your West Highlands Terrier.
