We got our dog from a breeder a couple years ago, he's a west highland terrier and he has severe health problems, he sneezes constantly, i mean like 8 times a minute, every minute he's awake.
He also has very sensetive paws and is constntly chewing on them and his back is very itchy all the time and his ears are alway sore. he also has a very nervous disposition and the slightest noise can send him flying across the room in fright.
He is on steroids which helps but not all the time as they damage his liver. He's a very happy dog and he loves going out for walks and stuff.
I'm sure this is the breeders fault for inbreeding, i know that it occurs a lot. Does anyone else have a dog in this or similar situation? What can you do about it??
I wasn't aware that he was inbred till he was a couple months old.
Also, the vet said there's nothing that can be done about his condition it doesn't matter if we change his shampoo or aynything…which is why he is on steroids
Unfortunately, Westies are very prone to skin disorders and skin allergies. These can be caused by environmental problems or food allergies. I can tell from your post that you've sought vet care for your dog, so I'm sure these have been or are being addressed–it can take time to pinpoint these.
I know that the steroids can offer some relief, but keep trying to track down the source of his allergies. You are aware of the liver problems, but steroids can also lead to cancer problems as well.
Do you have any vet specialists in your area. I know some specialists focus on dermatological problems. Your little guy may be a candidate for this. My Scottie has severe flea bite dermatitis and must be on flea preventative. We went through so many ups and downs trying to track down his trigger.
If he is having issues with dry skin you could try running a humidifier near where he sleeps and give him oil supplements with his food (if you aren't already.) I really feel for you. I've been there/done that. In my case it isn't poor breeding, but just something that is seen in the breed. I've tried to do a little research and have attached some info that might help you.
I just saw your additional comments. I would really want to get a second opinion if my vet said the only course of treatment was constant pumping in of steroids. If the dog scratches too much, it can lead to infection. Steroids can lower the immune system and will not help the infection. Please seek a second opinion for this.
Tags: west highland terrier, WestieTags: west highland terrier, Westie
line breeding is extremely acceptable in the dog world, but you have to know your lines. If any of the dogs in the line have an issue, obviously it will be magnified if you double up on it. In the future do your homework and ask, but especially if the dog comes from a show home, it is likely that he has some common ancestors.
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Sometimes you can sue the breeder for vet bills if you have the right proof such as if the issues started showing up before the dog was 2 years old and it is on record at the vet office.
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All purebreds are inbreeds to some degree, I suppose the degree to which the inbreeding took place might have something to do with it, but I'm not an expert.
My brother's Staffordshire has skin problems, but for him it just means that he uses a different soap when he washes her, I would try taking a really close look at the soap you're using, and talk with your vet.
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sorry Willow, If you knew the dogs were inbred you shouldn't have purchased it. It sounds like you pet has allergies. Consult your vet about using prednizone.
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Certainly if his line of dogs has allergy issues, it could be caused by inbreeding….
However, MANY mixed breed dogs have the same exact issue and its usually caused by a food intolerance. Your dog may be well-served to go on a different diet. Many dogs have improved drastically when moved to a raw, prey model diet that is comprised of different protein sources than what they've been fed on kibble.
Steroids MASK they issue .. they do not cure the cause. Find the cause and move from there. You may want to find a homeopathic vet to consult with.
Edit: Vets are not God. Trying another vet rather than subjecting your dog to misery itching and sneezing combined with longterm debilitating steriods seems a prudent thing to do. Certainly it is easier to just go with the flow – but we're talking the life of your dog here.
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He sounds like an allergy dog… Allergies like in people can start at any time. Typically though, breeders shouldn't/wouldn't breed a dog with allergies.
Some of his behavior could be due to poorly being socialized as well, no matter how good of the bloodlines were, training-or lack there of- can sometimes make or a break a dog. Then again, some breeders don't do temperament testing.
What about using a product like Atopica, or a combination of injections(Heska testing). You could even up your dose of anti-histamines to cut down the use of steriods.
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work in a vet clinic
Yes, my rescue dog has several severe genetically based health problems. She was the product of a puppy mill, bad breeding, and total lack of health testing. She was then bred multiple times herself, passing several 100% heritable conditions to her puppies, which would have been easily prevented by a general vet exam. Her problems didn't even need 'special' testing to be evident.
There is nothing you can do about it other than get your dog proper vet treatment for the issues, since I doubt a breeder who would sell a dog with that many health issues offered you a lifetime health guarantee. Next time you invest in a lifetime companion, either rescue and know you risk bad genetics or do your research, buy only from reputable breeders who can show you favorable health testing results on both parents.
Add: Don't take your vet's word for it that you don't have other options. Much of this sounds very much like allergy symptoms and if you can ID the cause, you can reduce or eliminate the symptoms. Especially the skin problems are often caused by food allergies. Consult a second vet or, preferably, a holistic vet or veterinary dermatologist. Holistic vets tend to be a lot more effective at identifying the causes of allergy symptoms since they are reluctant to use drugs to cover up the symptoms. They work harder on and have more experience with rooting out the cause of the problem. My rescue also had itchy skin, foot chewing, etc- ended up being allergies to wheat, corn, soy, rice, oats, barley, and several other products. Seriously. Get a second opinion- steroids don't treat the issue, they only conceal it.
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My dog was bought from a "breeder" and put in rescue when she was two due to losing her eyesight, hypoglycemia, bad teeth, and epilepsy.
She's a walking defect who's pedigree looks more like a stick then a tree.
The breeder was later busted for raising dogs in her garage, unheated (or cooled), and 14 dogs froze to death
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It sounds like he has allergies.
Have you tried eliminating common allergens from his environment?
Food allergies are very common, and relatively easy to address – I would start with that.
I am fostering a chihuahua who came to me with food allergies.
She was VERY itchy, had a "hot spot" on her leg, was missing hair in places, had very dry skin and coat, and her ears were red.
I put her on a lamb and millet kibble, and cut everything with corn, soy, chicken and beef from her diet. I baked her yams for treats, and gave her cod liver oil for the first two weeks (vitamin A and fish oils are good for the skin and immune system), and regular fish oils every day.
After a month she had healed up, and no longer itches like she used to. She is still missing hair in a few spots, but I think they are starting to fill in.
Regardless of the cause, I think anything you can do to improve your dogs health without steroids is worthwhile.
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lot o dogs
It is possible but line breeding is a special technique used by competent breeders to force traits & is acceptable.
Peoples ignorance's have produced many very poor specimens of many breeds. They do not understand the important in all the testing before breeding nor do they know anything about the genetics when breeding. Then there is Puppy Mills & BYBers that can screw up a dog so that is just a very very very poor specimens of any breed they choose to breed.
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Some breeds are more pron-ed to skin infection than others.One of my chihuahuas has allergies and I give him 1 ml of children benadrill a day it works fine for him.You give 1 ml per 5 pond of weight.God luck and God bless
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Unfortunately, Westies are very prone to skin disorders and skin allergies. These can be caused by environmental problems or food allergies. I can tell from your post that you've sought vet care for your dog, so I'm sure these have been or are being addressed–it can take time to pinpoint these.
I know that the steroids can offer some relief, but keep trying to track down the source of his allergies. You are aware of the liver problems, but steroids can also lead to cancer problems as well.
Do you have any vet specialists in your area. I know some specialists focus on dermatological problems. Your little guy may be a candidate for this. My Scottie has severe flea bite dermatitis and must be on flea preventative. We went through so many ups and downs trying to track down his trigger.
If he is having issues with dry skin you could try running a humidifier near where he sleeps and give him oil supplements with his food (if you aren't already.) I really feel for you. I've been there/done that. In my case it isn't poor breeding, but just something that is seen in the breed. I've tried to do a little research and have attached some info that might help you.
I just saw your additional comments. I would really want to get a second opinion if my vet said the only course of treatment was constant pumping in of steroids. If the dog scratches too much, it can lead to infection. Steroids can lower the immune system and will not help the infection. Please seek a second opinion for this.
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http://www.westieclubamerica.com/health/skinallergy.html
http://www.westiemed.org/health/malassezia/
http://www.whwtcc.org/westierescue/SubSection/PuppyMills/SkinProblems.htm
http://www.canadawestieclub.ca/health/derm.html
find a vet dermatologist
http://www.acvd.org/
well I do have a nearly 12 yr old dog with a genetic health problem that makes allergies look like small potatoes (he would have been DEAD 8 yr ago without continuing expensive medication) and I can trace it to both sides of his family tree but the 5 generation inbreeding coefficient is ZERO – NO COMMON ancestors in 5 generations. Furthermore ALL the affected relatives were diagnosed after he was born AND the fact the problem is genetic was not considered proven till after he was born…BE careful of assumptions- all problems are not the fault of inbreeding nor can the breeder always be blamed- they are only human……
actually allergies frequently respond to a food change
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Hi
Our Westie ( now 11 years old) has always had problems with allergies of the skin.
After having taken medication during some time we have been giving her “Omega 1-2-3″ for several years now, and the problems seem to be under control; no more scratching…
Good luck and we hope you find a solution.
Daniel & Patricia
Antwerp, Belgium
I have two Westies and they are in very good health, no skin issues at all, and I attribute it to feeding them good food. Check out Michele Welton’s book “11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy”. It is available as a download and is very useful. What goes into commercial dog food (even the ones that advertise heavily, with happy dogs jumping across lawns) is appalling – the 3 D’s: dead, diseased, and dying – not to mention all the preservatives so the food will not spoil sitting on loading docks. Also cut out all treats because they are no better. If you want to treat your dog, give him some apple or carrot or cook him a little one-egg omelette for dinner. My husband was cooking all our dogs’ food for a long time, rice and ground lamb and cabbage in the proper proportions. They loved it and it was much cheaper than dog food. A batch would last, refrigerated, for 4 or 5 days. Soap is an obvious concern, also, and in addition, beware of dressing your dog up in coats and things. Westies have good coats already, and they do not need to wear a coat to go for their daily walk with you. Almost all dog apparel is made of God-awful man-made fabrics that cause sweating and that isn’t good for their skin. Good luck. My heart weeps for your poor little dog.