West Highland White Terrier Club of America

The vast majority of dogs of all breeds (as well as mixed breeds) can live long, healthy lives if given proper care, good nutrition, exercise, and routine veterinary attention. Nevertheless, any dog can fall victim to a wide range of health problems including infectious diseases, parasites, allergies, endocrine problems, heart conditions, and cancer to name a few. In addition, each pure breed of dogs has its own particular health issues. The West Highland White Terrier is no exception. Some of these problems are minor, some impairing, and some possibly fatal. Some conditions may show a very strong hereditary basis and others are caused by environmental factors.

2007 Health Survey

According to the 2007 Health Survey conducted by the WHWTCA, listed below are the diseases, by prevalence, affecting West Highland White Terriers. For a detailed look at the survey results visit Westie Foundation of America, Inc. Health Surveys.

• - Atopic dermatitis Luxating patella
• - Aggression
• - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• - Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease
• - Dry Eye (KCS)
• - Addison’s disease Lymphoma
• - White Shaker
• - Pulmonary Fibrosis
• - Juvenile Cataracts
• - CMO (craniomandibular osteopathy)
• - Pancreatic enzyme deficiency

The Westie Health E-Book

For information about many diseases and issues that affect Westies, visit the Health eBook found on the Westie Foundation of America website. There you will find comprehensive information about Common Health Problems, How To Recognize Them, and What To Do About Them.

Other Health Issues

Click on the following links to learn about other health Issues that affect Westies:

• Cleft Palate (pdf)
• Craniomandibular Osteopathy / CMO (pdf)
• Heart Disease (pdf)
• Hip Dysplasia (pdf)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease /IBD (pdf)
• Kidney Disease (pdf)
• Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency (pdf)
• Signs of the Aging Westie (pdf)
• Teeth and Gums (pdf)

Other health related links:

REQUEST FOR SAMPLES

There are several of breed-specific research projects currently being conducted that require blood or DNA samples from West Highland White Terriers. If you would like more information about the studies, visit the Westie Foundation of America web site. If you would like to participate by contributing blood or DNA samples from your Westie, call or email the contact person listed. Your participation will be greatly appreciated!

Download PDF of Overview of Request for Samples with email links that can be copied and pasted.