West Highland White Terrier: health conditions to watch
Westies are hardy, characterful little terriers whose defining health issue is the skin. Allergic, itchy skin is common in the breed, and staying ahead of it prevents a lot of trouble.
What to watch in a West Highland White Terrier
A predisposition is a “worth knowing”, not a diagnosis. Most West Highland White Terriers never develop these — but knowing the early signs means you can act early.
Atopic Dermatitis
Learn about Atopic Dermatitis →Allergic skin disease is very common in Westies; persistent itching, licking, red skin and recurrent ear trouble usually trace back to it, and early management beats chasing repeat flare-ups.
Join the Allergies & Skin community →Skin & Ear Infections
Learn about Skin & Ear Infections →Allergic skin is prone to secondary yeast and bacterial infection; recurrent smelly skin or ears deserves proper treatment, not just repeated washes.
Vision Loss
Learn about Vision Loss →Dry eye (reduced tear production) occurs in the breed; a persistent gluey discharge or red, sore eyes warrants a tear test.
Join the Vision & Eye Health community →Start here
Calming the flare and controlling the itch: your treatment toolkit
There is no single product that fixes atopic dermatitis, and any plan built around one is already in trouble. What works is an ordered approach: get the itch down fast, then keep it down with as little medication as the...
Atopic dermatitis: when your pet is allergic to the world
Atopic dermatitis, often just called "allergies" in the consulting room, is one of the most common skin diseases in dogs, and it has a one-line summary worth getting straight before anything else. In plain terms it is...
Riding out a flare: a plan that stops the itch spiralling
The skin has been settled for weeks, the itch quiet, and then one evening the scratching starts up again. A paw licked too long, a back leg working at an ear, and by morning a patch of pink skin where there was none....
Daily life with an atopic pet: bathing, barrier, omega-3 and lowering the load
Most atopic pets come to this point with a diagnosis, a plan, and a drug or two doing the heavy lifting. This article is about everything else: the unglamorous things you do at home between appointments. None of it...
Immunotherapy: the only treatment that changes the disease
Nearly every drug we give an atopic pet works the same way: it mutes the itch. Apoquel, Cytopoint, steroids, ciclosporin are all good drugs, and each one turns the signal down without laying a finger on the disease...
Feline atopic syndrome: how allergy looks different in cats
A cat that licks itself bald, grows scabby little bumps along its back, or scratches its face and neck raw has usually earned one of two labels from someone: "it might be allergies", or "it might be stress". The first...
Looking after a West Highland White Terrier
- Manage skin allergies early rather than chasing repeated infections
- Keep on top of ear checks and drying
- Ask about a tear (dry eye) test if the eyes look sore or gluey
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