Owning dogs, especially taking care of the west highland white terrier, is a specialty of humans across the world. Experts speculate dogs were originally domesticated sometime between twelve thousand and 25,000 years ago—and that all canines evolved from the wolf. Since those days, we have selectively bred more than 400 breeds, varying in size from four-pound teacup poodles to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the title of tallest pooch. However, the most preferred pooches are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The west highland white terrier is another favorite choice with canine owners. Some owners are unaware, however, of many critical west highland white terrier care tips.
General health care cost for the west highland white terrier
The yearly cost of caring for the west highland white terrier—including everything from nutrition, to veterinary care, toys and license—could vary between four hundred twenty and seven hundred eighty dollars. This doesn’t even count capital costs for spay/neuter surgery, a collar and leash, a dog carrier and a dog crate. Tip: Be positive you have all your supplies before you get your west highland white terrier home for the first time.
Basic west highland white terrier Care
west highland white terrier Feeding Plan
- west highland white terrier puppies between 8 and 12 weeks old need four bowls of food each day.
- Feed west highland white terrier puppies three to 6 months old 3 meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- Feed puppies 6 months to 1 year old 2 times in a day.
- By the time your west highland white terrier makes his first birthday, 1 meal in a twenty-four hour period is adequate.
- Sometimes adult west highland white terriers might prefer 2 smaller servings. It is your job to learn your west highland white terrier’s eating habits.
Excellent-quality dry food ensures balanced nutrition for grown west highland white terriers and may be mixed with broth, water, or canned food. Your west highland white terrier may like cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables, and cooked eggs, but these shouldn’t add up to more than 10 percent of her daily meal intake. west highland white terrier pups should be given high-quality, name brand puppy food. Please try to cut down on “table food”, though, since it can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, tooth and bone problems, and might lead to extremely finicky food choices and obesity. Clean, potable water should be made at all times, and be certain to wash water and food bowls often.
west highland white terrier Care Tips: Make sure to get your west highland white terrier plenty of daily physical activity
west highland white terriers must have physical activity so they can burn calories, recharge their brains, and maintain good health. Daily physical activity also seems to help west highland white terriers avoid boredom, which can often lead to naughty behavior. Going outside will quell many of your west highland white terrier’s instinctual urges to chew, dig, chase, retrieve and herd. Activity needs can vary based on your west highland white terrier’s level of health and his age—but just a couple of walks around the block every day and ten minutes outside probably will not be enough. If your west highland white terrier is a six to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will probably be much greater.
west highland white terrier Grooming Tips
You can help keep your west highland white terrier clean and reduce shedding with brushing. Inspect for fleas and ticks daily during warm weather. Most west highland white terriers don’t need to be bathed more than a few times per year. Before bathing, comb or cut out any and all mats from the west highland white terrier’s hair. Rinse all soap from the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap residue.
Handling Your west highland white terrier
Pups are clearly the easiest to manage. To carry your west highland white terrier puppy, take one hand and place it beneath the dog’s chest, with either the forearm or your other hand supporting the back legs and rear. Never try to lift or grab your pup by the forelegs, nape or tail. If you must lift a larger, full-grown west highland white terrier, pick it up from underneath, bracing her chest with 1 of your arms and rump with the other.
How to House your west highland white terrier
Your west highland white terrier needs a comfortable quiet location in order to relax apart from all the breezes and away from the ground. You might want to think about buying a doggie bed, or make one from a wood box. Place a clean sheet or pillow inside the bed for cushioning. Wash your west highland white terrier’s bedding often. If the west highland white terrier will be outdoors much, make sure she has access to plenty of cool water and covering in hot weather, and a covered, warm, dry shelter in winter.
Licensing and Identification for west highland white terriers
Your community has licensing rules to heed. Make certain to connect the license to your west highland white terrier’s collar. The license, together with an ID tattoo or tag, can help secure your west highland white terrier’s return should he become lost.
Facts on west highland white terrier Behavior
Thoughts on west highland white terrier Training
Well-behaved, companion west highland white terriers can be a joy to own. However, untrained, your dog could be a pain. Teaching your west highland white terrier the fundamentals—”Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, and “Leave it”—strengthens the relationship with both the west highland white terrier as well as your friends. If you’re the owner of a puppy, start teaching her the appropriate responses ASAP! Snacks can be used as incentive and recognition. Puppies should start obedience class when they have been sufficiently vaccinated. Contact your local humane society or SPCA for details on training classes. It is best to keep your west highland white terrier on a leash in public, even while a pup. Be sure your doggie will come to you at all times whenever you say so. A disobedient or aggressive west highland white terrier cannot play with children.
west highland white terrier Health
west highland white terriers should visit the vet for a complete diagnosis, vaccinations and a heartworm assessment each year, and as soon as possible when he is sick or injured.
About your west highland white terrier’s Dental Health
While many of us might object to our west highland white terrier’s bad breath, it’s important to be aware of what it might be telling us. Foul breath is usually an indication that your west highland white terrier should have an oral check up. Plaque caused by unhealthy bacteria results in a foul stench that necessitates professional treatment. After you give your west highland white terrier a professional dental cleaning, his gums and teeth can be kept healthy by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. The veterinarian can provide you with other information for minimizing periodontal disease as well as halitosis. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your west highland white terrier’s teeth. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Periodontal disease,which is an infection between the gum and tooth, sometimes affects west highland white terriers. This troublesome disease will sometimes initiate your west highland white terrier’s loss of teeth and propagate diseases throughout his body. Your vet will usually brush your west highland white terrier’s teeth while performing the regular health test.
west highland white terriers with Bad Breath
While bad breath due to oral disease might not be too serious if found early enough, some halitosis may be indicative of serious, long-term causes for concern. A sweet, fruity smell may frequently be indicative of diabetes, while diseases of the intestines or liver may cause foul breath. Kidney disease may be the reason when your west highland white terrier’s breath smells like urine or ammonia. If ever you notice your west highland white terrier has bad breath accompanied by other signs of disease, such as diminished appetite, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, moodiness, including depression, increased drinking and urinating, schedule a trip to his or her vet.
Dealing with Ticks and Fleas in west highland white terriers
When it’s warm, it’s important for you to perform regular, daily checks of your west highland white terrier for fleas and ticks. Remove and find fleas with a flea comb. There are several new technologies of tick and flea reduction. Talk to your west highland white terrier’s doctor about her or his options.
Heartworms in west highland white terriers
Your west highland white terrier is at risk of developing heartworms if he is exposed to lots of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry heartworms from dog to dog. Heartworm infections are potentially fatal. It’s extremely important you ensure your west highland white terrier has a blood screening for this parasite annually in the spring. A monthly tablet taken throughout the warm, wet time of the year will protect your west highland white terrier. Your west highland white terrier should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. In some of the more moderate locations, veterinarians recommend preventative heartworm medication throughout the year.
Medicines and Poisons
If you’re thinking about giving your west highland white terrier medication that was not prescribed for him by his doctor, forget about it. Did you know that just 1 regular-strength ibuprofen capsule causes ulcers in some dogs Make sure your west highland white terrier is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. Be sure you call your dog’s veterinarian if you believe your west highland white terrier has ingested a toxin. You may also call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for twenty-four hour help.
Spaying and Neutering west highland white terriers
It is recommended that female west highland white terriers be spayed—which is the removal of the uterus and ovaries—and males neutered—extraction of the testes—by six months of age. You can significantly diminish your female’s breast cancer risk by spaying before maturity. The possibility of a sick uterus, which is another serious affliction that affects older females, will be eliminated by spaying before 6 months. Prostate diseases, testicular cancer, certain aggressive behavior and some hernias are preventable by neutering male west highland white terriers.
Immunizing your west highland white terrier
- west highland white terrier puppies should be immunized with a combo innoculation (called a “5-in-one”) at two, three and four months old, and then once yearly. This shot protects your west highland white terrier puppy from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. The west highland white terrier must be vaccinated for at least the first four months of his life.
- If you have the rare west highland white terrier who has not been innoculated and is older than four or five months, he must get a series of two vaccinations given two or 3 weeks apart, followed by an annual immunization.
- west highland white terrier pup socialization and immunization should go together. Many vets recommend that new owners bring their west highland white terrier puppies to socialization classes, as early as 8 or nine weeks of age. They should have already received their first innoculations by this point.
Statutes vary so much around the country, that it’s best to call your community vet for rabies immunization information. As an example, NYC codes state that pets older than three months be immunized for rabies. After the original vaccination, she must get another innoculation the following year, and then every 3 years after that. There are many vaccines, many of which are right for your west highland white terrier. There are others that are not, however. Ask your west highland white terrier’s vet for her recommendation. Please note, if your west highland white terrier gets sick because she is not innoculated, the shots can be given after your pet fully recovers.
Intestinal Worms in west highland white terriers
west highland white terriers are commonly exposed to worms—in all areas, both rural and urban. Tiny eggs created by hookworms are passed in an infested west highland white terrier’s stool. Even the healthiest of west highland white terrier puppies carry hookworms or roundworms. The key to effective treatment is early diagnosis. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed medicine will be successful against your west highland white terrier’s worms. A dewormer that eliminates roundworms, for example, won’t kill tapeworms. Your west highland white terrier’s doctor can best figure out the culprit—and assign the effective medicine.
west highland white terrier: Miscellaneous Care Tips
Checklist of west highland white terrier Supplies
- Top-quality dog food and treats specifically for west highland white terriers and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water dish
- Toys, toys and more toys, including safe chew toys
- Brush & comb for grooming, including flea comb
- Collar with identification tag and license
- Leash
- Dog carrier (for pups)
- Crate for training
- Dog box or bed with quilt or towel
- Doggie or child’s toothbrush
The no-no list
The following items should never be fed to west highland white terriers:
- Alcohol, beer, wine or liquor
- Caffeinated foods, like coffee, tea or chocolate
- Raisins and grapes
- Moldy or spoiled food of any kind
- Onions, chives or garlic
- Chicken, turkey, or any other poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit or stems
- Yeast dough
The scoop on poop
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in space, always keep your west highland white terrier on a leash. And please, when your west highland white terrier defecates on your neighbor’s yard, dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about west highland white terriers
Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
Follow