The West Highland White Terrier, also known as Westie, is a small-sized breed of dog originating from the western highlands of Scotland. It is lively, adorable, highly alert, and very affectionate. It is loyal to its owner and has good coordination, but is slightly self-conscious, belonging to the typical terrier breed. It has a solid and sturdy appearance, with a deep chest and lower back, straight back, and strong hindquarters. Its limbs are muscular, giving it a strong and energetic look. The coat is approximately 2 inches long, white in color, with a hard texture and thick, soft undercoat. The West Highland White Terrier has an outstanding artistic temperament and is loved by people for its beautiful and adorable appearance. It is the new darling in the pet market of the dog world.
The West Highland White Terrier originated in the western highlands of Scotland in the 19th century and was originally used for hunting otters, foxes, and rats. It has a similar appearance to a fox, with a relatively long nose. There is a belief that all Scottish terriers have the same ancestor, and over time, they gradually spread to various regions of the UK.
In the 19th century, Colonel Malcolm carried out breeding work for more than 60 years in the village of Poltalloch on the estate of the famous breeder the Duke of Argyll, finally breeding an authentic white breed from Highland White dogs. At first, this dog was named Poltalloch Terrier due to its place of origin, but it gradually changed its name to West Highland White Terrier. In the local area, there are not many breeders of Westies, but in recent years, more and more people have started to pay attention to and love its beautiful appearance and personality. Now it has become a new favorite in the dog world.
The West Highland White Terrier, also known as Westie, is suitable for modern family breeding, but not for busy office workers. The dog is small in size and does not require much space, so it can fully adapt to apartment living in the city. It is lively, adorable, highly affectionate, and loyal to its owner, which is deeply loved by people. If it becomes a member of the family, it will bring a lot of joy to the family. It is an excellent companion dog and family companion. However, its beautiful fur needs to be taken care of every day, which will take a little time. The person raising it needs to have patience.
1. Heart disease
Dog heart disease is often associated with obesity and old age. When dogs have heart disease, they mainly show symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. It is difficult to detect heart disease in dogs, and when owners notice it, the dog is already seriously ill.
2. Infectious diseases
Canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common severe infectious diseases in dogs, with high mortality rates. Dogs that have not been vaccinated in a timely manner are susceptible to these two infectious diseases. Once they are sick, they will experience symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
3. Kidney disease
When it comes to common diseases and symptoms in dogs, kidney disease has to be mentioned. The terrible thing about dog kidney disease is its unconscious progression. After the owner discovers it, the damage to the dog's kidney cells often exceeds 75%. When the dog has a problem, the symptoms usually include bloody urine, abnormal urine color, and changes in urination habits.
4. Parasites
Intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms are common parasites in dogs. When dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, the main symptoms are emaciation, lethargy, diarrhea, presence of worms in feces, pale gums, etc. Heartworm is a parasitic worm that lives in the dog's heart. After dogs are infected, they will experience symptoms such as poor vitality, coughing, anemia, wheezing, and ascites.
5. Canine pneumonia
Pneumonia is also a common disease in dogs, but canine pneumonia is a complication of other diseases, often occurring in dogs with abnormalities in the upper respiratory system, bacterial infections, canine distemper infections, viral flu, impaired lung function, and heartworm infections. Coughing, nasal congestion, and fever are the main symptoms of canine pneumonia.
1. During the breeding process of the West Highland White Terrier, it is important to ensure that it gets enough exercise every day and to take it outdoors often, which will help its growth.
2. Pay attention to nutrition when feeding, balance the meat and vegetables, and supplement necessary trace elements to ensure sufficient nutrition intake every day.
3. Due to its own appearance characteristics, it will have beautiful whiskers around its mouth. It must use a drinking fountain when drinking water because the white hair around its mouth is easily yellowed when exposed to water.
4. Its fur is clean and beautiful, so it needs to be combed every day, but it should not be bathed too frequently to avoid washing off the sebum and affecting the luster of the fur. In addition, special attention should be paid to its skin problems, always pay attention to the condition of its skin. About one-fifth of West Highland Terriers will suffer from skin diseases, so if there are any abnormalities on the surface of the skin, it should be sent to a doctor in a timely manner.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, it should not be done too frequently. The frequency of bathing depends on the dog's hygiene conditions. In hot weather, it can be bathed one or two more times, while in winter, it can be reduced by one or two times. However, the total number of baths should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its coat and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed almost every day, especially during spring and autumn. To maintain good hair growth, regular brushing is important. Pet owners can use pet-specific brushes to help dogs remove natural shed hair and prevent tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing helps promote the growth of a dog's coat and gives it a shiny look. In addition to making the coat more lustrous, letting the dog sunbathe can also help eliminate bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can also let the dog exercise a bit, which can improve its physical condition, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier hair.
4. Deworming
Poor coat condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites consume a lot of nutrients from the dog's body, therefore deworming is essential. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Additionally, deworming medicine can cause great harm to a dog's stomach. Therefore, it is advisable to feed probiotics regularly to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
To ensure that a dog has a beautiful coat, it is necessary to establish a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to its daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food that is suitable and sufficient for its needs. On the other hand, the dog can be given a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil.
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