West Highland White Terrier Health Issues in Sydney

Westie itch: allergic skin is the one to understand

If you understand one thing about Westie health, make it the skin. The West Highland White Terrier is one of the breeds most prone to atopic dermatitis, an allergic, inflamed skin condition. It is so tied to the breed that it has a nickname, Westie itch. The dog overreacts to ordinary things in the environment, grasses, pollens, dust mites and moulds, and the skin turns red, itchy and sore.

The itch is the engine of the problem. A Westie with atopic skin scratches, licks and chews, and it tends to target the same places: the paws, the face and muzzle, the ears, the armpits and the belly. Paw-licking that stains the white fur a rusty brown is a classic sign. All that scratching and licking breaks the skin barrier and leaves it damp, and damp broken skin gets secondary infections with bacteria or yeast. Those infections itch and smell, so the dog scratches more, and you get a spiral. Recurrent ear infections go hand in hand with it, since the ears are lined with the same allergic skin.

Sydney makes this harder than a cooler, drier place would. The warm, humid climate suits yeast and keeps skin damp, and the long grass-and-pollen seasons keep the environmental triggers high for much of the year. A Westie that seems settled in winter can flare badly through the warmer months.

What helps. This is a condition you manage for life, not one you cure, and the plan starts with your vet rather than the chemist or the internet. Broadly, good management works on three fronts: finding and reducing the triggers where you can, caring for the skin barrier and coat so it copes better, and settling flare-ups and clearing any secondary skin or ear infection quickly before it spirals. Your vet builds the specific plan, because what an individual Westie needs varies, and human medicines can be unsafe for dogs. Keeping your dog lean helps too, since a healthy weight supports the whole body. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase has general guidance on itchy skin and when to see a vet. Our Westie grooming and skin care guide covers the day-to-day coat and bathing routine in more detail.

Westie lung: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The condition nicknamed Westie lung is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a serious, progressive lung disease the breed is predisposed to, mostly in middle-aged and older dogs. The lung tissue slowly scars and stiffens, which makes it harder for the dog to move air and take up oxygen. Idiopathic simply means the underlying cause is not understood.

The signs to know. It creeps in, so it is easy to put down to age at first. Watch an older Westie for a persistent dry cough, tiring or slowing down on walks it used to manage, and breathing that becomes faster or more laboured, sometimes with a crackly quality. If you notice any of that, book a vet visit, because the same signs can point to heart disease or other lung problems, and it needs sorting out properly. There is no cure, but a vet can confirm what is going on and focus on comfort and quality of life. If breathing ever tips into obvious distress, treat it as the emergency described above and get to a vet at once.

Luxating patella: the slipping kneecap

Like most small breeds, Westies can get a luxating patella, where the kneecap slips out of its groove and then slides back. The tell-tale sign is a quick skip or hop on a back leg. The dog will hold the leg up for a step or two, often with a little hitch in its stride, then carry on as if nothing happened.

Some dogs do this occasionally and are barely troubled, while others are more affected, which over time can lead to arthritis or, in the worst cases, need surgery. If you notice your Westie skipping on a back leg, favouring a leg, or stiff after rest, mention it to your vet, who can feel the knee and grade how loose it is. The single most useful thing you can do is keep your dog lean, because extra weight loads the joints and makes any knee problem worse. Sensible exercise that builds muscle without pounding the joints helps as well.

Eyes: dry eye and cataracts

The Westie has a few eye conditions worth knowing. One is keratoconjunctivitis sicca, usually called dry eye, where the eye does not make enough tears. The eye looks sore and red, often with a thick, sticky discharge, and the dog may squint. Untreated it is uncomfortable and can damage the surface of the eye, but it is diagnosed with a simple tear test and managed well, so a Westie with a persistently goopy, red or sore eye should see a vet.

Cataracts, a clouding of the lens that gives the pupil a milky look and fades vision, also turn up in the breed. The general rule with eyes is simple: any red, painful, cloudy or squinting eye should be seen by a vet, and a red painful eye treated as urgent, because some eye problems can cost the sight quickly.

Teeth, liver and hearing

Dental disease. Like most small breeds, Westies are prone to dental disease, because a small mouth crowds the teeth and traps plaque. Left alone it causes pain, tooth loss and infection that can affect the whole body. Regular tooth brushing, dental chews and professional cleans when your vet advises keep it in check, and it is one of the easiest problems to stay ahead of.

Liver conditions. The breed can be affected by a couple of liver problems. One is a portosystemic shunt, a liver shunt, an abnormal blood vessel that lets blood bypass the liver so toxins are not filtered out properly, which tends to show in young dogs as poor growth, vague digestive upset or dull behaviour after meals. Westies can also be affected by a copper-related liver condition, where copper builds up in the liver over time. Both are things a vet diagnoses with blood tests and imaging. A young Westie that fails to thrive, or an older one that is off colour, losing weight or drinking oddly, is worth a vet check.

Deafness. Some lines carry congenital deafness, meaning a dog can be born deaf in one or both ears. A deaf dog lives a full, happy life once you adjust, using hand signals and keeping it safe near roads and off-lead areas. If you are unsure whether a dog hears well, a vet can advise, and a rescue foster carer will usually have a good sense of it from living with the dog.

Why adopting a Westie is not a health disadvantage

People sometimes worry that a rescue dog is a health gamble compared with a breeder puppy. For a Westie the picture is more balanced than that. A Westie adopted through a reputable Sydney rescue arrives desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, treated for parasites and vet-checked, with all of it included in the fee. You are not taking on an unassessed animal.

Adopting also means the condition that matters most in this breed is often already known and being managed. A skin or allergy history, the thing you would most want to know about a Westie, is usually noted on the listing or shared by the foster carer, and a dog already on a skin routine comes to you with a plan rather than a mystery. A foster carer who has lived with the dog can tell you how the skin has been through the seasons, which is real information a puppy cannot offer. If you are weighing it up, our Westie adoption guide for Sydney covers where to look and what it costs. Sydney rescues worth watching include RSPCA NSW, AWL NSW, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, Monika's Doggie Rescue and Maggie's Rescue.

Keeping a Westie healthy: the checklist

Most of what keeps a Westie well is routine, and skin care sits at the centre of it. The habits below do the heavy lifting.

• Care for the skin and coat. Build a bathing and skin routine with your vet, watch for the early signs of a flare, and treat itchy ears and skin infections quickly before they spiral. This is the single most important habit in the breed.
• Keep the dog lean. Measure meals to a visible waist and go easy on treats. A lean Westie loads its knees less and copes better all round.
• Look after the teeth. Regular tooth brushing and dental checks prevent painful disease in a small, crowded mouth.
• Watch the eyes. Look for redness, a sticky discharge, cloudiness or squinting, and treat any red, painful or cloudy eye as urgent.
• Mind the knees. Note any skipping or hopping on a back leg and mention it to your vet, and favour joint-friendly exercise.
• Watch an older dog's breathing. Take any persistent cough or exercise intolerance in a senior Westie to the vet in case it is early Westie lung.
• Book regular vet checks. Annually while adult, then twice yearly for a senior, so issues get caught early.
• Stay on year-round tick prevention. Use a vet-recommended product every month without a gap, because the paralysis tick on the NSW coast is a fatal risk.

The Sydney paralysis tick point

One health risk has nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with where you live. The paralysis tick is native to the east coast of Australia, including the coastal and bushland areas around Sydney, and its bite releases a toxin that causes an ascending paralysis which is fatal without veterinary treatment. It is a year-round risk here, not just a summer one. Sydney summer heat brings its own separate risk, so walk your Westie in the cooler hours and carry water.

The response is straightforward. Keep your Westie on a vet-recommended tick prevention product every single month with no gaps, and after any walk through bush or long grass run your hands slowly over the whole dog, feeling for a lump. A Westie's dense white coat hides ticks well, so check carefully, under and inside the ear flaps, around the face, under the collar, in the armpits and between the toes. If your dog develops a wobbly back end, a changed or weak bark, gagging, retching or heavy or laboured breathing, treat it as an emergency and get to a vet at once. Your own vet can advise on the right prevention product for your dog.

When to see the vet urgently

Most Westie health issues are managed at a normal appointment. A few need a faster response. Get to a vet immediately, including out of hours, if you see any of these:

• Any struggle to breathe: fast or laboured breathing at rest, blue, grey or pale gums, a stretched-out neck to breathe, or collapse (respiratory distress, which is life-threatening).
• A wobbly back end together with a changed or weak bark, gagging, retching or heavy breathing (possible paralysis tick).
• A red, painful or cloudy eye, or squinting and holding an eye shut (some eye problems can cost the eye quickly).
• A young puppy with a swollen, painful jaw, unable to eat, drooling or feverish (possible craniomandibular osteopathy).

For the everyday things, such as itchy skin or ears, a skip in a back leg, a cloudy or goopy eye coming on slowly, or a senior with an occasional cough, book a normal vet visit soon rather than waiting. Catching those early gives your Westie the best outcome. When in doubt, phone your vet or a 24/7 hospital and describe what you are seeing. They would far rather you called and it was nothing than the other way around. For a broader look at the breed before you commit, browse the full Sydney adoption resources hub, or talk to your own vet, whom the Australian Veterinary Association can help you find.

Frequently Asked Questions

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