Westie Skin Problems

[Boboowest]

I have been at the vets today with my West Highland White Terrier. She has a skin problem which is making her miserable. The Vet has advised me that this is very common with the Caithness Westies and gave me a bottle of shampoo and a jar of pills (done this all before). There are 1000's of Westies out there in Caithness but do any owners have any experience or advice on this?

[DRM]

Ours has had a few skin problems and we used to get round it by feeding either Chicken and rice or Mutton and rice for a while but we only give her dried food now and have very little problem- she gets wet dog food occasionaly to break the monotony of the dried stuff

[Wish]

Skin problems are a very common complaint in westies i'm afraid

What do you feed your dog on?

[Malcolmdog]

We have the same issues here in Canada with Westie skin problems.

I have a boy (10 yrs) and a girl (1 year old), both have excellent skin and no rashes so far.

Our vet suggested that we keep the bathing to a minimum - twice a year- a rinse in the tub is all they get in between times. No shampoos with whiteners or bleaches. We feed them Nutro Dry Dog Food lamb with rice or Royal Canin small bites.

Fingers crossed, their skin will continue to be rash free. I have seen the poor little guys with that rash, they can't scratch enough, fast enough.


Good luck with your little one, I know you had asked for feedback from Caithness westies, but I could not resist!!

[jings00]

i have a westie born and bred in caithness, luckily he disny have any skin problems. he likes his veggies so i mix raw and cooked veggies in with his food, i don't know if that would help prevent it or not. my sister has had westies for years and i think that only one of her dogs had a problem with skin irritation, and that was a westie she got outwith caithness.
hope it clears for the wee cheil tho, wee soul.

[Jenni]

I have a 4 year old girl westie and so far her skin has been perfect. Is this condition something that they have from the outset or is it possible for it to develop at any time? I take my westie to pampered pets 3 or 4 times a year and try not to bath her in between.

There are indeed a lot of Westies in Caithness and I am totally hooked on them. This is the first one I have had but she is absolutely lovely. She is such a good natured wee thing and very sociable.

[Liz]

Have a look at www.vetcures.com

They have a product called Dermaworx which is guaranteed to work or your money back.

I am using this on Suzy my cat who has a skin problem but it is too early to say whether it is working.

The remedies are made by a Vet, Michael, and he is really helpful.

Hope you get your doggie's skin problem under control.

[ber219]

My mum swears by goats milk.

We used to keep goats and one used to be a miking nanny. We had a little Poddle with a horrendous skin problem and we used to give her a little drop of goats milk everyday along with the cream and tablets and it seemed to help.

I know that people drink it also to help with human skin complaints such things as exzema schoriasis (spelling?) so it may be worth a try and you can usually get it in the supermarket, worth a try.

[Sandra_B]

I have friends who had a golden retriever with terrible skin problems. Turned out to be ab allergy to the dog food he was getting. They put him on Iams dog food and the problem cleared up.

[Edna]

I got a Westie last October, and he a cracker, he is very friendy and clever, also very thrawn, we havent had any skin problems yet but he did have a bit of an upset stomach at the beginning of the year, I feed him James Wellbeloved, sometimes with a little bit of tinned food mixed in, or Tuna ( he loves that ).
Where is the best place for him to get a trim and blow dry!!!

[Tyke]

I have been at the vets today with my West Highland White Terrier. She has a skin problem which is making her miserable. The Vet has advised me that this is very common with the Caithness Westies and gave me a bottle of shampoo and a jar of pills (done this all before). There are 1000's of Westies out there in Caithness but do any owners have any experience or advice on this?

Sorry to hear of your problem. I am always checking my westies skin, especially since I want to breed from her. Thankfully she is ok. I checked both parents prior to buying. Unfotunately the skin problem in Westies is hereditery and it is the breeder's problem to eliminate the problem. Have you told the breeder of your girl.
They are a few things you can try to help your dog. Rub aloe vera into her skin. It will cool the infected area and help with the itching. Try a dog food designed to help with skin problems. Use bottles water instead of tap. Try goats milk. Trial and error see what works.

Regular grooming is essential. A good dog groomer will have first aid shampoos that might help.

Pardon the spelling dog tired. PM me if you want the name of a good groomer.