Itching and skin: the headline of a Westie's diary
Itching and skin open a West Highland White Terrier's weekly diary, because skin comfort is the dominant health theme in this breed. Give the itch a simple weekly score, note where your dog scratches, rubs or chews, such as paws, belly, ears, armpits and tail base, and record redness, flaking, greasy or dry skin, bumps, and any odour. Beside each entry write the likely exposures that week: walks through long grass, a bath and its timing, a new treat, central heating running, or damp weather. Westies reward this discipline quickly, because three dated flares with the same exposure beside them turn a vague allergy conversation into a focused investigation. Also note whether scratching disturbed sleep, since night itching is a welfare point your veterinarian will want quantified rather than described loosely later.
Ears, coat condition, and staining in a white terrier
Ears and coat share a weekly entry for a Westie, whose white coat shows change early if you look deliberately. Note ear scratching, head shaking, wax, redness or smell, and whether one ear is repeatedly worse, recording any cleaning done and what the cotton pad showed. For the coat, record harshness or softness of the outer layer, yellowing or staining around the mouth, eyes and paws, hair thinning over the back or tail, and whether staining follows face rubbing or paw licking, which links the coat note back to the itch score. Bathing and grooming dates belong here too, with the coat's condition in the days after each groom, because over-bathing and under-grooming produce opposite-looking problems that the diary can tell apart only if the dates are written down.
Appetite, digestion, and teeth in a sturdy small terrier
Appetite, digestion and teeth fill the next section of a Westie's diary. Record meals finished or refused, any fussy phases tied to a sore mouth rather than stubbornness, stool firmness, straining, vomiting, and water intake in ordinary terms. Lift the lips weekly for tartar, gum redness, a chipped tooth, or chewing that favours one side, and note breath changes, which in a small terrier often arrive before visible dental trouble. Westies are sturdy and determined, so a dog who stops crunching, drops food, or leaves a favourite chew untouched is making a point worth dating. Link any stomach upset to scavenging on walks, garden finds, or rich extras from the table, all classic Westie opportunities that are easily forgotten by the time a vet asks about them.
Energy, weight, and when Westie notes need a vet
Energy and weight close the Westie diary, with a rib check under the coat, walk enthusiasm, and willingness to dig, patrol and play as usual. Contact your veterinarian when itching breaks the skin, ears smell strong or cause persistent shaking, skin becomes greasy with hair loss, appetite fades, thirst rises noticeably, or limping or stiffness repeats across entries. Broken skin with odour, a painful swollen ear, repeated vomiting, or breathing difficulty warrants prompt, same-day advice rather than another week of notes. Presenting the diary from KinsLe using Pet Passport lets your West Highland White Terrier's itch scores, ear record and dental notes be read as one timeline at any appointment.