The Boston Terrier Good Health Guide

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Boston Terriers don't come in solid colors such as black, gray, liver, or white. Be wary of breeders who try to sell you one of these dogs because of the "rare" color. Not sticking to the breed standard is a warning sign of a low-quality breeder. Boston Terriers are easy to groom. Brush them weekly with a firm bristle brush and bathe them with a dry, powder shampoo and a damp cloth, or give them an occasional bath when necessary. Because their eyes are so large and prominent, you should wash their faces every day and check their eyes for signs of redness or irritation.

Brush your Boston Terrier's teeth at least two or three times a week to remove tartar buildup and the bacteria that lurk inside it. Daily brushing is even better if you want to prevent gum disease and bad breath. Trim his nails once or twice a month if your dog doesn't wear them down naturally to prevent painful tears and other problems. If you can hear them clicking on the floor, they're too long. Dog toenails have blood vessels in them, and if you cut too far you can cause bleeding — and your dog may not cooperate the next time he sees the nail clippers come out.

So, if you're not experienced trimming dog nails, ask a vet or groomer for pointers. His ears should be checked weekly for redness or a bad odor, which can indicate an infection. When you check your dog's ears, wipe them out with a cotton ball dampened with gentle, pH-balanced ear cleaner to help prevent infections. Don't insert anything into the ear canal; just clean the outer ear. Begin accustoming your Boston Terrier to being brushed and examined when he's a puppy. Handle his paws frequently — dogs are touchy about their feet — and look inside his mouth.

Make grooming a positive experience filled with praise and rewards, and you'll lay the groundwork for easy veterinary exams and other handling when he's an adult. As you groom, check for sores, rashes, or signs of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, in the nose, mouth, and eyes, and on the feet. Eyes should be clear, with no redness or discharge. Your careful weekly exam will help you spot potential health problems early. The Boston Terrier loves children and makes a good playmate for them.

He's small enough that he won't knock them down but large enough that he's not easily injured. In general, he gets along well with other dogs and cats, especially if he's socialized to them at an early age. Boston Terriers are often purchased without any clear understanding of what goes into owning one.

There are many Boston Terriers in need of adoption and or fostering. There are a number of rescues that we have not listed. If you don't see a rescue listed for your area, contact the national breed club or a local breed club and they can point you toward a Boston Terrier rescue. Below are breed clubs, organizations, and associations where you can find additional information about the Boston Terrier.

See Dogs Not Kid Friendly. Anything whizzing by — cats, squirrels, perhaps even cars — can trigger that instinct. Dogs that like to chase need to be leashed or kept in a fenced area when outdoors, and you'll need a high, secure fence in your yard. These breeds generally aren't a good fit for homes with smaller pets that can look like prey, such as cats, hamsters, or small dogs. Breeds that were originally used for bird hunting, on the other hand, generally won't chase, but you'll probably have a hard time getting their attention when there are birds flying by.

See Dogs With Low Intensity. Short-nosed dogs like Boston Terriers can't cool the air going into their lungs as efficiently as longer-nosed breeds, and they're much more susceptible to heat stress. Because of their short coat, they can't stand extremely cold weather either.

Even in temperate climates, the Boston Terrier should be kept indoors. Because Boston Terriers can have respiratory problems, avoid pulling on your dog's collar to get him to go what you want. Your Boston Terrier is prone to corneal ulcers because his eyes are so large and prominent. Be careful about his eyes when you're playing or taking him for a walk. Depending in part upon their diets , Boston Terriers can be prone to flatulence.

If you can't tolerate a gassy dog, a Boston Terrier may not be for you. Because of their short noses, Boston Terriers often snort, drool, and snore sometimes loudly. With their large heads and small pelvises, whelping isn't easy for Boston Terrier mothers. If you have thoughts about breeding, be sure you realize that in addition to the potential whelping problems that often require a caesarean section, Boston Terrier litters typically are not large a litter consisting of only one puppy is not uncommon.

You may have to wait for several months to get a good quality Boston Terrier puppy from a qualified breeder. While Boston Terriers typically are quiet, gentle dogs, not prone to yappiness or aggression , males can be scrappy around other dogs that they feel are invading their territory. They can be stubborn, so persistence and consistency are definite pluses in training methods. They are sensitive to your tone of voice, and punishment can make them shut down, so training should be low-key and motivational. Crate-training is recommended while housetraining your Boston Terrier. To get a healthy dog, never buy a puppy from an irresponsible breeder, puppy mill, or pet store.

Look for a reputable breeder who tests her breeding dogs to make sure they're free of genetic diseases that they might pass onto the puppies, and that they have sound temperaments. This is a clouded film over the eye lens. Boston Terriers are prone to developing both juvenile and adult cataracts. Juvenile cataracts develop between eight weeks of age and 12 months.

While you can sometimes see juvenile cataracts, sometimes they can only be detected by a veterinary ophthalmologist using a CERF Canine Eye Registration Foundation test. When purchasing a Boston Terrier puppy, it's wise to ask the breeder if the puppy has been tested for juvenile cataracts. Cherry eye is a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid that is believed to be genetic in origin. It frequently occurs in dogs that are less than a year old. Some veterinarians reposition the gland surgically to its original site at the base of the third eyelid, while others remove the prolapsed gland altogether.

Also known as "slipped stifles," this is a common problem in small dogs.

It is caused when the patella, which has three parts — the femur thigh bone , patella knee cap , and tibia calf — is not properly lined up. This causes a lameness in the leg or an abnormal gait in the dog. It is a disease that is present at birth although the actual misalignment or luxation does not always occur until much later. The rubbing caused by patellar luxation can lead to arthritis, a degenerative joint disease.

There are four grades of patellar luxation, ranging from grade I, an occasional luxation causing temporary lameness in the joint, to grade IV, in which the turning of the tibia is severe and the patella cannot be realigned manually. This gives the dog a bowlegged appearance. Severe grades of patellar luxation may require surgical repair. This is a soft or loud, harsh, regurgitant sound in the heart, especially over the mitral valve area where a defect causes a backflowing of blood into the left atrium.

Because of this, the heart is not as efficient as it should be in providing blood to the body. Treatment often includes a low-sodium diet, restriction of exercise, diuretics, and medications. Boston Terriers have a high incidence of deafness in one or both ears. Breeders should have puppies BAER tested to determine the status of the puppies' ears before they go to new homes. Boston Terriers can suffer from a variety of allergies , ranging from contact allergies to food allergies. If your Boston is licking his paws or rubbing his face a great deal, he may have an allergy.

Allergies can be diagnosed by your vet. This is a defect in the structure of the esophagus that causes a dog to regurgitate its undigested food. Regurgitation differs from vomiting in that there generally is no advance warning that it will occur, whereas with vomiting there is visible effort involved. Reverse sneezing is a condition that can occur at any time in your Boston Terrier's life. Generally it occurs when your dog is overly excited, gulps his food too fast, or is affected by pollen in the air.

Nasal secretions drop onto the soft palate, causing it to close over the windpipe. The dog makes a wheezing sound and may become alarmed. Talk soothingly to him and try to get him to relax to shorten the episode.

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Some people say that pinching the nostrils closed or holding the palm of your hand over his nose so the dog is forced to breathe through his mouth is the quickest way to stop the reverse sneezing. You may also try stroking his throat. From kibbles to limited ingredient diets, to freeze-dried options, the dog food world is a tough one to navigate. Not sure where to start? Take a look at our recommendations for your Boston Terrier pup. When determining the right diet for your Boston Terrier, consider factors like his size , age, metabolism, and activity level — all of which impact how many daily calories he should consume.

An average Boston Terrier weighs about 20 pounds and is 15 to 17 inches tall males are typically heavier and larger in size than females. Depending on the size of your Boston Terrier, you can opt to feed him a food made for small breeds or medium-sized breeds. Puppy foods formulated for small breeds are often a good choice for Boston Terriers since they provide the calories, vitamins, and minerals needed for this early growth.

You can switch to an adult formula when your dog reaches about 90 percent of his adult size. Feeding your Boston Terrier can feel like a guessing game, right? We recommend measuring food, dividing meals, and monitoring how much your dog is eating rather than free feeding him. This will lower the risk of him overeating and becoming obese — an issue that leads to breathing issues and other serious health problems. Generally, adult Bostons one year and older eat two meals per day, while puppies should consume three to four meals.

Boston Terriers — like all dogs — thrive off a diet rich in protein and healthy fat. However, there are other ingredients offered in commercial dog foods that offer additional health benefits like joint support, brain and eye development, and immune system support.

Two or three of these meat proteins should be in the first several ingredients listed. And while plant protein is included in many commercial dog foods, meat protein is much easier for your pup to digest. So, if your fancy-pants bag of kibble offers lentils or peas, just make sure the percentage of meat protein is higher than that of plants. We love sweet potatoes as a low-glycemic alternate source of carbs!

However, they offer vitamins, minerals, additional protein, and antioxidants for your pup.

1. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free

Small breed pups like the Boston Terrier grow quickly — so they need a high-calorie, balanced puppy formula or All Life Stage food. Praise or reward your dog every time it goes to the bathroom outdoors. As noted above, Bostons respond well to positive reinforcement. Don't scold or hit it.

Boston Terrier

This can confuse the dog, making it more difficult to housetrain. Socialize your dog early and consistently. All dogs benefit greatly from the process of socialization — introducing them to new things in a safe, controlled environment. If you can give a dog pleasant, positive experiences with new things as a puppy, you can avoid a host of behavioral problems later on in life. While it's possible to socialize a dog at any age, most professionals recommend starting around weeks of age.

The general principle is that you'll want to introduce your dog to new people, animals, objects, and places gradually and one at a time. Make your dog feel safe by staying near it and offering plenty of affection when it reacts well. Things to socialize your dog to include: Have your dog spayed or neutered. This is a controversial opinion among some dog owners, but there are many, many good reasons to give your dog this procedure.

In addition to being quick, cheap, and safe, spaying or neutering your dog: Results in a less-aggressive temperament. Prevents undesirable sex behaviors like humping, urine marking, and female "heat" behaviors. Prevents many types of cancer. Bring your dog in for regular checkups. If there is only one single thing you do to improve your dog's health, make it this.

Veterinarians have the training and tools to make sure your dog is as healthy as possible at every stage of its life. However, they can only keep your dog healthy if they get a chance to see it when it's needed. Dogs at different ages need to see their vets at different frequencies. About every three to four weeks. Your dog will get many important vaccines during this period. One to seven years: About once per year. Your dog will get tests for common problems like heartworm and other parasites as well as a few more vaccines.

About twice per year. As dogs get older, they become more vulnerable to health problems, so treatments can become more frequent if the vet notices something wrong. You'll also want to take your dog in whenever you think it may be sick or you notice a significant change in its behavior. Beware of the possibility of brachycephalic syndrome. Boston Terriers have been bred to have very short noses, which makes them prone to this disease also known as Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

The dog's small airway can make it hard to breathe at times, especially during exercise. Be on the lookout for signs that it's not getting enough air most of which are obvious. If you see any of the following, give the dog plenty of time to catch its breath: Gasping or wheezing for air A reluctance to move or exercise Bluish gums Fainting. Get regular teeth cleanings to prevent dental disease. Dental health is important for all dogs. However, it's especially important for Boston Terriers, who are vulnerable to tooth problems as mentioned above.

Talk to your veterinarian about the possibility of regular teeth cleanings for your dog. Generally, a healthy dog will only need its teeth cleaned once every one to three years. Even the area under the gum line will be cleaned. This usually requires general anesthesia — in other words, your dog will be temporarily knocked out. Believe it or not, this is actually a very important part of a dog's health. Left untreated, dental disease can cause the dog to lose teeth, put extra stress on its kidneys, and even shorten its lifespan. Take care of your dog's eyes.

Boston Terriers tend to have big, bulging eyes. This makes them a little more vulnerable to injury or infection than the average dog's eyes. Be sure to notify your veterinarian immediately if you notice any change in your dog's eyes — you may end up saving its vision. One easy way to cut down on eye injuries is to keep your Boston Terrier from riding in the car with its head out the window.

This is a frequent source of eye injury — it's easy for things to unexpectedly get blown into the dog's face. Keep an eye out to catch skin infections early. Boston Terriers are prone to several genetic disease that cause skin irritation, such as Cushing's disease. Signs to look for include: Patches on the skin where the dog seems to be balding Red, irritated patches Foul-smelling patches Frequent itching or scratching. What would happen if I bought a dog from its previous owner who had it for about a year? Would the dog be depressed or reluctant to do things?

There will be an adjustment period. Just try to make the dog feel happy and comfortable. After a few weeks the dog will probably be perfectly fine. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2. How can I prevent health problems so my Boston Terrier will live a healthy life? Ask your vet about preventive care, which will include good dietary choices and regular exercise, and may include medicine if necessary.

Also, have your vet regularly examine your dog for signs of emerging health problems. Very bad breath, discolored and gray teeth, bleeding gums, plaque and tartar buildup on teeth, reluctance to eat, or other signs of mouth pain. What do I do if my puppies don't want to eat and keep laying down to sleep? Try going outside with them and playing with them to make them hungry.

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