Scottish Terrier Health Issues:

A little research on the internet will yield several sites that go into this stuff in more detail, but here are a few key points:

VonWillebrand’s Disease (vWD) is essentially a bleeding disease.  When looking for a Scottie breeder, make sure to verify that the dogs have been genetically tested to see whether or not they’re carriers of vWD.  Our dogs have, of course, been tested and cleared.

Scottie Cramp (SC) is a much more complicated (and less serious) affair than vWD: in layman’s terms, it means that when the dog is excited or exercising, messages from its brain to its back end can get garbled, resulting in anything from a little hop in the gait to a full-on “cramp” that stops the dog until it passes (in seconds or minutes).  There is no genetic test for SC, and it has been estimated that up to 90% of Scotties have it.  However, in the vast majority of cases it is so mild that it is unnoticeable, and even the few serious cases aren’t painful for the dog.  I’d say that this is the only real downside to the breed: there is a very slight chance that your dog might have a serious case of SC.  We've bred over 50 puppies thus far, and had only one such dog.  Oddly enough, she only cramps when on a leash and around other dogs at the same time.  In the garden, off leash, and in the house, her mobility is normal, and she is a lovely-tempered charmer who makes an excellent companion.  We will gladly take back any Scottie that has a serious case of SC (i.e. one that seriously limits mobility) and replace it with another puppy from our next litter, or else refund half the purchase price.

Drowning may not seem like a breed-specific health issue, but pools are a big risk to Scotties – especially Scottie pups.  They love the water and they love swimming, but they’re notoriously bad at it.  Scots in the water must be closely supervised, and Scots in a pool or other abruptly deep water should be avoided at all costs.  If you have a pool or pond, it must be securely fenced in before you get a Scottie, and your family must be committed to keeping things secure.  I speak from experience on this: I sold a puppy to a family with a pool and pond, both fenced in, but their 10 week old puppy found a way in and drowned – this is heartbreaking for both owner and breeder.  Scottie drownings in pools are such a problem that the American Kennel Club sends a warning about them to everyone who registers a Scot.  Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t take your Scottie with you to the cottage!  We’ve had all our Scots at the lake, and they’ve been fine because the waterfront has been very gradual and shallow.  As long as they have the option to swim back when they (quickly) get tired, they can enjoy the cottage lifestyle along with you.  Pools don’t usually provide this option.  (Scottie-sized life jackets are more and more available these days – dogs who spend a lot of time around the water should no doubt have one.)

Some say that Cushing’s Syndrome is a Scottie health issue, but according to the American Kennel Club website: “It is, as yet, unknown whether there is an inherited predisposition to Cushing's Syndrome in Scottish Terriers.”