Teeth
Your pup will lose most of his teeth in the first few months. You’ll find them laying around the house or your pup will be playing with them on the floor. As soon as your pup is well established in your home and while he is still young enough to be easily influenced, begin a regular teeth-brushing program. Buy any one of several canine toothbrushes and a tube of canine toothpaste, and start brushing his teeth at least once a week. As he matures, he’ll accept this program readily if it’s associated with a regular playtime or before a walk. Watch for double teeth at about three months of age. As he matures, check regularly for broken teeth, foreign material, gum wounds, gum redness, and tarter buildup. At four or five years he may require annual tartar scaling by your vet.

Ears
During grooming sessions, check your pup’s ears. Don’t poke cotton swabs into his ear canals, but instead look closely into the canals for dark wax. If wax is abundant, wrap your index finger with gauze damped with your cleaning solution and clean the canals. You can also use Q-tips saturated with ear cleaner. Do not insert into the ear canal, just clean the inside of the ear. Solutions can also be purchased from pet supply stores. We recommend. Ear-Dry Solution.

If your pup’s ear canal smells foul or exude excessive wax, make an appointment with your vet for examination. Abnormal head carriage is another sign of otitis (ear canal inflammation). If he tips his head to the side, shakes, or scratches his ears, consult your vet!

Ear Infections/Ear Mites
Ear infections in dogs are an on going problem and about 10 % of Westies /Scotties are susceptible to ear infections. Since a Westies’ and Scotties ears are upright they don’t get infections as easily as dogs with hanging ears, but once they get an infection you will never be able to get rid of it permanently. A sign of an ear infection is your Westie digging at the ear and/or shaking its head. The ear canal will appear dirty with red or black ear wax.

The trick to keeping your pups ear infections under control is to continue the medication for a week to 10 days after the ear appears to be clean. The bacteria may still be in the ear canal and the additional medicine will kill the remaining germs. You will need to go to your Vet and get an ear cleaner, an antibacterial agent, and an ear drying cream or powder. Use the ear cleanser and apply it with a cotton swab. Clean out the ear as far down the ear canal as possible. Use several swabs until they come out clean. Once the ear is clean, wait a couple hours for the ear to dry well before applying the antibacterial agent. Do this twice each day. Once the infection is gone, if the ear is excessively moist, use a drying cream every few days to keep the infection from starting up again. The ear will probably become infected again about every three months, so frequently check the ears to see if they appear clean. We just keep the medicines on hand and treat the ear as needed.

If the problem continues, go back to the vet because you may need a different antibacterial agent. It is imperative that you keep after ear infections. If it is chronic, the ear canal can swell shut, sealing in the bacteria and causing the dog to go deaf. In addition the dogs continued digging at the ear will break down the cartilage in the ear and it will flop over. It is equally important that you keep their ears free from ear mites. It is hard to distinguish whether your Westie/Scotty has ear mites or ear infection. Consult your vet.  

Ears Not Standing Up?
Normally, your pup’s ears will stand up within three months, although it may rarely take up to six months for the cartilage to become strong enough to hold the ears up. During this time, teething uses up most of the cartilage. Keeping hair trimmed as closely as possible on the ears will help the ears stand. It is amazing how this little weight can deter the ears from standing. Take your scissors and trim closely the hair on the front and back of the ear. This usually does the trick! At 4 months, it this doesn’t solve the matter, you may need to tape the ears.

TAPING INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut the hair inside and outside of the ear VERY short. Cut a piece of tape about 4 inches long. Place the middle of the strip of tape horizontal across the inside of the puppy’s ear about 1/3 of the way down from the tip of the ear. Bring the ends of the tape around to the front of the ear crossing over each other in the front of the ear going down toward the ear opening. Press the tape tight to the ear and cut off any that sticks down in the ear itself that would tickle the pup’s ear. Leave the tape on for at least two weeks. Replace it if the puppy works it off, even if the ear is up. The tape must be on long enough for the bent cartilage of the ear to grow straight. Two weeks should be enough. When you do take the tape off, the ear may be rather funny shaped because of the dents the tape has created in the side of the ear. This will straighten itself out in a short time.

Another method is to get a super duty brown paper grocery sack from the grocery store. Cut out a slightly rounded triangle that will just fit the inside of the ear and extend down slightly into the ear for support. For best fit, shave all the hair from the inside of the ear and for best support, shave all the hair from the top backside of the ear. Round or flex the paper into a shape that will fit the curve of the inside of the ear. Apply false eyelash glue to the paper. Be careful not to put to much on as it may ooze out from the sides, but be sure to cover the edges. Push the glued side of the paper onto the inside of the ear (apply even pressure to all areas of the ear, especially the edges) and hold it until it sticks. The paper will naturally peel away from the ear within two weeks and the ear should stand. Keep water away from the ear during this process. Do not remove the paper prematurely; you may damage the skin inside the ear. You may need to repeat this process if the ear tissue is not thick or the cartilage is not strong enough during the first application period. When the paper peels off there will be a residue inside the ear from the glue. To remove this residue, shave the inside of the ear, as the residue should be attached to the hair that is re-growing in the previously shaved area.

Our vet has also recommended giving a teaspoon daily of Knox Gelatin for about two weeks. You can mix it with a teaspoon of canned meat.

Over the years, we have had only one pup whose ears did not stand. I occasionally suggested to the owner that they tape the ears, but they said they didn’t care since it gave her “character”. To tape the ears, it is better to pick up the tape at the vet’s office for about $1.50. That way, you know your are getting the tape that will do the job. After about two weeks, you can clip the tape in a couple of places and then remove the tape by pulling it upwards so the ear is not bent. 

Eyes
A Westie’s dark eyes should appear bright, shiny, and clean. It is important to keep the hair clipped away from his eyes between the eye and nose. If the hair touches the eyeball, it will water and cause stains underneath the eyes. Beard Stains/Weeping Eyes Some Westies have weeping eyes which may be caused by an eye infection, clogged tear duct, or hair touching the eyes which causes the eyes to weep and therefore causes stains. Consult your vet.

Stained (brownish) paws are caused from licking. The saliva discolors the hair. It is important to keep the nails trimmed. When they get long and uncomfortable, they will begin licking and chewing on them. Keep their nails trimmed often.