Cancer
The primary cancer concern with Westies (as it is for Scotties and Cairns) is Bladder Cancer (Transitional Cell Carcinoma). Most of the links here are for Bladder Cancer, but there will be links to other types of cancer in dogs in the Other Resources section below.
WFA Westie Health eBook Chapter:
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Topic #2
(692 KB PDF)
WFA Newsletter Articles:
- Bladder Cancer in the West Highland White Terrier
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma
- An Update on Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder Research in the West Highland White Terrier
- Using Radiation Therapy for Treating Cancer in Dogs
Seminars:
Research Studies Funded by the WFA:
- AKC Canine Health Foundation Active Grants # 1336A and 1336B
- AKC Canine Health Foundation Closed Grants # 754A, 754B and 896A
Find a Board-Certified Veterinary Specialist:
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Most of the time your vet will be able to successfully diagnose and treat your Westie for whatever ails him or her. However, there may be times when the problem is rare/unusual/complex and you may need the services of a board certified veterinary specialist. Cancer specialists (Oncologists) are included in the database of Board-Certified Internal Medicine specialists along with cardiologists and neurologists, so your search may take a little longer.
The link to Board-Certified Internal Medicine specialists is:
Other Resources:
The following are links to other Canine Cancer content on the internet that may be useful or helpful to you. If you are aware of any other online resources on this subject that you feel are exceptionally good, please let us know.
- Both the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Morris Animal Foundation have funded many research projects on the various types of canine cancer. Here are the links to their funded cancer (Oncology) projects:
- Morris Animal Foundation also has an excellent site on their Canine Cancer Campaign
- Very detailed list of the different types of canine cancer
- Merck Veterinary Manual
- VetInfo.com
- Canine Cancer Clinical Trials: FightCanineCancer.com
- Penn Vet School Center for Comparative Oncology Research
- Center for Cancer Research, Comparative Oncology Program
- The Role of Genetics in Cancer That Occurs in Purebred Dogs. Researchers: Elizabeth McNiel and Heidi Ball. Investigating the link between dog breeds and the kinds of cancers they are at increased risk of developing. Studies include:
- Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium
- Lymphoma study
- Stomach cancer study
- Bladder cancer study
- Mammary cancer study
- Drug metabolism study