Airedale terriers are generally healthy dogs. Some health concerns to be aware of include:

• Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
• Hypothyroidism: The thyroid gland, sitting at the top of the windpipe in the back of the neck, is controlled by the pituitary gland at the base of the brand. Hypothyroidism would cause the metabolism to slow down.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy: This disease effects the heart muscle in the ventricles (heart chambers) to thin, weaken, and stretch.
• Allergies: Otherwise known as eczema, this condition effects the skin. Typically, skin will be dry, itchy, and inflamed.
• Heart murmurs: With a murmur, one can hear the irregular blood flow through the heart, be that from exercise or some kind of irregularity or valve in the heart.
• Entropion: In this condition, an eyelid, typically the lower one inverts which cause the eyelashes to rub against the eye. This causes irritation on the eye.
• Cerebellar abiotrophy: Also known as cerebellar cortical abiotrophy, this is a genetic neurological disease. The Purkinje cells in the brain die off, effecting balance and coordination.
• Bloat: Gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV is a condition when a dog’s stomach becomes distended with gas.
• Corneal opacities: This condition is the scarring of the cornea, which is the front layer of the eye. This scarring can effect how light passes though the eye, which can blur vision and create loss of vision.

While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.