Toy Fox Terrier Health Care & Feeding
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Jump down to this list of
Toy Fox Terrier Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Toy Fox Terrier puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way
Read my advice on daily health care so your Toy Fox Terrier lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet... [read more]
3 Best Ways To Feed Your Dog Healthy Food
You can dramatically increase your dog's chances of living a long, healthy life by feeding the right food. Cutting right to the chase, the best foods for your Toy Fox Terrier are... [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food
Your Toy Fox Terrier will love real chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, yogurt, broccoli.... this is not just "people food" and I'll tell you why... [read more]
5 Best Kibble and Canned Dog Foods
Some are better than others, but I must be honest – I'm not a huge fan of dry or canned dog food. Here are my concerns... [read more]
Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your Toy Fox Terrier puppy really need? Does your adult dog need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed! Find out what some vets aren't telling you... [read more]
Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons
Should your female Toy Fox Terrier be spayed? Current research says, "The AGE at which you spay can be vitally important to your dog's future health." So what's the best age? [read more]
Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons
Have you been told that you must neuter your male Toy Fox Terrier? Current research shows that the issue is not so simple. Pet owners are not being told about some risks associated with neutering male dogs, especially neutering too early... [read more]
Make Sure Your Vet is the Best!
Is your current veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Here's how to tell... [read more]
Assisi Loop Review
Does your Toy Fox Terrier suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease, colitis? My honest review of a veterinary device you can use at home to reduce inflammation and pain. [read more]
Complete list of Toy Fox Terrier health problems
Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma).
In young Toy Fox Terriers, demodectic mange is quite common.
There are many Toy Fox Terriers who are partially or completely blind. These serious eye diseases include progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, lens luxation, and glaucoma.
The most common orthopedic disease is luxating patella (over 6% of the breed affected). Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is much less common, but much more serious. Both conditions cause pain and lameness and can require expensive surgery.
Inherited deafness, heart disease, and von Willebrand's blood-clotting disease also occur in Toy Fox Terriers.
Spinocerebellar ataxia is a life-threatening inherited neurological disease that shows up in Toy Fox Terriers at 2 to 6 months of age and is progressive. Most affected pups are euthanized by two years of age.
Spinocerebellar ataxia affects only a small number of Toy Fox Terriers.... but the disease is carried by over 20% of the Toy Fox population. That means breeders must test their breeding dogs so they don't accidentally breed two carriers together, which would produce an affected puppy.
It's risky to acquire a Toy Fox Terrier pup whose parents weren't tested for spinocerebellar ataxia. Breeders who don't test are irresponsible, plain and simple.
Preventing health problems
Some health problems are inherited. For example, if your dog inherits from his parents the genes for an eye disease called PRA, he will go blind and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
But most health problems can be prevented by the ways you raise your dog.
FREE eBOOK! My free online health care program, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to raise your Toy Fox Terrier in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!
My best-selling books – now available FREE on my website