Health and Wellness Articles
on Jack Russell Terrier Health Problems

We are constantly working on our growing collection and Jack Russell health and wellness articles. If there is anything on your mind, let us know and we'll have our staff veterinarian answer one question each week. You can submit your Jack Russell Terrier health problems and questions here.

Note that Jack Russell health in general is not a problem as they are a strong and resilient breed. The Jack Russell health problems listed below are seen in Jack Russell's, but the incidence tends to be lower than other breeds, but enough of a concern to just be a watch out for owners in case they see any of these symptoms:

Jack Russell Terrier Health Problems that are Genetic (Inherited):

Jack Russell Terrier Health Problems	Description	Symptoms
Jack Russell Canine Heart Related Diseases:
Canine Cardiomyopathy	Heart muscle abnormality resulting in water on the lungs	Wheezing and difficulty with exercise
Canine Patent Ductus Arteriosus	Heart problem where the vessel that connects that pulmonary artery and aorta does not close when a dog is born	Symptoms include heart failure due to exercise requiring special care of Jack Russell patent ductus arteriosus patients
Jack Russell Neurological and Brain Related Diseases:
Canine Cerebellar Ataxia	Neurological problem	Can cause a Jack Russell to stagger when walking
Canine Hydrocephaly	Fluid accumulation in the brain	Symptoms include disorientation, walking into objects. Short survival time.
Canine progressive neuronal abiotrophy	Neurological condition	Causes tremors, staggering when walking, and it becomes difficult for the Jack Russell to stand or do simple things such as eating
Other Jack Russell Terrier Health Problems
Canine Cryptochidism	When the testicles do not descend into the dog's scrotum	Only 1 or no testicles visible at the scrotum.  Not life threatening.  Dogs with this condition are often neutered.
Dog Hernias	Tissue or a body organ extends through the body wall causing a budge in the scrotum or stomach	Growth on stomach or body wall.  Seek veterinary care as soon as possible
Jack Russell High Toes, Short Toes	Seen primarily on a Jack's front feet where the toes are shorter than normal	Not a problem for the Jack, but considered a breeding problem
Canine Leg-Calve-Perthes disease	Disease causes the head of the femur or thigh bone to degenerate. Occurs starting at age 6 months	Rear leg lameness causing one leg to look different than the others.
Canine Von Willebrand's disease (vWD)	This refers to a bleeding problem caused by abnormal platelets	Jacks that bleed for prolonged periods of time, or easier than you expect should be evaluated for this disease
Canine Sensory Disorders
Canine deafness	One or two ears. Jacks at 5 weeks should receive a BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response)  test, which tests for deafness.  Ask your breeder to make sure they performed this test.	Lack of response to commands
Canine Lens Luxation	Eye lens dislocation	Eye pain, eye redness.  If left untreated, canine glaucoma can set in
Canine Glaucoma	Pressure in the eye that can cause damage	Dilated pupil, eye cloudiness, rubbing of the eye with paw

Here are a few of the Jack Russell health and wellness articles available on this site. We will be developing new articles on the  Jack Russell Terrier health problems listed above, Jacks are also  subject to every day issues such as dog skin disorders,  

Dog Health and Wellness Articles:

Dog Giardia Treatment
Giardia in dogs is the cause of 15% of diarrhea cases.  it is caused by a parasite that is ingested when drinking from contaminated waterways or when feces is ingested from the dog's environment.

Dogs and Allergies
We as humans can have a variety of allergies, allergies to food, pollution, dust and just about anything else imaginable. Well, our wonderful family dog can be allergic to things too and it may take us a while to finally figure it out.

Herbal Remedies for Dogs
When you thinking about ways to keep your dog happy and healthy, you will discover that just like humans, dogs can benefit from the use of herbal remedies.

Pet Poisoning
Pet Poisoning should be the concern of every dog owner, as well as having other pets in the house.

Pet Insurance
Pet Insurance is relatively a new idea. Many companies are out there and if you're like me, I tried some that did not deliver what they promised, or were simply hard to work with, or didn't offer the kind of packages that worked just right for me and my Annie.

Commercial Dog Food
Do You Know The Truth About Commercial Dog Food Yet? Most dog owners feel that feeding their pets commercial dog food makes the most sense.

Dog Grooming
Dog grooming is an art that goes from basic pet care to almost spa-like pampering. The essential grooming requirements depend on the dog's breed and its characteristics. The first thing a pet owner deals with is dog hair.  This health and wellness article is essential for anyone caring for a Jack and looking to keep the dog looking great (and shedding less).

Dog Dental Care
Regular oral hygiene is a necessity for good dog dental care, but is often neglected or entirely overlooked by many owners. 

Be sure to fill out the form below if you did not find the health and wellness articles or Jack Russell information you've been looking for.

Go Back from Health and Wellness Articles to the Articles Index

To Jack Russell Terrier Pictures Home

---