4 Common Boston Terrier Health Issues Because Of Their Size

Whether you're a veteran or a fairly newbie Boston Terrier parent, you'll always be on the lookout for possible health complications that may be dangerous for them. While these dogs are fairly harmless, there are a lot of harmful factors (lifestyle, inherent traits, etc.) that you should know in order to prevent these.

Here are 4 Common Boston Terrier Health Issues Because Of Their Size

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome

This type of syndrome is the most common Boston terrier health issue and is characterized to have a flat face. While their mushed faces can be often perceived as a unique charm on them, this is in fact, an abnormal face construction that heavily affects their respiratory airways.

You see the proportion of the outside air rushing through their chest cavity is incredibly imbalanced making the walls of their airways pull inwards. When this happens, whether they are just normally breathing or vigorously inhaling, sooner or later their respiratory airways will collapse.

In order to prevent this from happening, you'll have to monitor their activity that wouldn't cause them strenuous breathing. Here's a checklist that could help you in order to gauge if they need a vet's evaluation as soon as possible.

Homeostasis Imbalance

This health issue is not only applicable to Boston Terriers but also a common one for other small breeds. Homeostasis is derived from the Greek word "same" and "steady". This is a biological process that maintains the body temperature of any living thing for survival. Now because small dogs are more often than no have little insulation because of their size, they are prone to have imbalances in their homeostasis.

You have to make sure that you won't transport your dog from an extremely cold temperature to any area (like the park or just generally outside) with excessive heat. If this happens frequently this will shock their bodies and could be fatal for them.

To avoid this health issue from becoming a major danger to your Boston Terrier, make sure to hydrate them frequently and if can be, regulate their environment's temperature.

Patellar Luxation

The patella (kneecap) is often displaced in small dogs because of their bodily proportions. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), this is often caused by a traumatic injury to the knee or other skeletal abnormalities. Patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs and affects most terrier breeds and other small dogs.

When this happens, your dog will probably experience limping and have trouble putting weight on their legs. Alongside this, other symptoms might be them walking with a straight unbendable leg. Most of the time if this occurs, a surgery is the common treatment and will avoid this health issue from recurring.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you have to make sure that your Boston Terrier's diet is well balanced! These dogs are prone to obesity and this will also lead to patellar luxation later on.

Ectropion

Last but not the least is ectropion which is very common for flat-faced dogs with short muzzles. This is an eye condition that makes their eyelids turn outward leaving their inner eyelid surface easily irritated because of exposure. Because of their cute and bulgy eyes, Boston Terriers are easily affected by this condition.

Generally, this condition can be easily treated with ophthalmic antibiotics and ointments to prevent their cornea and conjunctiva from drying out. Surgical measures can also be done if their ectropion is getting severe as well.

While Boston Terriers may acquire a lot of health issues along the way this does not necessarily mean that they will experience all of this in their lifetime. The important takeaway from this is that they should have a well-balanced lifestyle to avoid any of these complications in the near future. After all, it would only be beneficial if you are knowledgeable about these in the first place for prevention.

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