Common Cairn Terrier Ailments

Cairn terriers are usually quite healthy and tend to live a long life -- 15 years on an average. However, vets and breeders have found that some of the dogs can have hereditary diseases, while others end up with ailments due to infections, injuries and/or age. When buying a cairn terrier puppy, check with the breeder to find out about the tests performed on the puppy's parents for common hereditary diseases, the outcome of those tests and how likely it is that the puppy would develop health problems in the future. Ask the breeder about any health guarantee offered to potential pet owners against the cairn terrier puppy developing inherited diseases.



To reduce the chances of common Cairn Terrier ailments, the Cairn Terrier Club of America maintains an open registry for the breed. This helps to reduce the incidence of hereditary diseases. Breeders are also encouraged to submit test results of their dogs for research and to help people who are looking to make informed breeding decisions. (See Reference 2)

  1. Skin Problems

    • Many cairn terriers are prone to skin allergies, especially atopic dermatitis. This is an autoimmune disorder, which can be either mild or severe. Some of the triggers of atopic dermatitis include grass, fleas and dog food containing corn.

    Joint Ailments

    • The breed is susceptible to hip dysplasia and other joint problems, such as arthritis and patellar luxation. Patellar luxation is the dislocation of the kneecaps. These joint ailments are extremely painful and the correction methods are quite expensive.

    Legg-Calve-Perthes Syndrome

    • This is a degenerative bone disease, which causes loss of bone mass and results in the collapse of the hip joint. Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome is a type of degenerative arthritis and treating the dog during the initial stages can prevent the progress of the disease.

    Thyroid Disorder

    • Hypothyroidism is another health problem among cairn terriers. This is an endocrine problem where the thyroid gland becomes underactive and does not produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones. The condition results in loss of hair and weight gain, and the skin tends to get a scaly appearance.

    Eye Problems

    • Cairn terriers are susceptible to a wide range of eye problems, including cataract and glaucoma. The breed is especially prone to ocular melanosis, also known as secondary glaucoma, which affects both eyes. If the disease progresses, the dog loses its eyesight completely.

      Progressive retinal atrophy, or night-blindness, is another eye problem that plagues this breed. As the disease progresses, it can become a serious health problem. Keeping a close watch on the dog is useful in getting early treatment.

    Lung Disease

    • Another possible health problem in cairn terriers is pulmonary fibrosis. As there is very little research available on this disease, the prognosis is not good, especially when scar tissue forms in the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis causes dry cough, labored breathing and tiredness during physical activity.

    Other Common Cairn Terrier Ailments

    • The other ailments common to this breed include heart disease, liver disease, immune system disorders and kidney disease.