The anal glands are located on either side of the anus. Their original use was for scent marking and they still give off a distinctive smell, for instance when the dog is frightened. As a rule these glands are emptied by defecation but, if the dog's motions are soft and too loose, there is not the pressure on the glands which is needed to clear them. The symptoms are that the dog will have an unpleasant smell, he will drag his rear end along the floor, or will attempt to chew or lick near his tail area in order to relieve the irritation caused by overfilled anal glands. An abscess may occur if they are not cleaned. If you are unable to empty them yourself, it would be advisable to get your vet to do it for the dog's comfort.

Border Terriers' ears should be checked regularly for problems. The word canker, over the years, has been used to cover any ear problems. As there are several different reasons for ear disease, the term canker seems outdated. If your Border is scratching, rubbing an ear, shaking his head, or has an ear held slightly away from the head, it would indicate an ear problem. Any of these symptoms could be caused by ear mites, a fungal infection, or a secondary infection through scratching. There is a vast array of ear ointments on the market, some designed to treat specific infections better than others. For this reason veterinary advice is required. It is important to continue the full course of treatment to clear the problem.

There can be many reasons for this condition. The dog's diet, or a change of diet, or eating something unsuitable can start a bout of diarrhoea which can be resolved by making the dog fast for twenty-four hours, giving glucose and water to drink so that he does not become dehydrated. Start feeding again with light, easy-to-digest foods such as chicken or fish. Diarrhoea can also be a sign of serious problems such as gastroenteritis, parvovirus, worm infestation, foreign bodies in the gut and internal organ problems. Stress can also trigger diarrhoea, just as it does in humans. If your dog suffers from a persistent diarrhoea problem then veterinary help must be sought as, if it is left to continue for any length of time, the dog will dehydrate and become extremely ill.

This is an acute emergency which happens during hot weather. It can occur in dogs that have been shut in a car without sufficient ventilation. Remember that a car on a hot day creates a greenhouse effect and the temperature inside the car will increase rapidly. A dog can become severely distressed in minutes and die very, very quickly. Even with windows well open, a dog should never be shut in a car on a hot day. On cooler days the windows must be left open and grilles fitted. A heatstroke victim will be severely distressed, frantically panting and will probably collapse. His temperature will be extremely high and, to bring it down, the dog's body should be submerged in cool water or hosed down with water. Do not use very cold water as this will cause more problems. When the temperature returns to normal the dog should be dried and put in a cool place to recover. The dog should have drinking water available at all stages, preferably with salt added (one dessertspoonful of salt per water). If the dog does not recover quickly it would be advisable to take him to the vet as he may be suffering from shock. Border Terriers can be and have been victims of heatstroke; with their double coats they can feel the effects of heat quickly. The blue and tan colour of Borders appears to absorb the heat more easily, so extra care should be taken if your dog is this colour.

Fleas are a common parasite and can act as an intermediate host for other dog parasites, but the main problem they cause is skin irritation. When a flea bites it injects saliva to stop the blood clotting while it sucks it up. The saliva can cause an allergic reaction through the summer months, and in the dog. The main sign that your dog has fleas is the black The adult tick starts life small and gritty substance found on the spider-like. It crawls over the dog's coat. If you are not sure body, finds a suitable place and whether this is flea debris, collect bites into the skin. It will stay in some of the black grit from the this position for about two weeks coat and put on a wet, white tissue. If the black grit when wet swollen to the size of a pea and goes blood-coloured, your dog has beige in colour. The tick will then fleas. Treat the dog as quickly as drop off the host and, if female, possible, also his bedding and around the house. There are many into larvae which will then find a excellent flea-control preparations host. After a feed, these larvae on the market today, but I find that the veterinary-administered another host. It takes three larvae Ticks are found on dogs, usually are parasites of sheep and cattle. until fully engorged with blood, lay eggs in the grass. These hatch drop off, undergo change and find products are the most effective. changes, each taking a year, before the adult form is arrived at and the cycle is then repeated. Ticks can be removed by using flea control remedies, some of which are also designed to remove ticks. Other methods involve removing the tick by special forceps, making sure you grasp the head. This is made easier by killing the tick first. If you do not take the tick out complete with head you may end up with nastily infected skin. Lice are grey, about 2mm long and they lay small eggs (nits) which stick to the dog's hair and can look like scurf. Dogs can scratch and create bald patches. Give repeat treatments of insecticide sprays or baths to kill the adults and any hatching larvae. Harvest mites infestation occurs in the late summer, starting around late July. They are little orange mites which affect the feet, legs and skin of the belly and can cause immense irritation. The orange mite can just be seen with a naked eye. Treat with benzyl benzoate, a white emulsion which can be bought at the chemist, which should be rubbed into the affected parts. Many of the flea insecticides will also treat this complaint.