Scottish Terrier nutrition with bladder cancer risk in mind

Scottish Terriers have roughly 20 times the bladder cancer risk of other dogs, and that single fact shapes most health advice for the breed. Diet has one notable study behind it, on vegetables. The other risks owners can change, such as lawn chemicals and cigarette smoke, sit outside the food bowl, and they are covered here too.

Bladder cancer in Scotties

The cancer is urothelial carcinoma, also called transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). It grows from the lining of the bladder and usually affects older dogs. Its early signs are blood in the urine, straining, and passing small amounts of urine often. Those signs look exactly like a urinary tract infection, which is why a Scottie with "cystitis" that returns or does not settle should have further tests rather than repeated courses of antibiotics.

How common the disease is became clearer from a US screening study. Scottish Terriers aged 6 or older with no urinary signs were checked with urine tests and bladder ultrasound, and biopsy-confirmed cancer was found in 32 of the 120 dogs over three years, according to a 2024 analysis of that cohort. None of the dogs had urinary signs when they joined. For an older Scottie, it is reasonable to ask the vet about periodic urinalysis and bladder ultrasound.

What the vegetable study found

In a 2005 case-control study, owners of 92 Scotties with TCC and 83 Scotties with other conditions described what their dogs had eaten in the year before diagnosis. Dogs given vegetables at least three times a week had a markedly lower risk of TCC after adjustment for age, weight, neuter status and coat color (odds ratio 0.30). Green leafy vegetables and yellow-orange vegetables were each linked to lower risk. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage showed a similar trend, but it was not statistically significant.

This is one study that relied on owners' memories, and it cannot prove that vegetables prevent cancer. It is still the most specific dietary evidence for the breed, and vegetables are a low-risk addition. The study was too small to say anything useful about vitamin supplements.

• Suitable choices: spinach, green beans, carrots, squash or sweet potato, plain and cooked or finely chopped.
• Small amounts mixed into meals are enough. The finding was about how often dogs ate vegetables, not how much, and they count toward daily calories.
• Avoid onions, garlic, leeks and chives, which are toxic to dogs, and anything cooked with salt, butter or sauces.

Keeping urine dilute with fresh water and some wet food is sensible for any dog, but there is no evidence that it lowers the TCC risk in Scotties.

Lawn chemicals, smoke and other exposures

Two other findings concern the dog's surroundings rather than its food. A 2004 case-control study found that Scotties exposed to lawns or gardens treated with herbicides had a higher risk of TCC, with the strongest link for lawns treated with both herbicides and insecticides. The authors advised owners to minimize Scotties' access to lawns treated with phenoxy herbicides until the link is confirmed or ruled out.

In the screening cohort, cancer was associated with living with cigarette smokers, living within a mile of a marsh or wetland, and a history of bladder infections. Dogs with nicotine by-products measurable in their urine were diagnosed more often. The authors concluded that second-hand smoke was the main modifiable risk factor they found. For a Scottie household, that means no smoking indoors or in the car, and keeping the dog off lawns and verges known to be sprayed.

Von Willebrand disease

Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a lack of von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps platelets form a clot. In Scottish Terriers it is recessive, and affected dogs can have almost no functional factor. In an Australian survey of 207 Scotties, 23% were classed as carriers and 4% as affected. Most affected dogs bled spontaneously, mainly from the gums and mouth, and others had bleeding after surgery or injury, easy bruising or nosebleeds. Many episodes needed treatment.

The mutation responsible was identified in 2000, and a DNA test distinguishes clear, carrier and affected dogs. Breeding dogs should be tested, and a Scottie of unknown status should be tested before elective surgery or dental extractions.

No diet corrects the disorder. The practical nutrition points are about avoiding harm: hard chews and bones that can cut the gums are a poor idea for an affected dog, and any supplement or medication should be checked with the vet, since some affect clotting.

Scottie cramp

Scottie cramp is a movement disorder long recognized in the breed. During an episode, usually brought on by exercise, the hind legs stiffen and the back arches. The dog does not appear to be in pain and walks normally again after a rest. A 2009 case report notes that the condition is thought to involve serotonin in the brain, and describes a young Scottie whose episodes were greatly reduced by fluoxetine. The same report says that the treatments recommended before, including vitamin E, often fail to control the signs. There is no evidence that a particular diet helps, so treatment is a question for the vet.

Calories and body weight

The American Kennel Club gives 19 to 22 lb (8.5 to 10 kg) for males and 18 to 21 lb (8 to 9.5 kg) for females. Scotties are short-legged and heavy-boned, so condition is better judged by feel than by the scale: the ribs should be easy to feel under a thin covering, with a visible tuck at the waist when the coat is wet or clipped.

The Merck Veterinary Manual estimates resting energy as 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75, multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult dog, 1.8 for an intact adult and 1.4 for a dog that gains weight easily.

Treat these as starting figures and adjust by body condition. Two measured meals a day suit most adults, and vegetables, chews and training treats all belong inside the total.

Sources

1. Association between cigarette smoke exposure and urinary bladder cancer in Scottish terriers in a cohort study. The Veterinary Journal, 2024.
2. Evaluation of the effect of dietary vegetable consumption on reducing risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2005.
3. Herbicide exposure and the risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2004.
4. von Willebrand's disease in Scottish Terriers in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 1995.
5. Mutation causing von Willebrand's disease in Scottish Terriers. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2000.
6. Use of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for treatment of episodes of hypertonia and kyphosis in a young adult Scottish Terrier. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2009.
7. Scottish Terrier dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
8. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.