What should I know about my Rat Terrier's health and breed traits?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on your (potential) new addition! Small dogs can live up to 15 years of age, with some dogs living up to 18 or even 20. It truly depends on any underlying health conditions and how they are managed. In general, mixed breed dogs tend to be somewhat less susceptible to hereditary conditions. However, maltese can be predisposed to heart conditions such as valve abnormalities, ocular conditions such as glaucoma, and allergies. Terriers are a very broad category of breeds, but typically have the same predispositions. Please note that just because a dog is predisposed to something, does not mean that it will have the condition at any point in life. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! The ideal weight depends on the skeletal size of the dog. Below is a link on body condition scoring. Rat terriers range between 10-25 lbs. The mini is 10-13 inches and the standard is 13-18 inches in height. https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/PDF_old/Body-condition-score-chart-dogs.pdf Have a good day!

I have had many pet rats and I love them! They are smart and interactive! They do have some health problems though. Upper respiratory issues are very common so you will always want to use a dust free litter like Care Fresh and keep their cage SUPER clean! You also see a lot of cancer which is unfortunate. About 2 years is the average life expectancy. Make sure to get 2 or more rats of all the same sex. Females tend to be more active then males but both are sweet. Females also tend to get along a little better than the males. I approve your decision!

She could be mixed with just about anything based on her photo. I would agree that she does look like some kind of terrier mix. If you asked 5 different vets you will get 5 different answers. : ) I would suggest getting a DNA test on her to find out what she is mixed with. They are pretty accurate and also can inform you about what genetic diseases she is susceptible to getting. Here is a link for one of the DNA tests that you should consider doing on Maggie ---> https://www.wisdompanel.com/ Best wishes with your puppy moving forward. Take care.

She could have allergies causing her hair loss and eye discharge. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at her to determine the exact cause and prescribe medications to treat. She may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine and/or corticosteroid to help.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chihuahuas can be great pets! They tend to be a little anxious about their feet and mouths sometimes, so diligent practice at home is very helpful to the veterinary team. (Of course some chihuahua's could care less and are happy to see us!) From a medical standpoint, I will note that they are prone to significant dental disease. Usually from age 2 or 3 on, they will need a professional, anesthetised dental cleaning with the veterinarian every 9-12 months. The only exceptions I have seen to this are the chihuahuas whose teeth are brushed 4-6 times weekly. If you can commit to that, you can save yourself the frequent dental cleanings. Chihuahua's may be slightly more prone to heart murmurs later in life, though this infrequently causes a problem. Otherwise, they tend to be very healthy, long-lived dogs (I would estimate my average chihuahua patient lives to about 14) and are a great choice! Best wishes to you and your fur family!

Its all really just genetics and also certain breeds tend to live longer than others. Just like in people, disease and life threatening illness can hit at any age in life. Also preventative care medicine can play a huge factor in your pets lifespan as well. So its best to keep up with preventative vaccines, dental care, heartworm and flea prevention. Here is a really neat website that lists all the characteristic traits of dogs, susceptible diseases, and also lifespan averages --> https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Take care : )