What to feed a West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terriers are widely known for two things that shape what suits them at the bowl: a tendency towards sensitive skin, which makes some owners choose limited-ingredient or single-protein diets, and a food-motivated terrier temperament that makes portion control genuinely important, since this is a small breed that will happily eat more than it needs given the chance.
The skin reputation, and what it means for food
Westies have a well-known association with sensitive skin, sometimes linked to allergies, and it is a big part of why single-protein and limited-ingredient diets are popular with owners of the breed — narrowing down what a dog eats makes it easier to spot whether food is playing any part in a skin issue at all.
This is general breed knowledge rather than a diagnosis of any individual dog, and plenty of Westies never have a noticeable skin problem in their lives. If your own Westie has an ongoing skin issue, that is worth investigating with a vet directly rather than working through diets on a guess, since food is only one of several possible causes.
A small, sturdy, food-motivated breed
Westies carry more muscle than their size suggests and were bred as working terriers, which gives them a robust appetite relative to their actual food needs. That combination — a small dog with a big interest in food — makes it easy to overfeed through treats and table scraps without meaning to, more so than with a less food-driven breed of the same size.
Measuring food by weight rather than by eye, and counting training treats as part of the day's total rather than extra on top, matters more with a breed this motivated by food than it might for a less food-focused dog.
Choosing a recipe
A single-protein or limited-ingredient dry or wet food is a reasonable starting point for a breed with this reputation, though it is not a requirement for every Westie — plenty do perfectly well on a standard complete diet with no issues at all.
Introduce any new food gradually alongside the old one over a week or so, rather than swapping overnight, and watch how your own dog does on it before deciding it is or is not the right fit. Judge a recipe by how your own Westie's coat, stools and energy look after a few weeks, rather than assuming the breed reputation applies before you have seen any actual sign of it.
Foods that suit this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- Do all Westies have skin problems?
- No. The breed has a well-known association with sensitive skin, which is why limited-ingredient diets are popular among Westie owners, but plenty of individual dogs never show any issue. If your own dog has an ongoing skin problem, that is worth a vet visit rather than assuming it from the breed alone.
- Is a single-protein diet necessary for a Westie?
- Not necessarily, though it is a reasonable starting point given the breed's reputation for sensitivity. Plenty of Westies do well on a standard complete diet with no issues, so it comes down to how your own dog does on a food rather than a rule that applies to every dog of the breed.
- Why do Westies gain weight easily?
- They carry a food-motivated terrier temperament and more muscle than their size suggests, which together make it easy to overfeed through treats without noticing. Weighing food rather than guessing by eye, and counting treats as part of the daily total, helps keep a small, food-driven breed at a healthy weight.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.