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West Highland white terrier or better known as westie, is popular and loved for their white coat. Those little white polar bears are so cute when they come back from groomer, right? Looking at perfect Instagram photos you wonder is it possible to keep them white everyday. Well, yes, of course. Even if the coat is prone to staining and discolouration  As a Westie owner, you need to understand the risks the coat is exposed to and the factors that contribute to staining so that you are able to prevent discolouration and preserve your pet’s bright white coat.
If you want to keep westie fur white as long as possible there are few tricks you can do.

First off all groom your white fur friend daily with a brush. It will keep the outer coat clean and make the coat shiny. The skin secretes oils will spread on the hair while brushing, therefore the coat will stay healthy and shiny. Same effect you get while brushing your hair often, just humans don’t like this shiny effect, but on westie it will look perfect and lets its fur to protect from dirt.

Dry clean your Westie with white-powdered chalk, cornstarch or dry shampoo. Distribute the chalk or shampoo over the dog’s coat with your fingers and gently massage it deep into the fur and brush it out together with absorbed grease, dust and dirt that was gathered in the Westie’s coat. 

Please remember, that despite your wish to have white fur everyday you should bathe your Westie only when really necessary. Use shampoo that is formulated for dogs with white coats. If you bath often westie coat will lose its ability to protect skin from environmental influence. So often bathing will make it even worse not better.

Wipe your westie after drinking water. If the hair under the jaw stays wet, it is prone to bacteria and yeast growth, resulting in discoloration. Provide your Westie with purified water and change it daily. Certain minerals in unfiltered water may cause staining. Use ceramic bowls as metal may accumulate rust, which can stain the dog’s jaw area.
Remove tear stains, which are brown-red and form because Westies experience ocular discharges and the area is continually moist. Please read my article about westie tear stains for more information.
Wash your dog’s feet in soapy water after walkies.
Remember that your Westie’s coat is a reflection of its overall health, so if you do it all right and still notice changes, it is good reason to visit your vet.

To give extra coat protection you can choose to wear coveralls while dirty walkies. Coveralls can be light, linen, cotton, satin, silk in summer or waterproof for rainy days. Waterproof raincoat will keep your westie dry and clean during dirty, rainy, vet, snowy for a walks. Linen coveralls can protect not only from dirt but from ticks and other bugs as well. 

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