• Protein-Losing Nephropathy means an excessive amount of proteins and plasma is lost through the kidney. Symptoms include weight loss, swelling of the legs or abdomen, diarrhea, increased urination and thirst, labored breathing, and kidney failure. Usually dogs with Protein-Losing Nephropathy have increased serum creatinine and urea nitrogen, as well as anemia, high cholesterol, and increased phosphorous. There's no cure, but the condition can be managed through medications and diet.
• Protein-Losing Enteropathy (PLE) is characterized by the loss of an excessive amount of proteins and plasma through the gastrointestinal tract. Signs include weight loss, swelling of the legs or abdomen, diarrhea, increased urination, increased thirst, and labored breathing. Usually dogs with PLE have low levels of cholesterol, albumin, and globulin. There's no cure for PLE, but the condition can be managed with medication and diet.
• Addison's Disease, also known as hypoadrenocorticism, is a serious condition caused by insufficient production of adrenal hormones. Most dogs with Addison's disease vomit, have a poor appetite, and have little energy. Because these signs are vague and can be mistaken for other conditions, it's easy to miss this disease until it reaches more advanced stages. More severe signs occur when a dog is stressed or when potassium levels become high enough to interfere with heart function, causing shock and death. If your vet suspects Addison's, she may perform a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis.
• Renal Dysplasia (RD) involves abnormal development of the kidney, and can result in early renal failure. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier has a known inherited basis for RD. Signs include increased water consumption and urination, poor appetite, vomiting, and sometimes, frequent urinary tract infections.

In Wheatens, you should expect to see the results of annual blood and urine tests for kidney function and abnormalities associated with protein-losing nephropathy, protein-losing enteropathy, renal dysplasia, and Addison's disease and certification from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) that the eyes are normal.

Because some health problems don't appear until a dog reaches full maturity, health clearances aren't issued to dogs younger than 2 years old. Look for a breeder who doesn't breed her dogs until they're two or three years old.

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