Irish Terriers need a necessarily balanced diet, which will be saturated with all the necessary vitamins. If you want to feed your dog with natural products, the diet should include meat, meat offal, cereals, fermented milk products, vegetables, fruits, sea fish cleaned from bones. It is also desirable to have a vitamin-mineral complex. If you want to feed your dog with dry food, it must be no lower than premium grade, and also make sure that the dog always has water. In no case do not mix food with natural products, this can put a lot of strain on the Irish Terriers liver.
The wiry coat of this breed is fairly easy to groom, and pet dogs (rather than show dogs) need stripping only once or twice a year. When groomed properly, the Irish Terrier coat will protect the dog from rain and cold. A properly cared-for Irish Terrier does not shed either. The coat must be stripped by hand or a non-cutting knife to retain its weather-resistant qualities. This does not hurt the dog when done properly. Keeping the skin above the stripped section taut with the other hand helps especially where the skin is looser, i.e. belly and chest. Never cut the coat; use your fingers or a non-cutting knife. If the coat is clipped, it loses color and becomes softer, thus losing its weather-resistant characteristics. For the same reason, the coat should not be washed too often, as detergents take away the natural skin oils. Most Irish terriers only need washing when dirty. When stripping, the coat may be "taken down" entirely to leave the dog in the undercoat until a new coat grows in. For a pet, this should be done at least twice a year. Cut the nails of your pet once every 10 days and do not forget about the hygiene of the ears, which must be cleaned with a special lotion at least 3 times a week. Be sure to wipe their eyes with a wet cotton pad, and also brush your dog's teeth with a special paste or treats.
In general, representatives of this breed have good health, but there is still a list of possible diseases that your Irish Terriers can suffer from:
Hip dysplasia.
Dysplasia of the elbow joint.
Hypothyroidism.
Von Willebrand's disease.
Thrombopathy.
Diseases related to the eyes.
In any case, do not neglect the health of your Irish Terriers and always consult a veterinarian if you feel that something is wrong.
