Letter from Linda Saich, Cairn Terrier Health and Welfare Breed Health Co-ordinator 

Hello to everyone that breeds and owns or loves our beautiful breed the Cairn Terrier.

I would like to introduce myself – I am Linda Saich and I am the Breed Health Co-ordinator working alongside The Royal Kennel Club for understanding and sourcing health issues within our breed and what we need to do to improve their health.

How are we going to do this? – We will use the information gathered from Owners and Breeders to see the areas that we need to seek help with to improve the Health of our Breed.

The newly formed “Cairn Terrier Health and Welfare Group” which has come about because of the necessity to help ALL Breeders that plan to have litters to Understand and Participate in DOING the Health Tests required for our much-Loved Cairns – not just NOW but for the FUTURE as well.

I will be working alongside volunteers from the Six Cairn Breed Clubs in the newly formed “Cairn Terrier Health and Welfare Group” to work at gathering information from YOU the people that own this lovely breed on the things that your past Cairns have had and NOW any issues/problems your present Cairns have that you Own.

We are hoping to put out to all the Cairn Facebook groups a Health Information sheet to be filled in and especially asking for Veterinary Identified Health problems that are affecting our lovely breed.  This information will with the help of the Royal Kennel Club and the British Veterinary Association move us forward to Healthier Cairns.

“CAIRN TERRIER HEALTH AND WELFARE GROUP” has been formed so that the UK as the Founder of Cairn Terriers are actually going to do our BEST to Catch Up with Cairn Breed Clubs & Cairn Charities/Organisations in Europe/USA/AUSTRALIA who are doing their Best to Raise Funds to go to their Investigating Universities to get DNA tests for Liver Shunts and Ocular Melanosis etc.

They are doing brilliantly getting closer & closer – they have raised thousands of pounds but what has the UK done? – Nothing to help – we are the Founding Nation of this Breed – We need to start Now to gather money for these vital DNA Tests.

PLEASE if you feel this is important and you want to show your support for testing please contact one of the following :

cairnhw@yahoo.com  or linda.saich@yahoo.co.uk or

cairnterrierhealthwelfaregroup@yahoo.com

Thank you,

Linda

August 2025

The Cairn Terrier is generally a robust and healthy breed, but dogs, like humans, do inevitably sometimes suffer from ill health. 

What the Health Group does:

The Cairn Terrier Health Group (CTHG) monitors the wellbeing of the breed by collecting and storing information on any diagnosed cases that occur throughout the full life of Cairn Terriers in the UK. 

This is the only way to try and ensure the future health of our wonderful breed. 

What can you do to help us:

 It is therefore very important that owners report any health issues to our data collection. 

We would also appreciate if you could forward any veterinary reports regarding any conditions that your dog has together with the pedigree to our co-ordinator.

What we can do to help you:

Advice from the CTHG is always at hand, either via email or by telephone, but don’t forget to also contact the breeder of your Cairn – he or she will no doubt want to be informed and offer support. 

The Best Little Pal:

The Cairn Terrier Health Group wishes you many Happy and Healthy years with your new friend and please don’t forget to keep us informed! 

Contact details: 

Margaret Shopland – Chairperson/Secretary: Tel: 07881 702210  Email: cairnhw@yahoo.com

Chris Roberts – Treasurer; Tel: 01283 712498 Email: cthealthgroup@aol.com

Linda Saich – Co-ordinator & Assistant Secretary: Tel: 01638 721880  Email: linda.saich@yahoo.co.uk     

Karen Saich – Committee member: