Jack Russell Terrier: inherited diseases and health
The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.
Conditions this breed is prone to
Veterinary charities list this breed as more likely than others to get these conditions. Read the signs and what to do:
Luxating patellaJack Russell Terrier and chocolate: how much is dangerous?
Typical adult weight: 5–6 kg. Grams of chocolate at which signs can start (20 mg/kg) and at which severe signs are reported (40 mg/kg):
| Dog weight | Milk | Dark 70–85% | Baking / unsweetened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kg | 50 g signs 100 g severe | 12 g signs 25 g severe | 7.1 g signs 14 g severe |
| 6 kg | 60 g signs 120 g severe | 15 g signs 30 g severe | 8.6 g signs 17 g severe |
Based on published doses: signs from about 20 mg/kg, severe signs from 40 mg/kg (US FDA, Cortinovis & Caloni 2016, Swedish Poison Information Centre). An estimate, not a diagnosis.
Inherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 19
A gene variant is known for 15 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ataxia, cerebellar, KCNJ10-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Ataxia, SETX-related[1] | Nervous system | Probably autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Ataxia, spinocerebellar, CAPN1-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Choroidal hypoplasia, NHEJ1-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Deafness, generic[1] | Hearing / vestibular / ear | Multifactorial | No |
| Degenerative myelopathy[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Familial adenomatous polyposis[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Probably autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Haemophilia B[1] | Haematopoietic system | X-linked recessive | Yes |
| Ichthyosis, TGM1-related[1] | Integument (skin) | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Lens luxation[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Multiple ocular defects[1] | Vision / eye | – | – |
| Muscular dystrophy, Duchenne type[1] | Muscle | X-linked recessive | Yes |
| Myasthenic syndrome, congenital, CHRNE-related[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Myopathy, mitochondrial[1] | Muscle | Mitochondrial | – |
| Myotonia[1] | Muscle | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Severe combined immunodeficiency disease, autosomal, PRKDC-related[1] | Immune system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Tail, short[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| XX difference of sexual development, generic[1] | Reproductive system | Multifactorial | No |
What this list means
- “Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
- Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
- Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
- If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.
About the breed
- Origin
- United Kingdom, Australia
- Height
- 25–30 cm
- Weight
- 5–6 kg
- FCI number
- 345
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Sources
How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages