I have had 6 scotties.
My first two both died of cancer. One had bladder cancer at age 6 and the other had melanoma which spread throughout her body at age 9.
The four scotties I have now are all from a breeder in Idaho…nice clean air. Two are ages 10 and 8 and are former breeding females. Both are a bit overweight, but otherwise healthy. Two are puppies born about two weeks apart from different mothers.
For all four dogs, we have done several things. I no longer have a lawn and therefore no lawn pesticides. Other pesticides are used sparingly and away from the areas that the dogs inhabit.
My issue is with walks. Pesticides are washed into the streets in large amounts. The scotties walk through it no matter what you do. Ours are kept from drinking gutter water. They are not allowed on anyone’s lawn. Most importantly, when we reach home all go into the bathroom and they individually have their paws washed. I am convinced that the habit of scotties licking their paws is a mechanism to concentrate and ingest pesticides.
I am hopeful all of our girls make it to at least 12 years. We shall see.
Thank you Steve for sharing this. I only clean my boys feet after muddy walks, but having read this, and particularly as most of our walks are across farm land(!!!), I shall certainly start cleaning them after each walk! Thanks again.
Scottish Terrier Health Network 
I started washing salt from Duncan’s feet this winter but will now start doing after all walks.Thanks Steve
Yep! It’s something I’m going to do all the time now. You just don’t know what’s been washed onto the streets, or onto the fields. I’ll certainly take more care from now on.
We have lots of grass but when the neighbor sprayed for weeds I but up a plastic barrier along our fence and keep the dogs in till he was done. Now we don’t even mulch because our two younger boys like to eat it and I don’t know what’s in it
Isn’t it frightening the things we humans take for granted ‘cos they don’t affect us. Since starting this Network, it’s made me very conscious of nearly everything but it should have been something I looked into right at the beginning of my life with Scotties. But I’m Making A Difference now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts – much appreciated.
No lawn anywhere around here and yet, my Scotties both managed to pick up something that made them very sick this year. The only dog walk area around our building is full of mulch and when I inquired about a list of pesticides or any other products the landscaping team may use around that area, I never got a response. Looking forward to a time where we own our own place and have complete control of the products used in and around our home.