Vets Report Increase In Disease Amongst Brachycephalic Dogs

[Sheridan]

I don't object to focus being put on health issues. I do object to pedigree breeders getting the blame for the health issues of dogs bred by BYB and puppyfarms.

Fair enough to say that back yard breeders are scrambling to keep up with the popularity of Pugs, French Bulldogs, etc., and breeding from anything they can get their hands on. This has always led to problems for whichever breed is popular at the time.

I think the point is that the average brachycephalic these days is on the edge of respiratory distress, even those from ethical, registered breeders. And, how many registered breeders are there who don't need routine caesarians for their Bulldogs? How many "average" brachycephalics have skin fold problems? Dental issues? Entropion/ nasal folds rubbing the eyes?

On other threads in Dogzonline, there has been criticism of a trainer holding a Frenchie puppy while it struggled, with a casual statement that you just can't do that with these breeds. Surely, we should not be breeding dogs that are so compromised they can't handle gentle restraint? A colleague used to bring her Frenchie in to work and it was distressing to see the poor thing struggling to breathe in the airconditoned office. It had to sleep sitting up, leaning against the wall of its crate and was constantly woken by the need for air. It was put down when a specialist could do no more for it.

My guess is that that the show quality dogs are usually OK, it is the "pet quality" pups (i.e., the majority of the pups produced) that suffer the worst. If registered breeders really are working to improve the breed, these improvements should be trickling down to the pet quality pups, and they don't seem to be doing this. Although back yard breeders have caused a lot of damage to all sorts of breeds, I think brachycephalic breeders should take some responsibility here.

This photo of a Dogue de Bordeaux "good enough" to compete at Westminster i.e., "better" than the average pet quality dog.

Um, pet dogs are generally from the same litters as show dogs.

[Katdogs]

It was on The Project and now IFLS

http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/researchers-warn-growing-trend-flat-faced-dogs

Every second dog in the inner west is pug, frenchie, Boston or a mix.

[melzawelza]

As a vet nurse, I completely agree with the article. I am sick of seeing dogs that can't breathe properly without airway and/or nostril surgery, or eyes so bulgy they require eye surgery to prevent constant damage and permanent scarring.

Just last week I saw a 2yo Frenchie die from respiratory distress. Owners rushed it into emergency after finding it collapsed. It was a warm day but certainly not hot. Hadn't been exercised or anything. It was a pedigree dog.

I would say at least 50% of our brachy patients are pedigrees and over 90% have severe respiratory issues. Watching them breathe with an ET tube in is heart breaking - it's like they are finally getting enough oxygen and then you have to take it out and they go back to struggling.

I am all for pedigree dogs but I am sick of seeing breeders excuse serious health problems as 'part of the breed'. When a dog's well being is severely compromised, that is not ok. And until breeders wake up and change their ways, stuff like this will keep being published. This article was not written by hard core animal rights activists, it was written by vets and researchers. They have nothing to gain by publishing this article, there is no ulterior motive.

Well said. There is a massive cruelty in the way many of these dogs are currently bred, and it is pedigree dogs that are the problem just as much as backyard dogs.

Edited April 6, 2016 by melzawelza

[Taliecat]

This is one of the main reasons I was steering my MIL away from Frenchies..

It's a pretty sad thing to see

[Redsonic]

Um, pet dogs are generally from the same litters as show dogs.

That was my whole point. Breeders get first pick, and presumably they choose dogs with more open nostrils, nasal folds not rubbing the eyes etc.

The rest of the litter goes out to pet homes and we are seeing problems with these dogs. Registered breeders are producing brachycephalics with problems, it is not all the fault of backyard breeders. The selection pressure towards healthy brachys is obviously weak or non-existent because this is a trend that is worsening, not improving. My picture of the "show quality" Dogue de Bordeaux a case in point.

Edited: spelling mistake

Edited April 5, 2016 by Redsonic

[Kirislin]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/images/persian-cat-health.jpg

Edited April 5, 2016 by Kirislin

[The Spotted Devil]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/images/persian-cat-health.jpg

My favourite breed, the Burmese, which always used to be such an elegant, athletic breed is currently being ruined by the trend for short, snub faces. It's heartbreaking.

[Redsonic]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/images/persian-cat-health.jpg

My favourite breed, the Burmese, which always used to be such an elegant, athletic breed is currently being ruined by the trend for short, snub faces. It's heartbreaking.

Yes, cats are the next species we are going to ruin

[Loving my Oldies]

Well, I did say earlier that I hoped the commercial stations would pick this up (simply because they have a wider audience), but, true to form, they are just giving short bursts and totally avoiding the salient/vital points. :mad

[Steve]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-...-cat-health.jpg

Fact is in Victoria one breed of cat is not able to be bred - The Scottish Fold or more to the point cats with that type of ear. Doesn't matter who breeds them its an offence under cruelty laws. The legislation in that state is already in place and they only have to put a tick in a box to ban some more physical features or add diseases .The only thing stopping them so far is that these breeds are so popular and the public aren't yelling loudly enough yet to have it stopped. Once it reaches the point that tail docking did or puppy farming in the public arena its going to be very hard if not impossible to stop. If all the CCs are going to base their argument omn is "its not us" - no hope.

[Steve]

Well, I did say earlier that I hoped the commercial stations would pick this up (simply because they have a wider audience), but, true to form, they are just giving short bursts and totally avoiding the salient/vital points. :mad

Give it a minute they will pick it up - you will start to see it everywhere.

[Two Best Dogs!]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/images/persian-cat-health.jpg

Its a similar ongoing problem in rabbit show world - the focus on cute dwarves is sometimes at the detriment of their health. Over sized eyes, over rounded heads, lots of peanuts. Nethies in particular are a favourite of mine so it breaks my heart. There has been some movement against it.

(Then similar with the larger breeds bred for size but at detriment of health. Careful selection for stronger hearts and limbs and a balanced body isn't always considered... )

So am glad for even media articles on studies that get the discussion started instead of constant head in the sand and no true Scotsman fallacies as the issues continue. Makes it much harder to ignore.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Thistle the dog

[The Spotted Devil]

not just dogs. I was shocked when I went to a cat show a couple of years ago and saw the tiny tiny nostrils on the persian cats, and the way their eyes are almost lower on their face than their nose. It should be banned.

It's not cute, it's cruel.

http://www.pictures-...-cat-health.jpg

Fact is in Victoria one breed of cat is not able to be bred - The Scottish Fold or more to the point cats with that type of ear. Doesn't matter who breeds them its an offence under cruelty laws. The legislation in that state is already in place and they only have to put a tick in a box to ban some more physical features or add diseases .The only thing stopping them so far is that these breeds are so popular and the public aren't yelling loudly enough yet to have it stopped. Once it reaches the point that tail docking did or puppy farming in the public arena its going to be very hard if not impossible to stop. If all the CCs are going to base their argument omn is "its not us" - no hope.

And that legislation is spot on. They are not a breed that should be perpetuated.

[Steve]

So just based on the general reaction to the news story even here on a purebred dog forum looks like they are going to have an easy job of BSL for welfare reasons doesn't it? Step by step following the plan.

[The Spotted Devil]

I have no issue with animal welfare legislation based on sound science. But then, I'm a scientist. BSL as we currently know it is not based on science but scaremongering.

Code of Practice for the Breeding of Animals with Heritable Defects that Cause Disease: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/pets/domestic-animal-businesses/breeding-and-rearing-businesses/code-of-practice-for-the-breeding-of-animals-with-heritable-defects-that-cause-disease

4. Heritable Disease Groups

Breeding programs must consider the effects and ethics of high risk mating combinations that may, based on the principles of genetic inheritance, in theory produce animals with heritable disease. Where such heritable disease has potential to cause severe welfare issues for affected progeny such breeding programs must be justifiable. Affected progeny must be assessed and humanely destroyed if they suffer.

Such animals must not be used for breeding.

Heritable diseases may be grouped by the manner in which they are inherited:

4.1 Dominant diseases only require one defective gene to be present for the disease to be caused i.e. both the heterozygous and homozygous states for the defective gene each develop the disease. This also includes dominant conditions that can only show partially or some conditions that only show in a particular sex. For example:

Cats

Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Folded ears associated with osteochondrodystrophy (e.g. Scottish Folds).

Aplasia or hypoplasia of long bones (e.g. Munchkin cats or Twisty Cats).

Dogs

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (in those breeds where dominant inheritance has been scientifi cally established).

Hereditary cataract (in those breeds where dominant inheritance has been scientifi cally established).

4.2 Simple recessive diseases that result in severe signs of disease in the homozygous state for the defective gene. For example:

Dogs

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis.

Von Willebrand's Disease type 3.

4.3 Simple recessive diseases that may take years to develop signs of the disease in the homozygous state for the defective gene. For example:

Dogs

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (in those breeds affected by the prcd form, also rcd 1,2,3).

Hereditary Cataract (in breeds where a simple recessive mode has been scientifically established).

4.4 Simple recessive diseases that are sex linked or show weak penetrance and limited expression of the disease resulting in only a few affected individuals.

While the following diseases are not listed in the Schedule of the Act some examples of this grouping are Haemophilia A, X-linked PRA type 1, X-linked PRA type 2 (described in crossbred dogs) and goniodysgenesis as an established risk factor for canine glaucoma.

4.5 Simple recessive diseases that are also dependant on over-riding or modifying genetic effects for full expression, before they pose a threat as a debilitating condition. This includes conditions where the vast majority of genetically affected individuals fail to exhibit the full range of clinical signs unless modifying factors are present – factors that

directly influence the degree to which the disease is ultimately expressed.

For example:

Dogs

Collie Eye Anomaly.

Von Willebrand's Disease type 1 and 2.

4.6 Polygenic disease – where more than one gene is involved and environmental effects can add to the severity of the condition. While the following diseases are not listed in the Schedule of the Act they are examples of diseases in this grouping that have widely divergent signs – canine hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. These are also conditions where simple and/or effective DNA tests are unlikely to be developed.

4.7 Recognised inherited diseases that produce significant potential health risks in small numbers of affected individuals, but where there is no advance warning mechanism offered through the early onset of signs or the availability of a reliable genetic test, to be able to predict the development of debilitating disease in later life. For example:

Dogs

Hereditary Cataract (where late onset is characteristic of the condition).

Edited April 6, 2016 by The Spotted Devil

[Jed]

I am not surprised about the news that some brachy dogs have issues. French bulldogs, bostons, pugs are now the flavour of the month, and some of the people who are breeding them have no idea what a standard is, never mind how to read or understand it, so they are breeding with dogs with problems, and carrying on with the problems. If you breed two dogs with tiny nostrils, you exacerbate the problem.

And these days, there are people with no understanding of conformation or problems.

I have a nice stud dog with a long soft palate -- he has never been in trouble from it, and he has some other desirable attributes, so I will keep using him -- but I ensure that I have my bitch pups examined by a vet, and never breed with any with long palates. Sensible, yes? But not everyone knows how to prevent problems, or even what the problem is. Puppy buyers would never know, so who cares? ME - I care. Because of the good of the dog, and because every buyer is entitled to a dog as healthy as I can made it.

I think the majority of purebred dogs are healthy with no problems - but some are not.

I have no idea how to fix this - and indeed I think dogs are pretty well done anyhow, they will soon be banned; or people like Paul McGreevy will be overseeing breeding programs, which is the same thing.

But I think if only people who had a passion for their breed and integrity bred dogs, they would do well.

In years past, things went wrong, but were put right within a few years. This may happen again, but there are now many people who know too much to accept help from experienced breeders.

Edited to say : If I sell a pup which is not a Crufts prospect, but who has a lovely nature and is healthy, his owners are very happy, and when he dies in his teens, they are still happy. I will sacrifice outstanding show successes for health - but try to get both. Indeed it is pleasing to see one from a litter 6 months ago with 50 points in the hands of a new owner who had never even been to a show.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Jed

[Katdogs]

I can't spot the actual quote now but somewhere above is a comment that perhaps people are buying these dogs because they don't need much exercise. I've been thinking about that. I've spoken to a few people who have shown pug or frenchie (and crosses like the jack Russell x pug) and the reason is more that they're 'cute' and 'safe for the kids'. Safe means that although they play they aren't strong enough to knock a kid over and 'they can't bite'. They're also perceived as not as yappy and don't need as much grooming as the oodles.

Can't they bite? How do they eat bones etc?

[The Spotted Devil]

As a rule Pugs moult as badly as my Dalmatian....sooo many people don't get that. The babyish features seem to attract people too - similar to Spaniels.

[dog_fan]

Maybe breeders need to be seen to be breeding away from these undesirable and unhealthy problems.

If this is not done then these dogs will be legislated against.

[*kirty*]

Jed I respectfully disagree with your comments. Many of the breeders I have seen are considered top breeders with show winning dogs. Unfortunately many show breeders are still breeding dogs to win in the ring, ignoring health concerns, despite what claiming otherwise.