23 Jan 2023
Vets and other stakeholders are being urged to work together to prevent future generations of dogs suffering health problems associated with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.
Allister Webb
Job Title
The French bulldog is the most popular breed in many countries. Image © Martin Dalsgaard / Pixabay
The WSAVA has warned of an emerging canine welfare crisis because of the dramatic increase in the popularity of brachycephalic dog breeds.
The group’s Hereditary Disease Committee (HDC) has released a new video (available below) highlighting the problems associated with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), as it urged vets and other stakeholders to unite against the problem.
It wants health-focused breeding initiatives to be introduced in a bid to ensure the conditions are not passed on to future generations.
Peter Sandøe, director of the Centre for Companion Animal Welfare at the University of Copenhagen – who features in the video – said: “With French bulldogs now the most popular breed in many countries, and with English bulldogs and pugs also very popular, the number of affected dogs is increasing dramatically.
“Selective breeding for an exaggerated short nose has created dogs whose health, in many cases, is compromised for the sake of perceived ‘cuteness’.
“It is simply unethical to breed dogs which struggle to breathe.”
The committee suggests that, where respiratory function grading screening is not available, a dog should not be used for breeding if it cannot complete a brisk three-minute walk without labouring.
The UK’s Brachycephalic Working Group is reviewing current health testing levels, with a view to making assessments mandatory where take-up levels are too low.
HDC chairperson Jerold Bell said: “Breeders did not purposefully select for dogs with impaired breathing, but there is no doubt that breeding to create dogs with ever-shorter muzzles has created serious health issues in these breeds.
“We hope our video will help educate breeders, owners, and all of those involved in, or influencing, the breeding and care of short-nosed dogs.
“We also hope it will give them useful advice on the steps they can take to help as we work together to resolve a serious welfare issue.
“All dogs deserve to live healthy lives. We must not let them down.”
