English Bulldog's health problems

[robert99]

English Bulldog health problems prompt cross-breeding call - BBC News
Due to centuries of selective breeding for physical traits, the Bulldog has become so inbred it cannot be returned to health without an infusion of new bloodlines, a genetic study suggests.

... the dogs suffer from a variety of health issues due to centuries of selective breeding. For example the Bulldog's distinctive short face and snout (known as brachycephaly) has led to breathing difficulties, which are the leading cause of ill-health and mortality in the breed. Skin allergies (which can cause considerable discomfort) and mobility problems are also common - as are reproductive issues.

Females tend to have a narrow pelvis, meaning litters often have to be born through C-section. And breathing problems mean the males often have trouble sustaining intercourse.

 

[Mischief]

Yeah, they are one of the breeds that have been most screwed up by breeding for specific looks without regard to health.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I saw a pug in the vet the other day and it was having so much trouble breathing, it was horrible. The owner was having a discussion with another pug owner about the dogs they had bought from breeders and how many of them had those type of health problems.

 

[shyvas]

I didn't realise that these health issues were due to breeding. Perhaps the vast majority of people buy this breed of dog without knowing this.
My cousin has a French bulldog and the poor mite has numerous skin problems.

 

[robert99]

Anonymous vet speaks out about certain dog breeds
Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out – even if it’s bad for business | Anonymous
I still remember when I was introduced to the concept of a “brachycephalic” (squashed-nosed) dog as a veterinary student. We were having our first anatomy lectures on the skull and the lecturer put up various slides (yes, slides – that’s how long ago I trained to be a vet) showing x-ray images of dogs’ heads. Various different-sized ones went up – a collie, a jack russell, a beagle and then suddenly an extraordinary image of a skull with a crushed nose and distended forehead. “What is wrong with this patient?” our lecturer asked. “Has it been hit by a car?” The students responded. “Has it been kicked? Is there a birth defect?” None of these was right, of course, because the lecturer had been waiting to give his punchline. “You are all wrong. It’s just a pug”.

Vets in general practice simply cannot afford to be honest and to speak out. You would be hard-pushed to find a general practitioner who likes the concept of a brachycephalic dog but you would be equally hard-pushed to find one being openly critical of them because this would put their livelihood on the line.

So I am delighted that the BVA has come out with its headline-grabbing advice – at last we can talk about the subject a bit more openly (although not openly enough for me to put my name to this column).
(DONT BUY ONE!)

 

[Mischief]

The cat breeds with the squashed faces have the same problems.

Major hip and back issues have been bred into German Shepherds because people like the look of the sloped back.

Collies have been bred to accentuate a long, narrow snout to the extent that they have breathing and other problems of their own.

Crested ducks and chickens have a crest of feathers because they have a skull deformity; there's a gap in their skull which is covered by a pad of fat, giving rise to the crest. They have an incredibly high rate of mortality as chicks, and they die from the slightest head trauma.

All bred for consciously by humans, to produce a certain "look."

Anyone who knows anything about animals is well aware of these things, but most people simply don't care.