Bulldogs and pugs struggling to reach old age, suggests research
Joe Pinkstone
Sat, May 29, 2021
Pug "Edda", now renamed "Wilma", is pictured in Wuelfrath, western Germany on March 4, 2019. - A decision by German local authorities to impound a pug from an indebted family and hawk it on eBay to pay off their debts is spiralling into a possible case for the courts. The pug named Edda, now renamed "Wilma", was seized by Ahlen local officials from a family which had been unable to pay their debts to the city authorities. A city employee put it on eBay using a private account and sold it for 690 euros, with the proceeds going to city coffers. In the advert, the pug was described as healthy, vaccinated and dewormed, but the buyer said the animal suffers from multiple problems including an eye injury that would require an operation.
(Photo by Guido Kirchner / dpa / AFP) / Germany O ation UT
Bulldogs and pugs, beloved for their flat faces but notorious for their health issues, are the most likely dog breeds to struggle to reach old age, new research suggests.
Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) analysed data from nearly a million dogs in the UK, and assessed how common it was for a dog to be euthanised.
A total of 18 breeds were included in the study, and all were compared to a Labrador. The study, published in Scientific Reports, revealed Rottweilers are 76 per cent more likely to be put down than a lab.
However, the odds of a bulldog or pug being put to sleep are a third and a half as much as a Labrador, respectively.
“We put some ideas and theories forward as to why but it is difficult to be conclusive,” Dr Camilla Peygrem, companion animal epidemiologist at the RVC, and lead author of the study, told The Telegraph.
But one possible explanation is that the small, snorty lap dogs, known as brachycephalic breeds, form particularly strong connections with their owners, which may make it harder for them to put them to sleep.
This is exacerbated, experts say, by the fact any debilitating health issues are easier to overcome for owners than they would be in a larger dog.
“If you have a big dog it is much harder to manage as an owner than if you have a chihuahua,” Dr Daniella Dos Santos, senior vice-president at the British Veterinary Association, and a small animal and exotics vet, who was not involved with the research, told The Telegraph.
“Rottweilers were top of the table for risk of euthanasia, but it is not because it is a Rotty but because it is a bigger dog and owners find it harder to cope as they age.
A French bulldog dressed in tartan stands in front of a stand at the 10th Thailand international Pet Variety Exhibition in Bangkok on March 26, 2021.
(Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)
“If you imagine a dog with a spinal cord disorder, if it needs help moving it is much harder to move a 30kg dog than a 2kg dog.”
Dr O’Neill, a co-author of the study who is also a senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at RVC, and also chair of the Brachycephalic Working Group, said Britain is in the midst of a “flat-faced dog crisis”.
Dr O’Neill adds that ongoing work shows English Bulldogs and pugs have different common causes of death to other breeds, and this may partially explain the statistics.
“The core message here is that English bulldogs and pugs do differ to other breeds in how they typically die, and this is yet another piece of evidence showing how different these extreme flat-faced breeds are to other types of dogs.”
Official figures show that since the year 2000, there has been a 17,198 per cent increase in the number of registered French bulldog puppies, another brachycephalic breed.
Bulldogs and pugs have seen a 488 and 601 per cent increase in popularity in 20 years, respectively.
“The rise in numbers has been influenced by social media and celebrity influence,” Dr Dos Santos said.
“We see flat faces as cute and are normalising bulging eyes and skin creases which need cleaning. We are seeing it as normal to snore and for them to make noises when breathing, but it is not normal at all.
“We should not be normalising obesity and not going for a walk, for example. It is an emotive subject, people have these dogs, they love these dogs and they are cherished family pets.
“But if you love these breeds, you shouldn't get them. As the demand continues there will be unscrupulous breeders exploiting these dogs and it will lead to a health and welfare disaster.
“With the popularity increase, we are seeing these dogs more often, and we as vets are seeing the harsh realities of their health issues.
“We are treating the dogs when they can't breath, when they get heatstroke, and when they lose an eye from a corneal ulcer.
“They are prone to heat stroke and have challenges in breathing, and panting is how dogs release heat. Heat stroke is very serious and can be fatal and is worse in brachycephalic dogs.”
“If you imagine a dog with a spinal cord disorder, if it needs help moving it is much harder to move a 30kg dog than a 2kg dog.”
Dr O’Neill, a co-author of the study who is also a senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at RVC, and also chair of the Brachycephalic Working Group, said Britain is in the midst of a “flat-faced dog crisis”.
Dr O’Neill adds that ongoing work shows English Bulldogs and pugs have different common causes of death to other breeds, and this may partially explain the statistics.
“The core message here is that English bulldogs and pugs do differ to other breeds in how they typically die, and this is yet another piece of evidence showing how different these extreme flat-faced breeds are to other types of dogs.”
Official figures show that since the year 2000, there has been a 17,198 per cent increase in the number of registered French bulldog puppies, another brachycephalic breed.
Bulldogs and pugs have seen a 488 and 601 per cent increase in popularity in 20 years, respectively.
“The rise in numbers has been influenced by social media and celebrity influence,” Dr Dos Santos said.
“We see flat faces as cute and are normalising bulging eyes and skin creases which need cleaning. We are seeing it as normal to snore and for them to make noises when breathing, but it is not normal at all.
“We should not be normalising obesity and not going for a walk, for example. It is an emotive subject, people have these dogs, they love these dogs and they are cherished family pets.
“But if you love these breeds, you shouldn't get them. As the demand continues there will be unscrupulous breeders exploiting these dogs and it will lead to a health and welfare disaster.
“With the popularity increase, we are seeing these dogs more often, and we as vets are seeing the harsh realities of their health issues.
“We are treating the dogs when they can't breath, when they get heatstroke, and when they lose an eye from a corneal ulcer.
“They are prone to heat stroke and have challenges in breathing, and panting is how dogs release heat. Heat stroke is very serious and can be fatal and is worse in brachycephalic dogs.”
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