Pugs are universally loved and instantly recognizable; yet their iconic face may be the reason for many of their health issues. Courtesy of Charles
Dogs unite and bring joy like little else can. The sight of their cute noses snuggling up to us can make us feel better and melt even the steeliest of hearts, yet their little snouts may be one of the biggest problems hounding the health of our furry family members.
Pugs are one of the most instantly recognizable dog breeds in the world because of their flat snouts. Like other dogs with flat snouts, pugs are known as brachycephalic and suffer from numerous breathing complications. One of the most fatal of these complications is brachycephalic syndrome and occurs during times when a dog overexerts itself due to excess activity or heat and is not able to oxygenate its blood in time, leading to death.
Most people think that susceptibility to this disease depends on breed, however research published in 2015 by a team from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK suggests otherwise. The researchers looked at 700 dogs of varying breeds and found that the risk of these dogs suffering from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome increased very quickly for dogs with shorter snouts. In the study, no dog whose snout was at least half the size of its head was affected with breathing issues, while 80% of the dogs whose snout was less than a tenth of the size of their head suffered. The research seems to present definitive evidence for the added health risks for flat faced dogs, yet the number of pet owners that buy these breeds increase daily.
Note the differences in how the snout portrudes in the breeds of dog pictured above. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The shape of an organism is hugely important in the wild. Species live and die based on how well their adaptation suits their environment. However, dog breeds are unique. Due to our close relationship with the species, new dog breeds are usually the result of artificial breeding. Short snouts are specifically bred for in dogs because some people love how it looks. While individuals are certainly within their rights to choose to adopt a dog whose aesthetic they like, it seems cruel to subject a living animal to a lower quality of life in order to preserve their look. As the demand for these cute animals increases, unethical or unqualified breeders are pushing these genetic lines to the extreme in order to provide a product that they think consumers want.
For a solution to this issue to be effective it must change some of our fundamental buying behaviours. We cannot let the idea of genetics being a product completely overrule the idea of a dog as a living, breathing organism with rights. Dogs provide us with unconditional love and companionship, the least that we could do for them is make sure that they can breathe properly.
Finally, I have attached a link for owners of dogs with flat faces with helpful videos to help you identify abnormal noises in times of exertion from your dog.
Cambridge University Department of Veterinary Medicine
– Souvik Maiti
