Brachycephalics

  Continuing our series on The Brachycephalic Issue:   Today Rowena Packer and others have published the following study: Impact of Facial Conformation on Canine Health: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome  (Rowena M. A. Packer, Anke Hendricks, Michael S. Tivers, Charlotte C. Burn; [PLOS] Published: October 28, 2015   DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137496 ).  The study concludes that shorter muzzles are associated with increased risk of health problems (Brachycephalic Airway Sydrome), even within affected breeds and offers a good discussion of practical implications and recommendations.  As you will see at the end of the abstract (below), the authors suggest that "breeding organisations should actively discourage exaggeration of this high-risk conformation in breed standards and the show ring."     Numerous articles on DogWellNet.com outline work that has been ongoing by some of our Partner organizations, e.g. the Breed Specific Instructions program (e.g., Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian Kennel Clubs); Finland Pug Study; work in Germany by the French Bulldog club and efforts by The Kennel Club in the UK, including Breed Watch.  We are in the process of assembling a further catalog of efforts in this area.    IPFD and DogWellNet.com will continue to compile and share resources on/for:

• evidence for the extent, prevalence and severity of issues of health and welfare, 
• efforts - who is doing what, where to address issues, and
• evidence on what is working, challenges and barriers to moving forward.

     

The study by Packer, et al. is timely and important.  DogWellNet.com will be compiling and commenting further on this and similar research, in an effort to continue to assemble evidence pertinent to the Brachycephalic Issue.  

This image, from their study shows not only how they measured but also the extreme variation of muzzle length in 3 breeds.

 

  

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  The attached paper describes a preliminary study done at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of The University of Helsinki  at the request of and in collaboration with The Finnish Pug Club.  The study aimed to determine whether aspects of clinical history and symptoms or other evaluations could differentiate between dogs identified by their owners as 'good' or 'bad' breathers.  It is a small study - 20 Pugs in total - but the findings are interesting and have been used by the Finnish Pug Club and the Finnish Kennel Club (FKK) to inform work on health issues in this breed.  

Developments in Sweden in the fall of 2015 serve to highlight the challenges of addressing health and welfare in 'flat-faced dogs', i.e. The Brachycephalic Issue.  We follow them here, chronologically as they serve to exemplify the problems and, hopefully, to inform others working in this area.    

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In this section we will post links to ongoing efforts to address health and welfare in brachycephalic breeds by IPFD Partners and other stakeholders.  We will include material to support international collaborations.