BRACHY WEEK: frite bite

This is what a healthy dog mouth looks like (well, other than the chip to one canine tooth): clean, no decay, even colouring. Note in particular the spacing - between both the teeth and the ridges in the hard palate (what are called the palatal folds).

Now look at this mouth. Note the rotation of the teeth, the over-crowding, the red-raw infection evident in  the puffiness of the soft tissue around the base of the teeth.This mouth belongs to a three-year-old Pug. After surgery, this dog was sent home by veterinary dentist Fraser Hale without any instructions to brush. His reasoning: "I think this would cause undue respiratory distress (she can hardly breathe without someone poking around in her mouth)."

And how about this one - a 4-yr-old Bulldog? In this case, fur and debris has got caught between the teeth and caused a purulent discharge. This dog's breath would have flattened a warrior.

Even in the more moderate brachycephalics, the palatal folds can trap fur and debris. These pictures are of a 5yr-old Boxer.

This dog also had a problem with his lower incisors - essentially subsumed by infected puffy tissue that had to be drained.

This radiograph shows what a healthy canine jaw looks like.

For comparison, a Boston Terrier jaw. Note the crowding/overlapping.

The inside of this Boston's mouth looked like this.

This is what happens in later life for some - this is a 8yr-old Shih Tzu that ended up having to have 26 teeth extracted.

And another.

Dr Hale says some brachycephalic dogs will escape the worst of this;  also that good dental care can help mitigate some of the problems. But he also says that he has never in his whole 30-year career seen a single normal brachycephalic mouth. 

It's sobering, isn't it?

Brachy mouths are, says Hale, "accordioned". Not entirely sure that's a word - but it's very descriptive.  We have all spent (me included) so much time concentrating on the more obvious repercussions of shortening the muzzle (the breathing, the overheating, the danger to eyes), that we have neglected an area that must surely be a source of chronic, grinding pain for many brachycephalic dogs.  After all, don't we all know how head-bangingly awful it can be to have just one infected tooth?

"It is a myth that dogs don't feel pain the same way we do," says Dr Hale. "They have the same pain thresholds and tolerances as humans. They react and withdraw/defend at the same level of stimulation and have the same physiologic reactions to pain as humans. Research shows that this is true across all categories of pain, including dental pain."

Dr Hale says he frequently gets reports from owners saying that their dogs are much happier and more energetic after rehabilitation of "a sewer mouth". 

"The owners are unaware of how much their animals are suffering until we remove the problem and the improvement is there for them to see. And they smell much better so are more pleasant to be around.

"There is also a growing body of information in both human and veterinary medicine that a chronic source of inflammation anywhere in the body can have negative impacts on many body systems."

I hope people will be shocked by these pictures.  We simply cannot continue inflicting this kind of pathology on dogs simply because we think it's cute. It isn't just the brachcephalics in this case either - many toy breeds (and of course crosses) have terrible teeth, too - awry, infected, impacted or missing.

I blogged about Fraser Hale two years ago (see here), after he had spoken out very strongly about brachycephalics in an article in the Canadian Veterinary Journal. If you haven't read that piece, you can check it out here.

Earlier this year, Dr Hale followed it up with another opinion piece in the Canadian Veterinary Journal - this time addressing the  dilemma vets face when dealing with owners of breeds that are fundamentally physiologically flawed.

Here it is in full.

The Popularity Paradox

by Dr Fraser Hale

We are told that clients do not care how much we know, they want to know how much we care. In other words, being clinically competent and medically honest with our clients it far less important to them than us lavishing praise and affection and treats on their beloved pet. And this puts us all into a serious conflict of interest.

Private practice (even institutional practice) is a popularity contest. Pet owners have a lot of choices and are free to go where they please. If they find a visit to ABC Animal Hospital a cheery and happy experience, they come back. If they find the experience unpleasant in some way, they may just go somewhere else. So imagine this scenario:

Jane and John Doe have been married a year and have just purchased their very first pet, an 8 week old (let’s just pick one) English bulldog. They have had it for a week and are completely in love. They chose this breed because they saw pictures on the internet of some bully pups and videos of bulldogs riding skate boards and bouncing on trampolines. Now they are coming to you, bubbling with pride and enthusiasm, for post-purchase examination and vaccines. They chose your practice because your website features stock images including some of bulldogs, so obviously you love the breed too.

Now, you know that a bulldog is a money pit and will be prone to a host of physical and metabolic maladies, from brachycephalic upper air way issues, to horrible dental/oral anatomy/heath to orthopedic issues, skin-fold dermatitis and gale-force flatulence. Hot weather and exercise could be fatal. As the owner’s source of medical information, you have a moral and professional obligation to inform them of these issues so that they can be prepared to manage them, will know what to look for, will know what to avoid and so forth.

At ABC Animal Hospital, as soon as the Doe’s walk in with Princess Snuffles (PS), the staff start gushing about how adorable she is. During the examination, the DVM similarly expresses shared joy over the puppy and how much she is going to add to the Doe’s life together. Treats and cuddles are lavished on PS. The owners leave feeling thrilled that everyone at ABC also loves PS. But down the road as the problems start to express themselves and the visits become more frequent and expensive, the Doe’s question why you did not warn them of all these problems. Had they known, they would have returned the dog and selected a dog with a healthier build and constitution. Now it is way too late. They are deeply bonded to their fur-lemon.

In another scenario, the Doe’s go to XYZ Veterinary Clinic. After a reserved exchange of pleasantries and “Welcome to our practice” chat, the professional staff starts to evaluate PS. In so doing, they find a number of architectural concerns that are already evident and these are pointed out to the Doe’s. Then follows a list of anticipated problems, including reproductive concerns (did I mention that the Does plan on breeding PS because she is from such good lines and they are looking to make a few dollars besides?). Do you tell this naïve young couple that their precious prized (and expensive) new family member is seriously deformed in ways that are going to have a serious negative impact on its quality of life and longevity? If you spend their first visit going over all of the problems the dog has now, is going to have in the future and what they can expect this will all mean, they might leave your office feeling foolish for making this breed selection choice or angry with you for expressing your obvious disdain for their fur-child. The tone of the visit is negative and they leave feeling badly and thinking that they will not be back to see you because you obviously do not love Princess Snuffles the way they do.

Here is the conflict then. We have a moral and ethical obligation to provide our clients with accurate and valid clinical information and recommendations, including what problems to expect and how to avoid them (preventative medicine). But if we are truly honest about many of the deformed and unthrifty breeds that are so popular these days, we run the risk of alienating our clients and driving them away (to other clinics, Dr. Google or their breeder). So we may be inclined to hold our tongues and sugar-coat our interactions with our clients.

Fraser Hale

KC to register crossbreeds - fur-real this time!

On April 1st this year, I ran a cheeky April Fool  claiming that the KC was to launch a register for crossbreed dogs.

It prompted the usual outcry from the purists who don't want the KC to have anything to do with zee feelthy mungrels. 

As it happens,  I knew at the time that such plans were in the pipeline. Not because I have much inside info. Not because I'm prescient. Because it's a no-brainer.

As I wrote back in April:

• it is important that the Kennel Club is seen as a modern, inclusive organisation, representing all dogs.
• an increasing number of responsible cross-breeders produce health-tested puppies that deserve their support
• pedigree/health-test information for crossbreeds is of clear value to both breeders and buyers.
• an inclusive register detailing a dog's ancestry regardless of breed will be particularly useful in the outcross projects that are necessary in order for some breeds to survive.
• registering crossbreeds will provide an additional revenue stream for the Kennel Club

But then in June, the-then Chairman Steve Dean, who had been leading the march into inclusivity was ousted and Simon Luxmoore replaced as Chairman on a "core values" ticket.

Dean felt strongly that if the KC is to be taken seriously in the modern age it needed to be about all dogs, not just purebred dogs (as in fact is stated in the KC's constitution).

“This has been our stated mission for many years now, and yet some members clearly believe we should narrow the focus of our efforts to purely the registered purebred dog," he wrote in the June issue of the Kennel Club Journal.

This, said Dean, was an "isolationist approach" which would not allow the KC to speak authoritatively on canine issues "unless members are content to limit our remit to speaking only about health and inherited diseases in the pedigree breeds.

“The world of pedigree dogs has a vast array of experience and knowledge that can be used across the spectrum of dog ownership. The practical skills we bring to the table on breeding, genetics, training, socialisation and husbandry are extensive and form an important part of the public debate on dog ownership.

The KC, he felt "should stand up for all dogs whatever their origins."

The stance enraged the diehards who simply don't want the KC to have anything to do with mutts. They even want breeders who produce purebred dogs in non-standard colours to be chucked off the Assured Breeder Scheme.  Dean got the boot.

Many rejoiced - including dinosaur judge Jean Lanning who at the KC's spring AGM had proposed (and won) a motion to review the KC's acceptance/promotion of crossbreeds. (Essentially, she wanted them out; unhappy even about them being registered on the KC's activity register.) Lanning also criticised the acceptance of imported dogs which may contain "alien" blood, and suggested that recent concern about purebred dog health was a veterinary plot.

As reported in DogWorld:

[Lanning] feels that there are many thousands of dogs who on the whole lead pretty healthy lives if they come from good breeders, but she “finds it sad that a very small elite section of the veterinary profession appear to many of us to be far away in remote ivory towers, often advocating that some of our most cherished pure breeds should be crossed out to a different breed.” 

She instanced horses from the Spanish School of Riding and the Chillingham cattle which have been bred for centuries without fresh blood, and mentioned the plight of the wild cat, whose demise is threatened by interbreeding with the feral cat.

I think many thought Dean's departure might spell the death-knell for inclusivity. Certainly, some saw Simon Luxmoore's comments regarding the future as an indication that any plans to register crossbreeds would be put on the back-burner.

But no.

Sense has prevailed and, as DogWorld reveals this week, the issue was discussed at the KC's recent SGM, with the KC view clearly being that the KC must reform.

“If it is to represent all dogs and have credibility with Government and the wider public, the KC must consider the cultural shift and large increase in crossbred dogs over the last few years,” said General Committee member Gerald King. “The issue cannot simply be ignored, especially from a health standpoint. 

“The KC’s outlook should be to ensure it is involved in all aspects of dogs while continuing to strongly promote pedigree dogs.”

This is genuinely good news - and exactly where I would like a modern Kennel Club to be.  I know there are moves afoot for Scandinavian KCs to embrace crossbreed dogs in this way, too.

Equal rights for crossbreeds brings with it the promise of equal voting rights for crossbreed owners/breeders... and that will bring about a paradigm shift within the Kennel Clubs.

It's not that I think the KC is a good thing... it's that I think this move will help it to become a better thing.

The KC's Twitter feed already reflects where it's going.

There will be some who see the KC  taking the crossbreed shilling as a commercial move. And while it is of course that, it is not just that.  The KC knows the writing on the wall otherwise - that it will be seen as increasingly irrelevant  if it doesn't embrace the wider dog population. 

Dog World asked judge Jean Lanning for a comment in response to the news. She professed to being "quite sad" that she had not been invited to any of the working party's meetings or updated on its progress.

“Registration of purebred dogs is dying and entries are falling – all quite likely because of designer dogs,” she said. “It’s time to re-educate the public, tell them that there’s nothing better than a well-bred dog with no health problems. "

No argument with that.

BRACHY WEEK: Olive the Pug

This is Olive. 

Olive was born in 2003 - bred by UK show breeder and judge Dawn Andow. Mrs Andow and her daughter Amanda Ellis breed Pugs (and Frenchies and Brittanys) under the Eastonite affix.  It was an Eastonite pug who sired  George the Pug, who featured in Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

When Olive was three years old, she was diagnosed with entropion, distichiasis (eyelashes that rub the eyes, often causing corneal ulcers) and pigmentary keratitis. To help her, Olive had a medial canthoplasty on both eyes. This corrected the entropion and reduced the size of the palpebral opening (essentially reducing the amount of eye showing - which helps protect the eye from further trauma).

The same year, Olive started to have paroxysmal seizures - no one knows what causes them, but they are a fairly common Pug problem. She has between 1-3 episodes a year.

Two years later, aged 5, Olive began to have problems with her spine due to disc issues.  She suffers from rear-end weakness that has worsened as she has aged.

In 2009, Olive was diagnosed with Grade 3 laryngeal collapse and had surgery to widen her nostrils, resect her soft palate and remove her everted laryngeal saccules.

As the heart-breaking video shows, although surgery helps a lot, BOAS is progressive.

Olive copes with her disabilities with considerable chutzpah... she remains a happy little girl and despite it all, still enjoys a reasonable quality of life. She shares her life with one-eyed Pug Ken - and is greatly loved by her owner, veterinary nurse Kate Price.

The PDE blog: virtual classroom edition

Of course not everyone wants to hear about purebred dog health from a jumped-up journalist with a chip on her shoulder and a grenade in her hand.

So here, for those who like their information in a more... measured manner.. is the Bradshaw + Sargan Show.

John Bradshaw is the author of the very-well received In Defence of Dogs. David Sargan is a gene hunter at Cambridge University who also oversees the BOAS laboratory there.

We interviewed David for Pedigree Dogs Exposed - and he was very gentlemanly indeed when he kindly gave us several hours of our time and it all ended up on the cutting room floor. (He said some great stuff.. it was just that we had interviewed the world and his father and ended up not being able to use every contribution).

The intended audience for this? Not quite sure to be honest... but then I inhabit a world of grabby soundbites. What do *you* think?

8 Things to Avoid When Choosing Your Puppy

© Jon Lane

I sometimes get so bogged down in the detail that I lose sight of the bigger picture.

Tonight... a guest blog by UK gundog trainer and author, Pippa Mattinson - pictured above (centre) with me and my dogs on Salisbury Plain in 2012 when I interviewed her for Dogs Today Magazine.

Pippa wrote the guide below for her excellent Happy Happy Puppy Site and I reproduce it here with her permission. Simple... and to the point.

Dog Breeds – 8 Things to Avoid When Choosing Your Puppy

No-one wants their dog to get sick or be disabled. Here is a simple way to avoid some common structural health problems in your new best friend.

These are important health warning signs that no puppy buyer should ignore.

Sometimes we have to rely on DNA tests to help us choose healthy puppies, but in some cases the potential for health problems is obvious to the naked eye.

Problems you can see for yourself

This article will show you some common structural problems in domestic dogs that are known to cause pain, or suffering, or which are a threat to your dog’s survival.

Problems which you will be able to recognise when you look at an individual dog or in some cases entire breeds of dog

Look at your puppy’s parents

These features may not be so obvious in tiny puppies, so you will need to look at the parents rather than at the puppy itself.

These are structural faults in a dog rather than diseases, but they are inherited. And while they are more likely to be found in pedigree dogs, they may also be present in some crossbreeds.

If the parents of your puppy have any of the following features, beware!

1. Dog breeds with closed nostrils

A dog’s nostrils should be a large open tunnel. The entrance should be almost an O shape.

healthy nostrils

This is an image of a normal healthy nostril.

The problem with closed nostrils

Nostrils are an important part of your dog’s breathing apparatus.

They are also a visual indication or clue, to what is happening inside your dog.

An abnormal or ‘stenotic’ nostril is often connected with other respiratory problems.

Collapsed tracheas and obstructed airways, for example

unhealthy nostrils

This nose belongs to a dog with severely stenotic nares, or closed nostrils.

Not much air is going to get through those openings!

If the parents of your future puppy have nostrils shaped like a crescent or worse like a little crack, my best advice is that you walk away.  Behind that nose lies a whole raft of other problems.

You can read more about the problems associated with compromised respiratory systems here.

2. Dog breeds with bulging eyes

A dog's eyes should be adequately recessed into his skull. This enables the eye to be protected from injury. It also allows the eyelids to close properly.

Can you imagine how uncomfortable it would be if you could not completely close your eyes?

This is what happens to some breeds of dog where breeders have thoughtlessly continued to breed from dogs with bulging eyes.

The eyelids literally cannot meet properly over the eyeball and the dog is doomed to spend his entire life with his eyes partly open.

Bulging eyes can also sometimes pop out of their sockets.  Not a pleasant experience for the dog, and a pretty shocking one for his owner.

3. Dog breeds with long backs

When you choose a dog breed, try to avoid dogs whose backs are much longer than their legs.

compare the leg:body length ratios.

I know, I know, dachshunds are SO cute.

But that cute waddle often comes with a lot of pain.

Compare the pictures to the right. The difference in body/leg proportions between otherwise quite similar breeds is shocking.

A sad comment and photo was posted on social media recently.

A lady put up a picture of her young dachshund, his back swathed in surgical dressings. She was posting, she said, to warn other dachshund owners, not to allow their dogs to jump.

Her dachshund had ruptured two discs jumping off the sofa, had just had surgery, and had a 20% chance of never being able to walk again.

The fact is, it is perfectly safe for a healthy dog to jump on and off a sofa.

The cause of this problem is not the ‘jumping’ but the abnormal structure of the dog.

What is so very wrong about this situation is that we should not in all conscience, be breeding dogs that cannot safely run, jump and swim – these are all natural functions for a dog.

4. Dog breeds with deeply folded skin

Skin folds look kind of cute too don’t they? They give a dog a cuddly look and can make for some very characterful facial expressions.

But here’s the rub.

Skin folds collect dirt and harbour germs.

They also drag the dog’s facial skin downwards leaving the delicate surface of the eye area exposed to dirt and infection.

Common problems associated with deeply folded skin are painful skin-fold dermatitis, and distressing eye infections.

Owners will often have to dip into their wallets to have the skin around their dog’s eyes stitched or tacked, some dogs will even need the equivalent of a facelift.

Excessive skin folds are also associated with collagen disorders which can cause joint problems in puppies and older dogs

5. Dog breeds with corkscrew tails

It is hard to imagine what it must feel like to have your tail grow back into your skin, but this is a problem that occurs in corkscrew tailed dogs like the Bulldog.

And it must be very distressing for the dog.

Not to mention hard to keep clean.

Even more importantly, corkscrew tails are associated with serious spinal problems.

You can read more about those here, but seriously – corkscrew tails – not a good thing!

6. Dog breeds with banana backs

Your dog’s back needs to be fairly level. This isn’t about what I think looks pretty or what you think looks pretty. This is about health.

this GSD is not sitting down…

A slight slope from shoulders to rump (or occasionally the other way) may not be a problem, but anything more is not healthy.

This is because the spine does not exist in isolation.

It connects with the legs at the hips and shoulders and the angles at which all these joints fit together is crucial to the dog’s health.

It’s about mechanics. And we interfere with those mechanics at the dog’s peril.

our dog’s ancestors had fairly level backs

Nature designed the dog’s ancestor (the grey wolf) in exactly the right proportions.

Giving them full freedom of movement and joint health.

Beware any dog who lacks these proportions, where the back is roached or bent, or where the angles between the bones of the leg differ from those of the wolf.

Especially when this is taken to extremes, as are sadly now seen in some lines of German Shepherd dogs.

7. Dog breeds with flat faces

Puppies with flat faces are hugely popular at the moment. But the sad truth is that many have a tough life ahead of them.

every dog deserves & needs a muzzle

You see, a healthy dog relies on the length of its muzzle to house its cooling system and its teeth.

When we shrink dogs faces, we only shrink the bones inside. Everything else that a normal dog has in its muzzle, soft palate, teeth etc, all has to be crammed into a much smaller space to fit in the flat faced dog.

Something has to give.

Flat faced dogs cannot cool themselves, so they don’t run about so much. Not because they lack enthusiasm, but in order to stay alive.

They are liable to fainting, and serious breathing problems where the airway becomes obstructed.

Surgical repairs to the airway are sometimes possible, but will cost you a small mortgage.

You can read more about the issues associated with brachycephaly here.

8. Dog breeds with noisy breathing

not just snuffling. struggling to breathe

This tends to go with the flat face, but noisy breathing is not a good thing!

Dogs should not be snorting, or grunting, gasping, or constantly panting in cool weather.

These are not just noises, they are clear signs of discomfort.

Don’t be influenced by a breeders claims that it is normal for the breed – they are symptoms of ill health.

Normal for the breed?

Some breeders will tell you that bulging eyes, closed nostrils, long backs etc are ‘normal’ for the breed. This may in some cases be true.

But think about that for a moment.

Do you really want to perpetuate a trade in selling dogs whose lives are destined for pain and suffering?

The dog whose body shape you like may be cute, but isn’t he entitled to a happy healthy life?

And do you really want to spend a fortune on veterinary care, only to have to have your dog put to sleep at far too young an age?

Giving your puppy a healthy start

There are so many things in life we cannot control or prevent. But this is something you can influence.  You have a choice here.

Why take on a puppy whose future is so uncertain?

There are many pedigree dog breeds that don’t suffer from these kinds of structural problems.

If you read our reviews on the breed you like, where the breed’s health has been compromised through poor structure, you’ll often find suggestions for alternative breeds.

Do your dog a favour and make sure he at least starts out with a healthy body. You’ll be helping to give dogs a better future too.

How you can help disabled breeds of dog

There are as yet, no laws in the UK governing the kinds of deformities breeders can create in dogs or other animals.

A dog breeder is legally entitled to breed dogs that can’t swim, can’t give birth without surgery, can’t cool themselves, or breath if they run, can’t jump or climb.

He or she can breed dogs that will have a high chance of suffering from agonising brain disease. He can breed dogs that have to sleep sitting up in order to breath, or dogs that may never be able to close their eyes properly.

And he will continue to do so as long as people give him money for his puppies.

No one will stop him. Not the Kennel Club who continue to register his puppies. And not the legal system as no laws exist to protect animals from bad breeding.

It is up to us to change dog breeds

One day the law will change, but until then it is up to us, the puppy buyers to make a stand for the welfare and protection of our dogs.

If you want an adorable pug with his flat face, or a cute dachshund with his stumpy legs, or a bloodhound with his droopy eyes, why not go to a breed rescue. That way, you won’t be encouraging breeders to make more like him.

Let’s say NO to the deliberate breeding of more disabled dogs. In this way we can together, make the future of our pedigree breeds a little brighter

BRACHY WEEK: pugs in the media

...could be your last

This little advert appeared on Asda supermarket's Twitter feed this morning. Of course, the first thing is to be horrified at the suggestion that you should give a dog a mince pie - raisin-toxicity is a thing in dogs and while some dogs seem impervious to them (my vet says she's been throwing her own Labs the raisins from her breakfast muesli for the past 20 years) even a small handful can kill susceptible dogs.

But, boy, when is the advertising industry's love affair with dogs that suffer from being bred with flat faces going to end?

Elsewhere, a quick and sharp social media response orchestrated by Beverley Cuddy at Dogs Today Magazine has succeeded in persuading House of Fraser to remove this little number this morning

Again, the main issue was the suggestion that a puppy is an appropriate Christmas present - not that it featured a Pug.

Pugs are everywhere in the media. It's an unstoppable tide. Here's just 0.00000000001% of the pug ads out there. 

This website thinks it knows why (and no, it isn't a spoof):

PUGS IN HOLLYWOOD – WHY PUGS ARE GREAT FOR ADVERTISING AND ENTERTAINMENT

"The flat nose of pugs never lets them breathe without gasping. They take pleasure in snorting and making funny noises on purpose to amuse people around them and get their attention. Their cute strange sounds bring out adorable feelings from everyone."

It isn't just Pugs - it's Frenchies and Bulldogs too. Seemingly, anything without a face. 

Churchill Insurance bulldog

Now, it would be very difficult indeed to persuade advertisers to stop using these dogs in advertising - they're just too popular. But I reckon you could persuade them to use those with less extreme features - smaller tongues; open nostrils, smaller nose rolls, slim-bodied and squiff-free eyes that show no eye-white by pointing out the problems that come with those features.  More like, say, the Pugs featured in this vintage American advert (not sure of the era.. anyone know?)

Think it's a good idea?  Then I need your help. I am looking for a good name for such a campaign that would encourage the responsible use of brachycephalics in advertising - ideally with an appropriate acronym.  

Please post your suggestions below...

BRACHY WEEK: the pug sequence from PDE - Three Years On

Nowhere near as many people saw the sequel to Pedigree Dogs Exposed, broadcast in 2012, as it aired on BBC Four rather than one of the BBC's main channels.

Here's the Pug sequence. This is actually a slightly longer not-quite-final version of what appeared in the programme, so it contains some extra footage and the commentary is "guide" (i.e. not the final professional recording of it). The graphic doesn't animate either, although you'll get the idea. Apologies to Professor Gerhard Oechtering for the terrible pronunciation of his name - we got it more right in the final version!

#brachyweek