HEALTH & WELLBEING
chews the fat! From worrying teacup trends to the Veterinary elephant in the room, John Burns dissects the pet industries biggest bugbears...
It’s time to stop viewing pets as fashion statements... When pet ownership collides with the latest fashion, it’s almost always bad news for the animals. And so it is with the latest fad: teacup dogs. The name refers to undersized dogs which are bred to be teacup size and come with an expensive price tag due to their ‘special’ shape. I have several concerns about this: Firstly, fashion is disposable whereas dogs live for a long time. Acquiring a pet should not be part of being fashionable. Unlike a new handbag or pair of shoes, dogs are not commodities. Pet owners would expect a dog to be with them a long time but due to the health problems associated with the teacup breeding process, many dogs have a short and troublesome life.
8 • burnspet.co.uk
Breeding a very small dog from a breed which is already tiny is likely to lead to congenital or genetic defects. From low blood sugar to liver shunts, you only have to conduct a quick Google search to be met with a litany of health problems associated with teacup dogs. Another problem is that trends such as teacup dogs attract corrupt breeders who are more concerned with consumer trends and profit than the welfare of animals. I would advise anyone who is considering purchasing a teacup Chihuahua, Pomeranian or another breed to stop and think twice.
