7 minute read
Pets
Brachycephalic breeds and health
by Lynn Broom Longmead Veterinary Practice
Brachycephaly means ‘short’ (brachy) ‘head (cephaly). Brachycephalic breeds typically have a short muzzle with an upper jaw shorter than the lower jaw. These features have been bred for over generations to give an appearance which varies significantly from wolves and wild dogs. Brachycephalic breeds include bulldogs and pugs.
If these features are bred to excess then significant health issues can be present. The teeth and soft tissue are the same in a long-nosed breed as in a short-nosed breed but the underlying bony support is missing and this leads to problems. The teeth are often displaced and baby teeth are commonly retained. Displaced teeth can cause injury to the inside of the mouth leading to pain and infections and affected teeth may need removing.
The soft tissue inside the mouth hangs loose when the skull is short and this leads to abnormal air movement and the typical snoring sounds. The dog finds it harder to inhale air leading to reduced ability to exercise, heat intolerance and secondary problems of tracheal collapse and inhalation pneumonia. During exercise or hot conditions this can lead to collapse and death.
Surgery can improve these symptoms but, once tracheal collapse and pneumonia has developed, permanent damage will have occurred and the benefits of surgery will be significantly reduced. Affected dogs often have narrowed nostrils which further reduce air flow leading to additional difficulties with breathing and this can also be surgically corrected.
Eye problems are also common in brachycephalic breeds due to the shallow eye sockets leaving more of the eye exposed and the shorter muzzle provides less protection from trauma. Commonly these eyes suffer recurrent low-level injuries leading to reduced sensation allowing significant ulcers to develop before discomfort is noted. Chronic ulcers of affected eyes are difficult to heal, often need surgery and may lead to the loss of the eye.
As seen on the inside of the mouth the skin on the face is the same volume as in a longer muzzled dog but has less space for attachment leading to the
Some English Bulldogs can be prone to health problems because of their physical characteristics. PHOTO: Olga Oginskaya/ Pixabay
formation of skin folds which are prone to fungal and bacterial infections and eyelid abnormalities, all of which commonly cause pain.
In addition to the facial problems, brachycephalic breeds commonly have spinal deformities. The corkscrew tail is an abnormal spinal formation and this often leads to skin infections around the base of the tail and may cause difficulties with defecating. Spinal issues further up the back are common and can lead to mobility issues later on.
While many of the facial defects can be surgically improved it would be preferable for the dogs welfare not to be bred like this in the first place. Many of these breeds can be healthier if they are not bred to have extreme features.
To acquire a pet which is healthy and pain free it is important to choose a reputable breeder who does not breed for the extremes. Viewing the parents will allow you to choose a puppy with moderate changes who has a better chance of leading a long and healthy life.
MUCKY PUPS DOG GROOMER Friars Moor Sturminster Newton Contact Gloria 07784332682 muckypupsfrance@yahoo.com http://muckypups-bee-online.com 15 years experience in dog grooming
Companions at Peace Pet Cremation
Independent family run business offering a very personal, caring pet cremation service to bereaved pet owners. Collection Service Farewell Room Out of Hours Service provided Located in a rural countryside setting on the Somerset Dorset border
BLACK LAB PUPPIES, bitches and dogs, family pet/working parents. Pedigree KC reg. Ready now. £1750. On hols this summer? We’ll help. 01747 840144
BEAUTIFUL TRUE PARSON RUSSELL TERRIER Puppies for sale. £1,000 each Array different colours. We have 1 bitch and 4 boys. Vaccinations/microchip/ worming/flea treatments all done. Ready to go now. All puppies can be seen at our family home with mum. Call Mark on 07774 189013 to arrange viewing.
COCKER SPANIEL PUPPY 10 wks old black and white microchip and jab due to time wasters - 01963 458199
4 BORDER TERRIER DOG
puppies,microchipped,vet checked,1st vaccination,both parents owned by us,4 star licensed breeder.bournemouth. £1,000 Tel: 07976 904175 KOI CARP for sale 12” £40 each 07745 898265
FOR SALE PEDIGREE BLACK LABRADOR puppies. Champion bred, KC registered. 07554 426744
PRETTY GINGER AND WHITE KITTENS litter trained £75 01747 830484
BEAUTIFUL PURE BRED BRITISH SHORT HAIRED KITTENS for sale Tel 07799 296502
AMAZON PARROT 9 months old - just started talking - with cage and toys etc. Tel 07480 411246
COCKER SPANIEL PUPPIES, KC registered. AMS, FN and prcd-PRA clear. Many FTW and FTCh in pedigree. Parents lovely temperaments. Ready 3rd Aug. 01747 850410
CAN YOU BE A FOREVER HOME?
These are just some of the cats the Blandford & Sturminster Newton branch of Cats Protection has looking for new homes.
Hattie, Simba and Nero (eight months). Trio looking for an understanding home together. Do you have the space, time and patience for these three?
Felix (13) and Patch (ten). Timid pair who need a home together. Pebbles (eight months). An in-your-face very loving girl, still learning boundaries. Stanley (one). Lovely boy looking for a home to call his own.
Kittens
We have kittens available soon. If you would like to register interest, please visit our website and fill in the enquiry form – www.cats.org.uk/blandford Please do not ring as we are all volunteers and can’t always answer the phone. Thank you.
For details, please call our helpline on 01258 858644 or visit our website, www.cats.org.uk/blandford
Lost cats
If you have lost a cat please contact us via our website, phone or Facebook. Please make sure we have a contact phone number so we can get in touch
with you quickly if needed. n Tabby male, missing from West Moors since June 17. n Black and white female, missing from Bryanston since June 13. n Distinctive Birman/Siamese cross missing from Ringwood since June 17.
Found cats
If you are regularly seeing a cat in your garden or down your street which you don’t think has a home, please give us a call – it might be a lost cat which could be reunited with its owner. n Bishops Caundle, black and white with a black splodge on its nose.
We are still offering neutering and micro-chipping for £5 in postcode areas DT10 and DT11 SP7, SP8 and BH21. Phone 01258 268695. BEHAVIOUR TIPS
Tip #18: Fussy eaters (part 1)
by Helen Taylor
Unless there is a medical factor that is affecting a dog’s appetite or ability to eat – and this must always be ruled out – ‘fussiness’ is a problem almost completely created by owners.
The following often work together to cause healthy dogs to be fussy: 1 – Being overweight. Well over 50 per cent of pet dogs are now overweight or obese. Unlike humans – who may eat for reasons other than need – having fat stores greatly reduce an animal’s drive to eat. 2 – Offering alternatives if the dog does not eat what is offered. No healthy animal will starve itself. But some dogs will learn that, if they refuse what is offered, they will eventually be offered something more desirable. 3 – Giving food ‘for nothing’. Not having to work for food is a highly unnatural state for dogs, and is a totally human invention. Like human attitudes to money, dogs which earn their food appreciate it much more than those which get it handed to them ‘on a plate’. 4 – Leaving food down. Like children, dogs which pick at their food through the day, will often not eat their dinner. Next time, how to apply this practically.
Helen Taylor is a qualified, accredited behaviourist, a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist, a Registered Practitioner with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council and is a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (no 881). help@helentaylordorset.co.uk www.helentaylordorset.co.uk
MID DORSET CATS PROTECTION
Loving homes needed for cats and kittens in our care.
