A new study by British veterinarians on a classic British dogthe English bulldog, proposes that the breeding of this breed be modified based on the welfare of these animals. Or directly let him be raised. The reason is that, sometimes, specialized establishments select certain specific specimens over and over again to “orient” alreadyemphasize the development of certain physical characteristics of the animals. But these can end up being negative for your health and well-being, even if they respond in detail to the artificial “parameters” that supposedly define the “purity” of the race.
In an article published in the scientific journal “Canine Medicine and Genetics” it is detailed that the copies of the English bulldog face a higher risk of various respiratory, eye and skin conditions. And the cause is their extreme physical characteristics genetically “patterned” through directed breeding, including dogs with shorter snouts, more folds in their skin, and an increasingly chubby and overweight body.
To get to these results, Those responsible for the paper analyzed a database that gathers reports from veterinarians on more than 905,000 specimens of all breeds. From that information they compared the health problems of 2,662 examples of bulldogs with that of another 22,039 dogs of all breeds. And they looked for the frequency of 43 common diseases in dogs, including dermatitis, heart murmurs, respiratory and eye conditions.
What they found is that the British bulldog is twice as likely as other dogs to be diagnosed with at least one disorder. The breed shows greater predisposition for 24 of the 43 diseases, that is, for more than 50% of the pathologies analyzed. In fact, they are twice as likely as other dogs to be diagnosed with at least one of the disorders tested, including skin fold dermatitis, eye and respiratory problems.
How did this come about? Basically over the last 150 years this dog has been selected by its breeders to be less aggressive -until 1835 it was used in “sports” and exhibitions such as fighting against bulls– and at the same time, to change his physical appearance, both facial (a flatter snout was sought) and more pronounced facial wrinkles. A thicker body and shorter legs were also favored. In summary, today the English bulldog has a life expectancy ranging from eight to ten years, a figure much lower than that of many other breeds.
GENERAL PROBLEM. what happens with the bulldog is not a problem limited to this breed but the “aesthetic” or fashion trends in “desired” canine shapes and traits that put artificial pressure on genetic selection, it is something quite generalized in a good number of types of dogs. In fact, in many breeds certain tendencies are being verified that cause health and well-being problems. Something that consumers and future dog owners themselves can help change.
