Pure breeding is causing some anatomical issues for certain pets, resulting in unnecessary distress. Dogs, as we know, come in all shapes and sizes.  Not so much cats, which is just as well because if there was a similar size variation in our domestic felines as in pet dogs, we could have 80kg cats roaming around. Pure breeds apart, our domestic pussy cats are an outbred population which has mixed up genes for generations.  As a result, inherited disorders are rare in the moggy cat. And with modern nutrition and veterinary care, our cats’ longevity is clearly significantly increasing.  

We can’t say the same of our pure-breeds, neither dogs nor cats.  In fact, certainly for the short-nosed (brachycephalic) and short-legged (chrondrodysplastic) the anatomical challenges facing these Pugs, Persians and Dachshunds is getting worse, not better and breeding continues. The Kennel Club, who set breed standards for dogs in the UK, are making some efforts to write healthier breed descriptions in the hope that these improvements will filter down the generations and eventually result in healthier dogs.  It’s going to be a long process. Their task is much more difficult with the unregulated and uncontrolled breeding that has gone on in the past couple of years, driven by record-high puppy prices.

So what is it about Pugs and Persians breeding, that causes so many problems? It centres on the squashing of tongue, larynx, nasal chambers and eyes into too small a skull.  The effect on breathing is obvious. This gets markedly worse with age and obesity, the former inevitable but the latter not so. 

Dogs and cats should not make a noise when they breathe, even ones with short noses! A scoring system has been developed by vets in Cambridge University for the disability suffered by brachycephalic dogs, giving grades from 1 (least severe) to 4 (in need of surgery to restore some quality of life).  By only breeding from dogs with grades 1 and 2, hopefully, the direction of travel for Pugs and others improves and new-style no-snorting future generations result, which is in fact the old-style.  In the meantime, as a profession we need to raise awareness of the disability some short-nosed dogs and cats suffer and offer ways of helping, especially as breeding continues.  Sometimes just widening the nose can make a difference, as it can with human snorers who use those nose-spreading devices.

If the respiratory tract is one Achilles’ heel, the Pug eye is another. Too big to fit into its socket and exposed to the point of not even being covered by eyelids during blinking.  This can be a massive problem as with the tear film not renewing efficiently in the centre of the eye, the cornea dries out. The resulting ulcer can develop over a few hours and many go into melt-down, literally. The “melting ulcer” is not unique to Pugs. But, it is an eye-threatening issue for any animal, especially those with a short nose. 

The process of “melting” is one of self-destruction, caused by enzymes that can destroy and perforate the cornea.  Early and intensive medical treatment can prevent surgery but many eyes are lost or permanently impaired as a result.  Next time your Pug is asleep (hopefully not snoring) have a close look at their eyelids. If you suspect even the slightest gap between them, it’s definitely time for eye lubricant.  Even if you don’t see a gap, it will never do any harm to lubricate anyway.  We can advise you on the best ones to use. Often, waxier preparations are better at night and clear gels by day.

Just like a minor nose job can help breathing, eyelid shaping can work wonders for bulging eyes that refuse to close properly.  All it involves is making the gap between the eyelids smaller, reducing the exposure of the cornea.  Almost every Pug could benefit from this procedure but it rarely happens until an ulcer has developed. By that time, it’s often too late.

I know I’ve focused on one small item, the Pug head. But, it contains enough medical and surgical conditions to fill a textbook.  I shouldn’t overlook anatomical issues in other breeds, some of which can be fixed with surgery, some that shouldn’t be.  Arguably, we need to proactively address a defect that affects an animal’s quality of life or causes a high risk of significant harm. Not just for the individual, but also as a target of genetic improvement in the long term. 

Other ‘defects’ are questionably due to fashion or tradition, such as long tails in working dogs of certain breeds.  The tail docking debate continues within the veterinary profession as it does among breeders and owners. We may never find a resolution to everyone’s satisfaction.  Is there a real difference in doing corrective eyelid surgery on a Pug to prevent an ulcer compared to shortening a working dog’s tail to prevent trauma on a shoot?  Well, as a practice, we think there is. We don’t dock the long feathered tails of Retrievers and they rarely suffer tail injuries as a result of retrieving!  The consensus is now in favour of only shortening tails that have suffered trauma, to help prevent recurrence.  Other forms of cosmetic surgery, such as ear-cropping, are illegal in the UK and rightfully so.  Surgery is a powerful tool and must be used selectively, wisely….and very skillfully.