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19th March 2019
02:29pm GMT
Stroll around any city of late and chances are you'll spot more than a few French Bulldogs and Pugs. The rise of popularity in these breeds of dogs has surged in the last few years, but vets are now warning people to think twice before buying one.
As reported in The Guardian, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has launched a campaign to raise awareness on the problems that these "squash faced" breeds face.
Dogs with these squash faces - known as brachycephalic - are particularly vulnerable to health related issues including breathing difficulties, dental problems, and skin and eye disease due to unethical breeding in an attempt to get the wide-set eye and flat nose traits.
John Fishwick, president of the BVA said:
“They are lovely breeds of dog, they are very friendly and they make good pets".
“The problem is a lot of them are really struggling, and we really want to make sure people understand this and encourage them to think about either going for another breed or a healthier version of these breeds – ones which have been bred to have a longer snout … or possibly even cross breeds."
Owners were warned of the potential problems that could arise and to always buy from a reputable breeder if insistent on a particular breed and that "they need to be aware of both the emotional and financial hardship that they could be putting themselves and their dogs through for potentially five to 10 years.”
We say that if you're really ready to own a dog, take a visit to your local shelter and give one of the pups there a much needed loving home instead.
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