sorry if this is a weird question, but inspired by the bulldog posts - what is the worst case of brachycephaly on a dog that you've seen? and how was the dog's breed and general health?
The worst case was a 6 week old frenchie abandoned in a park. The nares were beautiful and open. I don't know about the soft palate, we were too busy dealing with their severe respiratory distress because the trachea was too small to sustain life
And now looking at it, that may be the most normal thoracic spine I've ever seen on a French bulldog.
The second worst is the English bulldog that keeps giving me heart palpitations
I was talking dog breeds with a mutual @thebrokenmechanicalpencil and instead of dming them an unethically long ramble Iām just going to shout into the void. This is very long. Im such a yapper and this is no exception. Iām venting. Thatās what this is. Iām using this as a reason to waste time and research.
Let me have my fun writing a mock essay alright.
If you have any strong opinions to share about this topic as well feel free to read or add to the ramble. And yes, I know Iām not really original for having these opinions.
Onto the main event:
Why I hate pugs. And flat faced dogs and cats.
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*A quick disclaimer*
If by some miracle people other than my mutual actually read this:
This is also not an attack on any particular person or people. Iām not trying to offend anyone. Nor am I saying that we should kill all of these animals or anything. Please do not read this like that. I am a critter lover and honestly thatās why a lot of these things irk me.
While I bring up several facts please donāt forget I am a rando on the internet. And am very capable of being misinformed myself. If there has been a counter study or I do get something wrong, please tell me!
I am not telling you or trying to force my opinion on you. You are your own person and are entitled to your own opinion!
And the most important thing! Be polite! Open minded! And a decent person.
*taps mic* alright, letās get this party started.
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Attractive vs. Unattractive
This whole thing started with me calling pugs an unattractive breed. In fact, I will say most breeds and animals I have on this list I consider unattractive. Thatās our word for the day actually. Iām going to be saying it a lot, sorry. When I say something is unattractive in this particular ramble Iām not saying that they are ugly, bad companions, unappealing or anything of the sort.
Although I will still argue some are ugly (like pugs) but thatās personal preference.
But what makes something attractive or unattractive? Well, in my opinion the best way to explain this is to look at birds and all of their adaptations. They often have physical features, displays, and traits that help females determine how attractive a male is. Which is kinda shallow on the galās part but itās whatever. The quality of these features are what give them this attractiveness. There is a large variety of methods and preferences birds have for these. But what is the one thing they all have in common?
These desirable and attractive attributes or traits are a physical representation of that individual's health and genetic material.
More extreme measures and traits are often referred to as "ornamental handicapsā. Which suggests exactly what you think it does. These are āhandicapsā that the males have to deal with. However, in this case, thatās the whole point. If a male has the right genes, has the extra time, food, and resources to maintain or perform these traits, and is able to survive with the handicap it is a very clear signal to a female that the male is very capable and will produce good offspring.
Now I know you're all thinking, Quibble, we are here for a ramble about dogs and cats not birds. Where are you going with this? Hah, well Iām glad I forced you to ask me that.
Attractiveness, in my opinion, is a word used to describe physical attributes that signify good health and hygiene.
An animal can be cute, aesthetically pleasing, adorable, and dare I say, even beautiful at timesābut by my standards it can still be unattractive. If the animalās quality of life and lifestyle is poor and impaired then that is not an attractive animal.
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We are interrupting this broadcast for a brief message!!!
Quibble vs Imaginary critic!!!
(Aka, the I think Iām funny chronicles continues)
āQuibble, by this definition of attractive, youāre saying that people with disabilities, health issues, illness, or that are not conventionally hygienic are not attractive! Thatās not very woke or open minded of you. And you talked about that in the disclaimer! Are you being a hypocrite?ā
āWell, Iām so glad you asked. And you're right, some people might think that. However, to put it simply: Iām not talking about people. I am talking about animals.ā
āHumans are animals!ā āPets are people too!ā āAnimals have feelings too, you know!ā
āHumans are animals, correct. However we tend to hold ourselves to higher standards than fruit fliesā¦ which are also animals. And is your dog counted in the census? No. Itās not. Pets are legally considered property. Yes, some animals have emotions but they are extremely simple. Humans court differently. Most animals (like dogs and cats) do not consider personality when trying to pass on genes.ā
Thatās all folks, see you next time!
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āSnubā faced dogs and cats: breeds
I know, finally, Iāve gotten to what you're here for. There are some breeds that I will be going over separately because they have additional problems that make them unattractive. Generally speaking, while Iām not going to list every breed this applies to, here are some breeds that fall into the āsnubā face category:
Dogs: Pugs, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs (Frenchies), Boston Terrier, Shih Tzu, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Boxer, Cane Corso, and Bullmastiff.
Cats: Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair, British Shorthair, American Burmese, and Scottish Fold. Itās a bit more tricky with cats because they donāt have as rigid breed standards as dogs. Aka, they have several categories within a breed. Soā¦ they come in ālevelsā of smushed. They actually have fancy terms for it.
There are so many more breeds that fall into the flat face categories. I just donāt want to bore you, but if youāre interested I encourage you to look up some of the others! Not all of these breeds are impacted to the same degree as well!
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Brachycephalic: what is it?
A vocab term?!? Yes, I will be quizzing you when this is over, donāt worry itās open notes. āBrachycephalicā is the fancy term for animals with broad heads and short skulls. So, flat faced, or as youāve probably picked up on by now, my favorite term for it: āsnubā faced.
Itās important to always bring up your counter arguments when making an argumentative essay. Which I guess this qualifies as. Point is, Iām about to go ham on why flat faces are bad. So letās go over the pros really quickly!
Historically: The English Bulldogātheir smushed snout was bred to help support jaw muscles and improve grip. This benefitted their original purpose: Bullbaiting. A popular spot that was outlawed in 1835. Several larger breeds such as the Cane Corso and Bullmastiffāwere bred with a shorter muzzle for increased jaw strength again. However, the purpose was mainly for hunting large game and personal protection. For catsā¦ nothing. There is no reason for us to do this to them.
Aesthetics: This is the most common reason for most smaller breeds with a snub face. Many were bred as companion dogs. Small, low energy, and most importantlyācute. Very cute. Pugs and Frenchies (and pretty much any cat?) are the best examples of this. The large eyes, flat face, small nose, and large round head resemble human infants, which subconsciously most people find cute. I mean, letās be honest, the population would be a lot smaller if our mothers didnāt think we were cute babies.
Vocab??? Again??? Why, of course. My friends, we must be educated. āNeotenyā is technically what itās called when an animal continues to carry its ābabyā features into sexual maturity.
Great, now we have our pros. Two of them. Cute. Strong jaw. Onto our cons.
The first and probably most well known issue with a flat faced animal isā¦ drum roll pleaseā¦ Breathing issues! (This is where you act shocked.) Professionally called āBrachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndromeā or BOAS for short. Which is a bunch of fancy jargon to say āThat dog's mouth is too small.ā Iām a nerd and simply naming this does not satisfy me. You must understand what this means.
There are several factors that contribute to snub faced animals' difficulty breathing. The first is their soft palate (the roof of their mouth) is too long because like every other dog or cat, they are supposed to have a snout. But they donāt, so instead it gets shoved back and creates a flap over the animal's esophagus. This affects both cats and dogs! Which is ironic because Iāve heard dog discourse about it but never feline?
Best not to think about that too hard. Well, actually, you're going to see why. Because the rest of this mostly applies to dogs, specifically smaller breeds.
Some more specific reasons why dogs suffer with difficulty breathing is because of their noses. Something called āStenotic Nares.ā For most small dogs with a flat face they have a small nose in proportion to their head. Often with very small, narrow, or even slit shaped nostrils that allow very little airflow and will even collapse when the dog inhales. Meaning most of these dogs rely heavily on mouth breathing. Which, surprise, that also isnāt easy because their tongues are also too big for their mouth! Which adds another physical obstruction to their airway. And in some cases itās been noted that some dogs have narrower windpipes.
And all of these not only impair breathing but eating and drinking as well! And something that Iāve noticed, outside of show dogs I honestly rarely see a pug that isnāt overweight. I did some searching andā¦ because of the breathing difficulties pugs (along with many other toy breeds) are adverse to long periods of play or particularly harsh exercise. Which on one hand makes them great lap and companion dogs for apartments because they just sit there. But on the other hand this is causing actual medical problems. Obesity and being overweight is not good for anything. But the dog doesnāt want to exercise because of difficulty breathing.
But waitāwhatās this??? Thereās more! My cons list isnāt over yet. I told you I was going ham. Because of their small mouths, many toy breeds with a flat face have dental issues and have to get teeth pulled or have them fall out because they donāt fit. And since they are prone to letting their too-big tongue loll out it causes even more dental issues, which is grand.
And those big baby eyes theyāve got? The ones that make them so cute? Yeah, they cause problems as well. Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome. This causes a long list of problems but for all our sakes Iāll just focus on some of them. Often in toy breeds their eye sockets are too shallow for their eyeballs. Which is why so often they have that bug eye look (that I generally think is ugly.) These bulging eyes means the dog is significantly more likely to injure and damage their eye, which can lead to blindness. It can also mean the dogs struggle to actually blink, which means the center of the cornea dries out.
And the most horrific of them, (get your pen and paper out we have another vocab word) Proptosis. A severe medical emergency where the eyeball shifts out of the socket. And in some cases they have to remove the eye.
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Brachycephalic: final thoughts.
(Heads up, Iāve been trying to keep this pretty relaxed and light but sometimes harsh language and attitude is needed. AND, I do not want these dog breeds wiped out, I just want the standard to change to support an attractive dog)
There is some hope, for both the Pug and French Bulldog there have been several breeders and movements towards breeding a āretroā dog that has much healthier proportions and not a flat face. And honestly, they look like dogs again, which is remarkable. Several influential kennel clubs have shifted their standards and are promoting these healthier dogs. And while itās not world wide yet, a few regions have started shifting the breed standard.
In fact, in 2022, Norway banned the breeding of English bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels because the breed standard was considered a violation of animal welfare laws. Which is a lot of progress.
However, show standards have not budged and are still emphasizing and encouraging the flat face for their show animals. Which, keep in mind, set the standard and ultimately become the face of their breeds. Which, to put it bluntly, is vile and abusive. Genuinely repulsive that the people whose entire job revolves around working with dogs would allow this simply for looks.
Honestly, this whole thing is horrific and disgusting. And everyone say it with me: unattractive. These dogs are undeniably unattractive.
Going back to the birds, those ornamental handicaps we talked about? Remember them? How those handicaps inhibit the birds at most is making it easier for predators to find them, giving them a blind spot, reducing mobility (never too severe) and causing exhaustion from maintenance. In no way do these make it so the bird has a difficult time feeding, breathing, drinking, or exercising.
If an animal struggles to perform the basic necessities of survival without surgical intervention that is justā¦ words fail me. Revolting does not capture the right energy. I cannot express my disdain towards this enough. It is genuinely disturbing to imagine yourself in this situation.
Let alone for a dog who has the cognitive maturity of a three year old to live like that.
āāāāā
Thatās the end for now, Iāve already rambled so much Iām sorry. The worst part is I could honestly go on. There are so many other dog breeds that are suffering because of the standard. As well as other animals suffering because of what humans have bred them into. Whichā¦. Iāll save for another day.
Because I just threw a bunch of info at you and Iāve gotta let you process. And I donāt want to be that annoying.
The squash-nosed breeds like French Bulldogs and English bulldogs are the result of extreme selective breeding in the 1800s, when "dog fancy" became a rich-person hobby in Europe. The more eXtReMe your dog was, the more attention it would garner from the dog show judges.
If you look at the evolution of the English Bulldog, for example, they used to look like this:
They were athletic dogs. They had to be since they were used in the cruel "sport" of bull-baiting (having dogs attack a bull for the amusement of the masses).
The historic French Bulldog were initially runty bulldogs, used for ratting or as pets, who looked like this:
Whereas this poor creature is a champion English bulldog today:
Here is a comparison of bulldog skulls from (left to right) 1910, 1960, and the 1980s:
And this was a breed that ALREADY had been altered wildly and to its detriment by the 1910s!!
Brachycephalic (flat-muzzled) breeds like the modern English bulldog, French bulldog, and pug, were sculpted by intensive selective breeding into something that might delight humans, but which destroyed the dogs' health. Something as simple as breathing can be a struggle. Please watch the video above to learn about the science of "why." Here is comment under the video that caught my eye:
Brachycephalic dogs (especially pugs) are also prone to ocular proptosis . . . meaning their eyes can pop out of their sockets due to their shallow eye sockets and lack of a muzzle.
Please do not support breeding / trendiness of brachycephalic dogs. It is cruel. If you simply must have one, then go to a rescue group.
āBut why do you care so much about flat faced dogs when there are lots of other problems in domestic animals?ā
Listen. Ten years ago when I started practicing as a vet it was uncommon to see a pug. It was quite rare to see a boston terrier or a french bulldog.
There has been years of veterinarians campaigning against the breeding of extreme brachycephalic or āflat facedā dogs and where has that gotten us?
About a third the new puppies coming through the clinic are brachycephalic. This is especially obvious with the influx of covid puppies, but this style of dog and the inherent suffering of brachycephalic airway syndrome has just become more popular.
We harp on about it because it is still a growing problem.
And itās obscene. These dogs sell for multiple thousands of dollars, up to $12,000 for a ārareā color, and people are willing to pay that. Some even take out loans to buy these dogs that breeders say āare healthyā.
Itās ludicrous. These dogs have shortened lifespans, struggle to breathe (sometimes surgery improves it but not always), skin problems, dental problems, heart problems, airway problems, digestive problems, knee problems and often hip problems. There is barely an inch of these dogs that are normal. That is so much preventable suffering.
For some reason people get addicted to these dogs, once theyāve had one, they usually get two or three, usually before they get old enough to really be obvious with their problems.
And breeders do not care, itās too profitable to care. A lot of these pups are coming from places that have 4 or more breeding females, or are being transported in from obscure country locations. They are insanely profitable and small enough to breed in suburbia.
Thereās too much money, too much public demand, and too much suffering. Honestly Iām reaching the point where I would say that breeding these dogs without a minimum length of nose should be illegal.
Because information campaigns havent worked, but we keep harping on about it.
