• Having positive and constructive conversations with owners , and trying to eliminate judgement
• Telling owners what they are doing well and empowering them to make good welfare-based decisions
• Using the power of personal and professional networks to spread evidence-based messages about extreme conformation via social media
• Referring pet owners to helpful organisations for further advice and support
• Leading by example .
( Left to right ) Julian Kupfer , Dan O ' Neill , Robyn Lowe and Lacey Pitcher
What are the health implications of extreme conformation ?
In recent years , the popularity of dogs with extreme conformation has soared , from brachycephalic breeds such as French bulldogs , pugs and English bulldogs – whose morphology is intrinsically linked to a myriad of poor health and welfare concerns – to other extreme body shapes , such as chondrodystrophy in dachshunds . The rise in ‘ micro ’ or ‘ pocket ’ bulldogs is also concerning , as the existing extremes in conformation no longer seem to satisfy the human desire to reshape animals , with little regard for their health . The new wave of ‘ bully ' dogs range in appearance but consistently display worrying traits such as superextreme brachycephaly , grossly folded skin , dysplastic limbs and even shorter spines .
Since the domestication of wild dogs around 20,000 years ago , humans have adapted dogs to become integral to our lives in guarding , hunting , sporting and other working roles . However , the majority of owned dogs are kept as companion animals for pleasure [ 1 ] .
There are an estimated 9.9 million dogs owned in the UK , with 26 % of the UK adult population owning at least one dog [ 2 ] . Dog ownership enriches our lives in many ways , including benefiting our mental , social and physical health [ 3 – 6 ] . Part of the joy of owning a dog is linked to their wide variety of shapes and sizes . The Kennel Club now recognises 222 unique breeds [ 7 ] , with over 450 breeds being recognised worldwide [ 8 ] .
To create this range of breeds , humans have altered the domestic dog , making it the most diversely shaped mammalian species in the world [ 9 ] . While these changes to the dog ' s natural shape have helped humans adapt the species to suit our demands , there is growing evidence that some of these shapes have gone too far , with extreme body shapes now a leading cause of serious health and welfare issues for many dogs [ 10 , 11 ] .
Brachycephalic ( flat-faced ) features are one example of an extreme body shape that can seriously reduce the innate health of affected dogs [ 12 – 14 ] . Disorders with evidence of increased risk in flat-faced dogs include breathing problems [ 15 , 16 ] , eye problems [ 17 – 19 ] , skin problems [ 20 , 21 ] , difficulty giving birth [ 22 ] , heat stroke [ 23 ] and even difficulty sleeping [ 24 ] .
The welfare cost to dogs , at a population level , from health issues intrinsically linked to the extreme flat-faced shape has been exacerbated by the increasing popularity of certain flat-faced breeds in recent years , such as the French bulldog , English bulldog and pug [ 25 ] . These issues are so great that the UK Brachycephalic Working Group ( BWG ) now considers the animal health and welfare problems linked to breeding for the brachycephalic conformation to be one of the UK ' s leading canine welfare priorities [ 26 ] .
BWG also considers there to be an ethical obligation on all of us , as a society , to play our part in promoting a good life for all dogs under human stewardship . With this in mind , there are a range of ways VNs can contribute to protecting dogs kept as companion pets from unnecessary health and welfare harms related to extreme conformations such as brachycephaly .
How can VNs help ?
It can be very distressing for veterinary professionals to regularly face patients whose health complaints could have been prevented – for example , by not breeding dogs with a conformation so exaggerated that they are no longer able to perform ' normal ' activities .
Attempts by veterinary professionals and animal welfare organisations to educate on this matter have been ongoing , particularly around the issue of brachycephaly in dogs . Despite this , demand for extreme and unhealthy conformation in dogs continues . However , there are ways VNs can enrich and build on this education to improve its effectiveness .
26 Veterinary Nursing Journal