http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/petshealth/10508781/Ban-unhealthy-dog-breeds-say-vets.

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A fifth of vets say some dog breeds should be banned, because of the health problems they suffer from
By Jasper Copping 4: !"#$%#&$10$'ec$(01

Ban 'unhealthy' dog breeds, say vets

Although no breeds were specifically named in the survey, the problems have been particularly associated with many popular breeds, among them (clockwise from top left) the bo er, bulldog, Cavalier !ing Charles spaniel, pug, "hih #$u and %ekingese %hoto& A'A()

#he health problems affecting pedigree dogs are so e treme that a fifth of vets believe certain breeds should be banned altogether* &he $ poll $ was $ conducted $ among $ delegates $ at $ a $ )oyal $ *eter+nary $ ,ollege $ con-erence $ on $ wel-are $ +ssues$ su--ered$by$dogs$bred$-or$the+r$d+st+nct+ve$.-lat--aced/$appearances.$0uch$.brachycephal+c/$an+mals$su--er$ -rom$a$range$o-$problems1$-rom$breath+ng$+ssues1$to$d+--+cult+es$w+th$the+r$eyes1$sk+n$and$teeth. 2lthough$no$breeds$were$spec+-+cally$named$+n$the$survey1$the$problems$have$been$part+cularly$assoc+ated$ w+th$many$popular$breeds1$among$them$the$pug1$"ek+ngese1$0h+h$&3u1$bo4er1$bulldog1$Boston$terr+er$and$ ,aval+er$5+ng$,harles$span+el. 2 $ -urther $ th+rd $ o-$ the $ vets $ polled $ sa+d $ that $ such $ a$ ban $ should $ be $ +ntroduced $ unless $ s+gn+-+cant $ health$ +mprovements$were$seen$+n$the$an+mals$over$the$ne4t$ten$years.$6thers$sa+d$they$should$be$bred$w+th$ other$breeds1$to$reduce$the$health$problems. &he$e4perts$present$-or$the$event$at$the$)*,7s$campus1$near$8at-+eld1$8erts1$also$called$-or$an$overhaul$+n $ the $ .breed $ standards/ $ 9 $ the $ phys+cal $ character+st+cs $ -or $ wh+ch $ ped+gree $ dogs $ are $ bred $ 9 $ +n $ order $ to$ d+scourage $ unhealthy $ breed+ng. $ &hey $ also $ sa+d $ :udges $ should $ penal+se $ an+mals $ e4h+b+t+ng $ these$ .unhealthy/$character+st+cs$at$dog$shows. 'r$,harlotte$Burn1$-rom$the$)*,1$sa+d:$.&here$was$general$agreement$that$the$dog$buy+ng$publ+c$need$to$ put$dog$health$above$appearance1$whether$choos+ng$pure-$or$crossbred$dogs.$6ur$des+re$-or$ever$more$ baby-l+ke$-lat$-aces$and$larger$eyes$+s$-uell+ng$wel-are$problems$+n$the$very$an+mals$we$love./ Because $ such $ an+mals $ are $ select+vely $ bred $ to $ have $ a $ s;uashed--aced $ appearance1 $ they $ tend $ to $ have$ narrowed$nostr+ls$and$w+ndp+pes$and$are$prone$to$su--er$resp+ratory$problems.$<t$also$means$they$can$-+nd $ +t$hard$to$cool$down$+n$h+gh$temperatures1$because$they$-+nd$+t$d+--+cult$to$pant.

( &hey$can$also$su--er$-rom$problems$w+th$the+r$eyes1$wh+ch$tend$to$st+ck$out1$because$the+r$sockets$are$so$ shallow. $ &h+s $ can $ mean $ the $ an+mals $ cannot $ close $ them $ properly $ and $ can $ even $ lead $ to $ the+r $ eyeballs$ popp+ng$out1$+-$the$dog$rece+ves$a$blow$to$the$back$o-$the$head1$or$pulls$aga+nst$+ts$leash$too$much. <n$add+t+on1$the$an+mals$can$su--er$-rom$teeth$problems1$because$there$+s$less$space$to$-+t$them$all$+n1$as $ well$as$+n-ect+ons$+n$the$-olds$o-$the+r$sk+n.$&he$con-erence1$last$month1$was$attended$by$more$than$50$ e4perts. &he$call$-or$a$ban$by$many$o-$those$present$w+ll$re+gn+te$the$debate$over$whether$enough$+s$be+ng$done$to$ resolve$health$+ssues$+n$ped+gree$dogs1$wh+ch$have$been$under$scrut+ny$s+nce$a$telev+s+on$documentary$+n$ (0081$called$"ed+gree$'ogs$=4posed. &he$show$led$to$some$sponsors$and$trade$e4h+b+tors$w+thdraw+ng$the+r$part+c+pat+on$-rom$,ru-ts1$the$dog $ show$organ+sed$by$the$5ennel$,lub1$the$country7s$ma+n$organ+sat+on$-or$ped+gree$dogs.$&he$BB,$>$wh+ch$ had$broadcast$,ru-ts$-or$4($years$>$stopped$+ts$coverage. 2 $ spokesman $ -or $ the $ 5ennel $ ,lub $ sa+d: $ .?e7re $ pleased $ that $ such $ an $ +mportant $ +ssue $ has $ been $ g+ven $ cons+derat+on$at$the$)*,$con-erence$and$the$-+nd+ngs$aga+n$ra+sed$the$+mportance$o-$better$research1$so$ that$we$can$understand$the$e4tent$o-$the$problem$that$we$are$deal+ng$w+th$and$then$how$best$to$resolve$ +t./