A STUDY of nearly 1.3m dogs has shown that brachycephalic breeds are less healthy even when it comes to conditions not commonly associated with flat-faced animals.
Among the finds were that dogs of 24 brachycephalic breeds were four per cent more likely to be the subject of insurance claims relating to intestinal problems and ten per cent for inflammation of the colon. Other conditions flagged up were irregular heartbeat (14 per cent), tooth extraction (11 per cent) and inflammation of the anal glands (21 per cent).
They are also more likely to get benign and malignant skin cancer, cystitis and pneumonia.
The study also recorded significant increases in the frequency of claims relating to eye problems; corneal ulcers were diagnosed so frequently that researchers considered excluding it from analysis, but it was included because corneal injuries are found commonly in dogs generally. Brachycephalic dogs were found to be three to four times more likely than other breeds to injure their corneas.
US insurance company Nationwide looked at claims made for dogs of brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic breeds over a nine-year period. Conditions linked to flat-faced animals such as narrow nostrils, elongated soft palate and a condition in which tissue within the airway is pulled into the trachea and partially obstructs airflow were excluded from the analysis, as were claims for accidents and infectious diseases.
In the US brachycephalic breeds are as popular as in the UK; the American Kennel Club lists Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Boxers in its top ten most popular breeds of last year, and the Frenchie is the most popular in New York.
In the UK the Bulldog and French Bulldog are among the top ten of 2016 and the Frenchie is tipped to take over from the Labrador as most popular breed before too long.
Nationwide’s chief veterinary officer Carol McConnell said: “As with any good study we didn’t know what the answers would be… We believed, and still do, that we could add some light to the heat of these discussions and give everyone some good data to use in the important discussions of better health and better lives for all dogs.”