Several dog breeds have been found to have a high risk of respiratory problems

Dog owners are being warned to be wary of a much wider range of breeds when buying puppies as research has shown that serious breathing problems are more common than previously thought.

Dogs with shorter snouts and flatter faces are known as brachycephalic breeds and have become “very popular” in recent years, he says Francesca Tomlinson at the University of Cambridge.

But as the popularity of these breeds has skyrocketed, so have the health problems associated with them—most notably brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), easily recognized by noisy breathing. The condition can lead to an inability to exercise, sleep, and cope with heat or stress.

Concerns about BOAS have primarily focused on English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs. To find out what other breeds are at risk, Tomlinson and his colleagues studied 898 dogs from 14 breeds: Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Dogue de Bordeaux, Bruxellois, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Pekingese, King Charles Spaniel, Terrier and Pomeranian.

All dogs underwent respiratory tests and were subjected to a series of detailed body and facial measurements.

Pekingese and Japanese Shepherds had the highest risk of BOAS, with more than 80 percent of dogs affected. Five breeds were at moderate risk, with BOAS seen in half to three-quarters of dogs: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Shih Tzu, Brussels Griffon, Boston Terrier and Dogue de Bordeaux. Only among the Maltese and Pomeranian breeds did they find no dogs with clinically significant disease.

The researchers found that three main factors led to breathing disorders: excess weight, narrowing of the nostrils and extreme flatness of the face. The analysis suggests that other traits, such as very short or helical tails, may be associated with the anatomical changes associated with BOAS. “This suggests that risk is not determined solely by flatness, but that there are many other factors at play,” says Tomlinson.

She says prospective owners should look for puppies from parents who have passed appropriate health testing and should educate themselves about the potential health consequences of extreme body, especially facial, changes.

“It’s not necessarily about removing the breed’s defining characteristics, but about avoiding extremes and supporting breeding decisions that prioritize function as well as appearance,” he says.

Breeders should know that it’s not just the breed that determines negative results, he says, but the degree of exaggeration of certain physical traits. “This gives us something practical to work with – it suggests that choosing away from the extremes could help reduce the risk of disease.”

Anna Quain from the University of Sydney in Australia says people don’t appreciate that the “cute” appearance with flat faces predisposes these dogs to chronic oxygen deprivation and heat stress.

Breeding dogs for flat faces is like “designing a car without a radiator,” he says. “If we are deliberately bringing dogs into the world, we should base those decisions primarily on welfare rather than maintaining a human idea of ​​what a dog should be.”

Paul McGreevyalso at the University of Sydney, says the study confirms what most vets already know. “Airway compromise is widespread among flat-faced dogs and varies greatly between and among breeds,” he says.

“For dogs struggling to excrete carbon dioxide through compromised airways, breed designations are irrelevant. Whether they are identified as a bulldog cross or registered as a Pekingese or Boston terrier is a human construct.”

However, he is concerned about some aspects of the methodology. “The assessment relies on subjective listening to breath sounds classified by ear as mild, moderate or severe, but provides no evidence that this applies consistently across 14 different breeds,” says McGreevy. “Even more problematic is that the authors acknowledge that their stress test depends on individual speed and temperament.”

Tomlinson says the assessment includes objective criteria, including whether an abnormal respiratory noise is audible with or without a stethoscope, and the assessment follows a standardized protocol. “Target [of the exercise test] not to evaluate athletic performance, but to observe how the airways respond to moderate exercise,” he says.

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