Let’s see together 10 things to know about brachycephalic dogs:
🐶 Brachycephalic is a dog with a skull that has a more developed transverse diameter than the longitudinal one. It has a rounded head and a flattened muzzle. The word brachycephalic is derived from brakhys (short, short) and képhalos (head).
🐶 The selection has exacerbated the condition of brachycephalism which can cause pathologies to various organs;
🐶 The respiratory syndrome of the brachycephalic dog is characterized by stenosis of the nostrils and reduction in the size of the nasal conches, elongated soft palate, and reduced diameter trachea.
🐶 The appearance of respiratory pathology is due to degenerative phenomena mainly due to the effort that the animal makes to breathe due to the malformations;
🐶 They are predisposed to eye diseases;
🐶 Malocclusion due to the shape of the head causes gingivitis and accumulation of tartar;
🐶 They are considered very expressive dogs by humans but sometimes communication can be misinterpreted by other dogs due to lack of mobility of the lip and/or protrusion of the jaw teeth;
🐶 They are dogs most at risk for heatstroke and stress and motor activity can increase breathing difficulties; ☀️
🐶 The large size of the head compared to the body can cause birth problems.
🐶 From 2020, in the Netherlands, the veterinarian will have to approve the suitability for the breeding of brachycephalic breeds. Suitable individuals will be only those with a certain ratio between head length and muzzle length to improve the well-being of the individual and the breed.
As always, prevention is essential for the well-being of our four-legged friends.❤️
Also, read about Pulse-oximetry in veterinary medicine