Myth or truth — are flat-faced dogs really less healthy?

Veterinary nurses are often asked their opinion about the health of flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs. Until now, their opinion was the best that veterinary nurses could offer. However, with the advent of Big Data research programmes such as VetCompass at the RVC, veterinary nurses are now being empowered to answer these common questions using evidence rather than just opinion. This article helps veterinary nurses to answer questions related to brachycephalic dogs but other VetCompass papers provide answers to many other important everyday questions in general practice.

Brachycephalic dog breeds, such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and (British) Bulldogs, are highly cherished in the UK. However, steeply rising popularity and evidence of health issues associated with their exaggerated body shape means that there are growing welfare concerns about these breeds. There is evidence of brachycephalic predisposition to respiratory disease, eye disease, dystocia, spinal disease, heat stroke and pneumonia, as well as shorter lifespans. But is this the full story? Perhaps science favours reporting the bad stuff about breeds but is less in-terested in reporting bland news where breeds were not predisposed or even had reduced risk of developing (i.e. disorder protection).