If you own a Brussels Griffon, Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel, Japanese Chin,
Pekingese, Pug, Shih Tzu, or Yorkshire
Terrier, you should understand the
term brachycephalic.
It comes the from the Greek "brachy"
meaning short and "cephalic" meaning
head (bracky-suh-phalic).
Not every brachycephalic dog will
develop respiratory problems but truth
be told, most will to some degree or
the other. In a mild case, you may not
notice any problems beyond loud
snoring. In major cases, your dog may
need surgery.
These dogs are bred to have the rounded
head, flat, squashed-in faces and
prominent eyes and compact bodies that
are so appealing in appearance.
The breeding decisions we've made over
the years have resulted in dogs with
these problems:
Very small nasal openings
(stenotic nares) that limit breathing
and cause wheezing or mouth breathing.
Long soft palate. The dog's
short face has trouble housing the soft
palate which separates the nasal
passage from the oral cavity. The
airway may be obstructed and cause
snorting sounds.
Very narrow windpipe (trachea),
which is one of the reasons why
anesthesia is so dangerous for Toy
breeds.
Vulnerable eyes. With their
prominent eyes, they have such shallow
eye sockets that a sharp blow to the
back of the head can cause an eye to
pop out of the socket.
Eyelid problems. Some eyes are so
prominent, the dog can't close his lid
all the way which causes dry eyes. Eye
and eyelid problems require medical
treatment to avoid turning into a
serious condition.
Teeth problems. Brachycephalic
dogs have the normal 42 teeth but in a
much smaller mouth than a full-size
dog. Teeth can be crowded and grow at
odd angles which results in dental
problems.
Heat stress and heat stroke
because these dogs are not efficient
panters, the only way dogs have to cool
themselves.
Labs, for instance, are able to pass
air quickly over their tongue through
panting which causes the saliva on the
tongue to evaporate. The blood in the
tongue is cooled and circulated back to
cool the rest of the body.
For a brachycephalic dog, much extra
work is required to move the same
amount of air which causes airways to
become inflamed and swollen.
Fortunately, these dogs learn to cope.
That's why you may see a Pug holding
his head a certain way - to make it
easier to breathe. Even dogs with
moderate symptoms still live a normal
lifespan - they just struggle to
breathe.
All this is only intended to educate
you, not prevent you from getting a Pug
or Yorkie.
You do need to have realistic
expectations for your dog and not push
him beyond the limits of his physique.
To keep your brachycelphalic dog
healthy:
- Keep him fit with moderate exercise
- no frenzied activity, please. These
are not the dogs to accompany you on
jogs. A pleasant, short walk will do.
- Avoid extreme temperatures,
especially extreme heat. These dogs
need to live in air-conditioned homes.
- Keep his weight in check. Overweight
places additional stress on his body
and breathing and increases his risk of
respiratory problems.
- Use a body harness to walk him
rather than a leash attached to his
collar.
- Severe problems may require surgery
and typically, the earlier in a dog's
lifespan it is done, the better.
- Tread carefully on airplanes.
For example, British Airways will no
longer carry Bulldogs, Pekingese or
Pugs because of possible respiratory
problems while in the air.
Most importantly, bad breathers should
not be bred.
Article written by:
Louise Louis
Louise is a certified canine
specialist, dog owner and all-round dog
person.
http://www.toybreeds.com/Bone-Mot.htm
