Brachycephalic dog breeds are one of the cutest and popular dog breeds among dog lovers. The commitment and affection these breeds show to their masters is peerless when compared to the other breeds. Ironically, there are several anatomical traits with these dogs that makes it an absolute necessity to take super care of your brachycephalic or short-nosed dog.
They find it difficult to breathe
Flat faced dogs are known to have breathing issues from birth. This is why you see these breeds snuffling and snorting on a regular basis. The smashed-in structure of their face gives way to a narrowed nostril: these, together with other features like a flap of tissue attached to the room of their mouth and tiny trachea, contributes to the breathing difficulty.
Breathing difficulties in brachycephalic dogs are intense when they are subjected to stress or pressure. Aggressive exercise routines can invoke this condition. When choosing a brachycephalic dog, dig a bit deep into his ancestral history to ensure that his parents had no issues with their upper airway.
Eye issues
The skeletal structure of the head in short-nosed dogs gives less space for accommodating their eyes. This is why the eyes of brachycephalic dogs seem to be bulging out Aggressive exercise or head trauma can even lead their eyes to pop out.
The protruding ocular structure even makes it difficult for the eye film to cover the entire eye. This is something that can lead to ulcer and even the loss of sight if not treated.
Skin infections
The anatomical anomaly with the head of flat faced dogs leads to the formation of skin folds in their face. This skin folds usually trap dust and debris and form the perfect environment for yeast formation, which in turn leads to skin infections.
Oral problems
42 teeth can be too much for the small skull. This usually causes overlapping teeth and other dental problems.
Reproducing issues
Brachycephalic dog breeds are some among the few dog breeds that have difficulties in giving birth naturally. On most of the occasions, cesarean might be the only solution for these breeds to give birth.
The selective breeding done over the years have lead to a scenario where the head of the puppy is relatively larger than the respective mother’s birth canal. This condition is known as ‘dystocia due to foetal-pelvic disproportion’, is the main cause of difficulties in giving birth naturally for short-nosed dogs.
Bulldogs are one of the top contenders among brachycephalic dog breeds that require caesareans. Without cesarean, both the mother bulldog and the offspring are most likely to die.
The charm with brachycephalic dogs makes them too good to resist. If you wish to adopt a brachycephalic dog, it is imperative that you do a background check in addition to making yourself knowledgeable about the breed. As a pet parent of a brachycephalic dog, it is your duty to ensure that he is taken for a complete checkup at least twice in a year.