American veterinarian and researcher Nils Pedersen has recently revealed some sad news. The English bulldog, known for its flat face, could soon end up disappearing. And to make things even worse, it’s our fault because it is us who find these animals with their flat noses and lots of wrinkles so cute.
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Inbreeding resulting in brachycephaly
Because this species is bought quite often and are rather expensive, according to CBS, breeders engage in inbreeding in order to make their popular features even stronger and more prominent. And as a result, bulldogs’ heads have gotten smaller and flatter and they have contracted brachycephaly as a result.
Although this appearance might look cute to us, these particular features can lead to some rather unpleasant and dangerous consequences for our four-legged friends. These dogs end up suffering from breathing problems, eye problems, incontinence and above all, a shorter life expectancy.
We can fix this problem
For scientist Pedersen, the solution is relatively simple. We absolutely need to put a stop this inbreeding. He has noted that some breeders in Europe have already started to act and are now outcrossing English bulldogs with another breed, the Olde English Bulldogge, in order to create a healthier animal called a Continental bulldog.
The same has been happening to the pug, who is favoured for the same facial characteristics. Except in this case, most pug puppies have to be operated so that they may breathe unassisted. That's right, one popular species of dog can now only survive in a pet/owner context.
If you really love animals, you should be taking care of them and making sure that they are healthy and cute both on the inside as well as the out. You should also be paying attention to what your four-legged friends are playing with since some toys can be dangerous for our loyal companions even though they might not seem it.
