New report calls for greater collaboration.

A new report from The Kennel Club has made recommendations on how to improve the welfare of brachycephalic dogs.

The report, ‘Play Your Part: Breeding, buying and bringing up brachycephalic dogs better’, calls for urgent collaboration and offers suggestions for how different groups, from the Government to puppy buyers, can contribute.

Included in the report is a section aimed at veterinary surgeons. It calls on them to work with The Kennel Club to help tackle the health issues experienced by breeds such as French bulldogs, pugs, and bulldogs.

The Kennel Club asks to be informed when c-sections are performed on a Kennel Club registered bitch. This will help The Kennel Club enforce its policy of refusing to register any further puppies from a bitch that has had two c-sections. Kennel Club registration clauses mean that reporting is not a breach of patient confidentially.

Veterinary surgeons are also asked to help increase the amount of Respiratory Function Grading Scheme assessments carried out, which assess dogs for Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). This includes carrying out assessments before and after surgery for BOAS.

Any corrective surgery that alters a dog’s natural conformation should be reported to The Kennel Club. Veterinary surgeons are also encouraged to promote a Brachycephalic Health Assessment veterinary consultation framework to inform breeding decisions and improve the welfare of the current population.

To support these actions, The Kennel Club has said that it will continue to run educational and CPD events and provide veterinary surgeons with online information they can direct their clients to.

French bulldogs, pugs, and bulldogs now account for around one in every five dogs in the UK. However, The Kennel Club’s registration data suggests that the popularity of these breeds has peaked and that numbers are now starting to decline.

Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club, said: “There will always be a demand for brachycephalic type dogs – they are much loved pets by millions in the UK – but it is imperative that we continue to work together to improve how they are bred and bought, and how they are cared for throughout their lives.

“The recommendations outlined in this report, which is very much focused on collaborative action, aim to improve the welfare of those dogs already owned by many and those yet to be bred.

“As well as making this a priority ourselves, we are calling on the Government, breeders, dog owners, vets, rehoming centres, insurance companies and online sellers to play a part, and to help us in our mission to ensure dogs are bred and owned responsibly, and live healthy, happy lives.”

Image (C) The Kennel Club