New VetCompass Brachycephalic research published  14 October 2020

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed that flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds – including Chihuahuas, pugs, French bulldogs and British bulldogs – are generally less healthy than their non-brachycephalic counterparts. This research supports general agreement by leading academics, UK breed clubs, veterinary organisations and welfare bodies that urgent intervention is needed and that owners must ‘stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’. 

The study is published in Nature Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73088-y

BSAVA Congress 2020 RVC Brachycephalic research accepted for oral presentations 06 January 2020

The RVC brachycephalic research team have had three Clinical Research Abstracts accepted for oral presentation at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in April 2020. These include:

• Computed Tomographic (CT) Measurement of Femoral Trochlear Groove Depth in Three Breeds of Brachycephalic Dog (Alexandra Matchwick, RVC and Anderson Moores Referrals)
• Do brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dogs really differ in their frequency of common health problems? (Penelope Crocker, RVC Final Year Veterinary Student)
• Hot dogs – Which dog types have highest risk of heat related illness in the UK? (Emily Hall, PhD Student Nottingham Trent University)

New VetCompass Bulldog research published  17 June 2019

Ownership of the iconic British bulldog has doubled but the breed is particularly prone to ear infections, skin infections and obesity, according to the largest ever study of British bulldogs treated in first opinion veterinary practices. The research, led by the Royal Veterinary College’s (RVC) VetCompassTM programme, reveals that British bulldog ownership has almost doubled from comprising 0.35% of all puppies born in 2009 to 0.60% in 2013. Sadly, however, the findings show that due to breeding trends 12.7% of British bulldogs suffer from ear infections, 8.8% from skin infections and 8.7% from obesity.

The study is published in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217928

New Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) scheme 28 May 2019

The RVC is playing an active role in the Brachycephalic Working Group (www.ukbwg.org.uk/) that is supporting and promoting  the Kennel Club’s new Respiratory Function Grading Scheme.

This allows breeders and owners of pugs, bulldogs and French bulldogs to have their dog assessed for BOAS.

Through the scheme, dogs are non-invasively assessed for BOAS by specially-trained vets and given a grade to indicate whether the dog is affected and how severely. Depending on the grade, guidance is given to breeders on how to lower the risk of producing affected puppies, and advice provided to owners to ensure their dog gets the best possible diagnosis, treatment and care to ensure their quality of life.

More information and the list and contact details of regionally-approved assessors is available on the Kennel Club website: www.thekennelclub.org.uk/rfgs