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Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

theguardian.com

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Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#11

Post by proactivesvcs »

ethagknight wrote: post #6
adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

Whats the solution here?

Realise that the incarceration (physically and/or psychologically) of animals for a purely comforting or entertainment purpose is an affront to proper morals.

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#12

Post by bionsuba »

ethagknight wrote: post #6
adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

Whats the solution here?

Don't buy a pure bred, especially not at a premium.

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#13

Post by nailer »

ethagknight wrote: post #6
adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

Whats the solution here?

Maybe: we stop using terms like 'purebreed' and 'mongrel'. Or reclaim 'mongrel'

I like the term 'natural dog'. "I'd like a medium sized natural dog with a long coat because it's cold here."

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#14

Post by acconrad »

ethagknight wrote: post #6
adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

Whats the solution here?

Have them mate with other breeds

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#16

Post by sovnade »

liveoneggs wrote: post #5
divbit wrote: post #4

Before I had to give my pug up this past summer - I used to take him for good length jog daily, and he would frequently out pace me. If a pug is in shape, it will do great. If you just feed it hotdogs all day and only infrequently give it proper exercise, then yes, I could see it being an anatomical disaster. Compare this dog's fitness http://imgur.com/a/doIi9 with the dog in the linked article.

your pug seems to have a slightly longer nose but I agree- pugs are a breed that seems to live a long time with pretty good health. I've known more than a few pugs older than 15 years.

Yep - had a pug when I was younger who had a more pronounced snout. No breathing issues, didn't get super dirty in his folds, etc. His mother on the other hand had a super flat face and had all of the typical pug issues. The tiniest bit of a snout makes a huge difference.

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#17

Post by worldsayshi »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #7
ethagknight wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the solution here?

Not breed to optimize for certain traits. But that's what dogs (and the current 'breeds') are all about anyway, both pugs and what most people consider 'anatomically correct' dogs.

Or at least don't optimize for traits that are disconnected from the health and wellbeing of the dog, like pure looks? Optimizing on more practical or athletic aspects probably makes it more difficult to end up with a sick dog.

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#18

Post by bdittmer »

adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

This is why mutts are the best. Genetic diversity is good. Anecdotal, but growing up my two mutts lived to the ages of 16 and 18...well past the life expectancies you see in the purebred world.

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#19

Post by 13of40 »

adamnemecek wrote: post #3

Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275

Suppose there was a breed of, say, monkey, that was popular as a household pet. They were considered to be quite clever and could be trained, over some years, to use a toilet, fetch things from the fridge, even manage primitive forms of communication. The only problem is that they're a genetic trainwreck. They've got a pronounced, gourd-like head with a snout so compact that it's common to have to surgically remove some of their teeth. They've got limited ability in their front legs that forces them to spend their entire life in an abnormal posture, resulting in a cornucopia of spinal and joint problems that cause many of them lifelong pain. On top of all this, all of their natural defenses (claws, canines, protective fur) have been bred out and disease traits bred in (myopia, hemophilia, diabetes, and so on). Now, knowing all of this, suppose your sister, who already has three of these things running around her house, calls up and gleefully announces that they're getting another one. What do you tell her?

Re: Pugs are anatomical disasters. Vets must speak out–even if it’s bad for business

#20

Post by kharms »

nailer wrote: post #13
ethagknight wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the solution here?

Maybe: we stop using terms like 'purebreed' and 'mongrel'. Or reclaim 'mongrel' I like the term 'natural dog'. "I'd like a medium sized natural dog with a long coat because it's cold here."

"Natural dog" is a silly term. Dogs are a domesticated animal and breeds have been around for almost as long as writing. [1]

I call mine a "mutt" - it's inoffensive and gets the point across.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_breed#History

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