Smash faced cats and dogs cute, funny, anomalies of the pet world. The truth is they are not happy or comfortable for a majority of their lives. They are in, Permanent respiratory distress, say that again, out loud. We’ll explain this as we progress.
Pugs are adorable, funny face and loads of personality.
The now famous Vodafone advertisement did more to boost the breeding and buying of the pug than few events in recent years. Bought by hundreds of families persuaded by kids promising to walk, feed and care for their first pet.
House pets spend an inordinate amount of time confined indoors. Our cities are crowded and it is difficult to get around. Open spaces for dogs are hard to come by. Enter the pug, small cute and does not need as much exercise- sounds like a win-win all around. It is, but only for you. Pugs have been bred for a flat nose which drastically reduces the the cavity of the skull. Therefore breathing is laboured. Simply put there is not enough space in the nasal cavity to take in oxygen. When pugs make a ‘chugging sound’ as they breathe, it is not cute. It is not ‘how they sound’ your pet is in a permanent state of distress. We’re not using the word discomfort- that’s too mild- distress is the word. Imagine being unable to take a comfortable breath – everyday for the rest of your life.
If you have a pug educate your self and your friends about the undesirability of brachycephalic breeds.
Make sure no one you know buys a pug. Breeders must be discouraged from breeding short nosed dogs so tight that they have difficulty eating and breathing. Following the breeders and market demands, are pet food manufacturers. Close on the heels on any pet trends are pet food manufacturers, creating “easy to chew food” for brachycephalic cats and dogs. Designer cats and dogs are not pets, they are a creation of market demands. They are merchandise and producers of this merchandise, have lost sight of the fact that they are living beings.
These Five Freedoms are internationally recognised standards of care and assert every living beings rights.
1. Freedom from thirst & hunger
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury and diseases
4.Freedom to express normal behaviour
5. Freedom from fear and distress
A read through the 5 freedoms, makes it evident, brachycephalic cats and dogs are not free from discomfort- they are in permanent distress. Nor are they free from Pain, injury and diseases because they commonly have dental and digestive disorders.
How do I take my next breath? is a question that is quite likely on their minds, and thus they are not free of fear and distress.
How do I take my next breath? Is a question that is quite likely on their minds, and they are not free of fear and distress.
Freedom 5 of the Five Freedoms
Persians, Burmese and Himalayans, show up most commonly in internet searches for “Smash faced cat” “flat faced cat breeds” “smushed in faces” “punch faced cat”. Search terms a breed of cat or dog you wish to adopt or bring home is great. Though typing terms like “Smash face cat” should alarm you and, not inspire you to support breeders, meeting a demand. Dogs and cats are commodities in an unethical breeders circle, if the demand for flat faced cats and dogs lessens the supply will automatically lessen.
Pet food manufacturers of course, rush to develop and sell brachycephalic breed foods. Designer foods for designer breeds, perpetuate the problem. The solution is to stop the breeding, not perpetuate it.
Updates for you to care for your Brachy Pets..
A day after we post this article appears, discussing the “ostrich attitude of brachycephalic breed owners. The vast majority do not know their animals are in distress.
https://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/owners-brachycephalic-dogs-are-denial-study-suggests
Here is an additional links to research papers,
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219918