Flat faced dogs are at greater risk of developing corneal ulcers

In this BMC podcast, Dr. Dan O’Neill, from the Royal Veterinary College in London, discusses his latest research looking at the incidence of corneal ulceration in dogs, a painful disease found in many flat faced breeds.

Results show that brachycephalic dogs are 11 times more likely to develop corneal ulcerations than crossbred dogs and pugs are 19 times as likely.

Spaniels, in addition, are also 3 times as likely and Dan suggests that the results should encourage vets to regularly test brachycephalic breeds for ‘dry eye’, a disease which can lead to the development of painful ulcers.

Dan thinks that owners and breeders should think twice before joining the pug trend. He advises that people should research into the breed, the breeder and the funds they might need should their pet become ill.

As part of the VetCompassTM programme, this is the largest dog study to date and these huge volumes of data can be used to benchmark what’s happening in clinical practice.

 

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Francesca Martin

Communications Assistant at BioMed Central
Francesca graduated from Uppsala University with an MSc in Immunology & Infection Biology. She joined BioMed Central in June 2016.
Francesca Martin

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