Dr Liesel van der Merwe is a small animal medicine specialist. Send her your questions: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr Liesel van der Merwe

Despite clear evidence that the breeding practices of certain dog breeds lead to animals suffering from a range of different conformational malformations causing pain, discomfort and life-limiting conditions, many breed societies seem disinterested in setting more rigid standards for extreme conformational changes.

Social media glamorises flat-faced dogs and the market for these unhealthy animals has grown rapidly. Brachycephalic dogs, such as English Bulldogs and French Bulldogs, suffer from a combination of congenital airway abnormalities known as Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS).

Because their skulls are genetically shortened but their soft tissues in the throat and nose are not, their soft tissues crowd out the cavities, restricting the breathing passages and making daily functions like playing or eating feel like a marathon.

Many owners do not realise that the way their pet breathes is abnormal. They think this is just how English and French bulldogs breathe. But in reality, these dogs are struggling. I was at a lecture recently where a surgeon who corrects these deformities likens it to walking around breathing only through a straw. That would be extremely limiting to most of us and would likely be similar to what the more affected of these dogs feel on a daily basis.

BOAS is a spectrum of physical deformities that obstruct a dog’s upper respiratory system. The most common issues include: Severely narrowed or collapsed nostrils that restrict the amount of air the dog can inhale; an elongated soft palate which extends further back than normal, obstructing airflow and causing noisy breathing.

Over time, the heavy effort of breathing pulls pockets of swollen tissue from the vocal cords into the airway, creating further obstruction. The long-term result of all the suction effort needed to breathe is that all the tissues at the back of the throat start collapsing inwards, which worsens the situation.

Flat-nose dogs, especially French and English bulldogs, will often have noisy breathing with chronic snoring, snorting or wheezing while awake or asleep. Snoring is NOT normal in dogs; it indicates a growth or swelling in the back of the throat. In these dogs it is excessive tissue causing the obstruction to airflow.

They have a very low exercise tolerance and get unusually tired or out of breath after minor activity. They are at a great risk of overheating as dogs don’t sweat but pant to cool down and narrow airways make them extremely prone to heatstroke.

Straining to breathe causes negative pressure in the chest, leading to frequent gagging, vomiting or regurgitation and the development of sliding hiatal hernias. These dogs are also restless at night and cannot sleep unless the neck is elevated and stretched. It is as if they have sleep apnoea by day and by night. As the disease progresses the dogs will actually struggle to breathe at rest due to collapsed or swollen tissue at the back of the throat. 

Never accept that constant snoring or heavy panting is ‘normal’ for flat-faced breeds. You can actively improve your dog’s quality of life through careful management and medical intervention. It is most important to consider surgical correction as early as possible. Usually before one to two years of age, especially if there are clinical signs evident.

Proactive early surgery means that there isn’t weakening and sagging of the tissues at the back of the throat. Additional measures are weight control, which decrease abdominal pressure on the chest, and climate control so they do not overheat. Note that not only high temperatures cause heatstroke but also high humidity, which decreases the evaporative cooling effect as the dog pants.

I know these dogs are cute. They also do have sweet personalities. But if I can ask just one thing: don’t assume the breathing is normal. Try to do something early to correct the conformational deformity. They didn’t ask to be born like this, humans made them like this.

These dogs wouldn’t be alive without assisted breeding, artificial insemination and caesarean sections, so it is not a natural state. With choice comes responsibility. If you choose a dog which has these issues, it is incumbent on you to intervene and improve the quality of life. It is a welfare issue.