Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Brachycephalic airway test results in Finnish dogs 2017-2022
By Lilja-Maula, Liisa Iiris Onerva et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2024·Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome breeding test results in Finland from 2017 to 2022.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at the health of flat-faced dog breeds like English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs, focusing on a condition called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), which causes breathing problems. Out of nearly 1,000 dogs tested, a significant number showed moderate to severe signs of BOAS, with Pugs having the highest rates of nostril narrowing. The results suggest that just testing how well these dogs can exercise isn't enough to catch all cases of BOAS. Instead, a combination of tests is recommended to help breeders produce healthier puppies.
People also search for: English Bulldog breathing problems · Pug nostril stenosis · French Bulldog BOAS treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), observed in many flat-faced dog breeds, is one of the most urgent welfare problems in pedigree dogs. Various breeding schemes against BOAS have been implemented in many countries during recent years, but their impact on breed health remains unknown. The BOAS breeding test, used by the Finnish Kennel Club (FKC), includes an exercise component with a recovery assessment, BOAS grading by a veterinarian that evaluates upper respiratory signs before and after exercise, and a nostril stenosis assessment. The aim of our study was to evaluate BOAS breeding test results and estimate the heritability of the BOAS grade using parent-offspring regression from FKC data collected during 2017-2022. RESULTS: The majority (80%) of dogs (n = 957) participating in FKC BOAS testing were English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs. In 2022, 89-100% of the litters from these three breeds registered with the FKC had at least one parent tested for BOAS. The proportion of dogs failing the exercise test was highest in English Bulldogs (11%), followed by French Bulldogs (4%) and Pugs (3%). In these three breeds, moderate to severe BOAS signs were reported in 28%, 22% and 30% of dogs, respectively. The proportion of moderate to severe nostril stenosis was highest (71%) in Pugs, followed by French Bulldogs (55%), and English Bulldogs (40%). Estimates of heritability for BOAS grade were separately calculated for these three breeds and for all dogs, and the estimates were moderate to high, ranging from 0.39 to 0.58. CONCLUSIONS: The exercise test alone did not sufficiently identify dogs with moderate to severe BOAS signs. To better consider the complex nature of BOAS and breed differences, exercise tolerance, the severity of upper respiratory signs (BOAS grade) and nostril stenosis should all be assessed together in breeding animals. The heritability estimates for veterinary-assessed BOAS grade indicated that BOAS grade could be used in selective breeding to obtain less-affected offspring.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39026339/