Can The Bulldog Be Saved?

[wemblee]

November 22, 2011

Comments

[zombieroadtrip]

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel still makes me cringe to think about. No animal should have a brain that outgrows its skull.

[tiddlywinks103]

D:

[zombieroadtrip]

I can't remember what program I was watching (I assume it must have been on Animal Planet or Discovery or something...) (Apparently it was BBC's "Pedigree Dogs Exposed") but they were covering dog breeds with notorious health issues. They spoke about hip issues and showed boxers having seizures, but somehow that spaniel scratching manically at its ears because it could feel the pressure on its spinal column from its brain expanding too far (iirc?) was just the most disturbing thing.

Here is the special: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhXHFOrBbEc

[tiddlywinks103]

Oh, God, what is wrong with people?

[zombieroadtrip]

I don't even know, I'm rewatching the special now (I see it was mentioned in the article) and listening to some breeder lamenting the fact that new vets are too hesitant to cull perfectly healthy puppies for not meeting breed standards. WTF

[tiddlywinks103]

The excuses, denial and blatant lies from these assholes make me so angry. and the fact that there are historical racial connotations in the idea of being "pureblood" and deserving to die for not looking correct just disgusts me.

[bmh4d0k3n]

Wow, I just watched that, and ... I knew pedigree dogs had health problems, but I had no idea it was that bad or widespread. It's just heartbreaking to see those owners seeing the dogs they love in pain (man, especially the Cavalier and the Boxer). The willful ignorance of the breeders and the Kennel Club is staggering.

[dearmisterecho]

oh jesus fucking christ D: and I think those dogs are so cute...but now, oh god, possibly ruined for life.

[zombieroadtrip]

There's apparently an effort to breed responsibly but everything depends on whether the breeders determine it's "worth" it or not.

(Linked this upthread, but this is the special I saw on issues in certain dog breeds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhXHFOrBbEc )

[dearmisterecho]

hahaha, actually I saw that documentary mentioned in the article and I've been watching it over the past half hour. It's very interesting and while I knew pedigree dogs were prone to health problems due to inbreeding and what not, I never knew exactly how bad it was D:

[zombieroadtrip]

Yeah, neither did I. It's most disturbing the way breeders are hand-waving serious medical problems in favor of looks. I can't believe some of the things that come out of their mouths.

[dearmisterecho]

yeah, I was shocked to hear people at the top of the Kennel club ladder condoning mother-son breeding. WTF.

[blueburndown]

Watching that special was like watching some kind of sci-fi horror show. I have never seen in real life a basset or a german sheppard that looked like that. Ever. Seeing them win shows is all kinds of fucked up. How can anyone watch those dogs try and walk around a ring and say, Yes this is exactly what this dog should look like.

[itsirtou]

agh holy shit

[zombieroadtrip]

And it's apparently just as painful as it sounds.

(Linked this upthread, but this is the special I saw on issues in certain dog breeds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhXHFOrBbEc )

[livinghope]

omg, i'm only 5 minutes into that special and i can already feel my heart breaking. :((((( I cannot stand to see dogs in pain. I CANNOT.