Vet reveals 5 dog breeds he would never own for ‘heartbreaking’ welfare reasons

Veterinary doctor, Ben Simpson-Vernon has advised prospective dog owners against five canine breeds that he has witnessed suffer from ‘heartbreaking’ health concerns

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For those considering adding a dog to the family, a vet has opened up on the five breeds of canine he would never personally own due to “heartbreaking” circumstances surrounding their welfare. Ben Simpson-Vernon acknowledged that his viewpoint “might upset some people”, but also pointed out that if owners of these particular breeds “walked in his shoes”, they may be put off by the “health problems and difficult situations” he regularly experiences.

The vet pointed out that not only are such breeds forced to suffer from a variety of health problems, these issues can prove very distressing for their owners – as well as being expensive to treat.

Check out the five breeds he said he would personally steer clear of owning below.

Dachshund

First on Ben’s list is the Dachshund, a dog he appreciates is so popular amongst families, but one which can poses serious health risks. “Their risk of painful back problems is just so high that I could never own one,” he explained.

Ben continued, noting that the breed has a one-in-four lifetime risk of developing IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), which can lead to slip discs. “Many of these dogs end up paralysed and needing really expensive invasive spinal surgery,” he warned. “Some of them never recover or regain the use of their hind limbs or their bladder control. A lot of people seem to get these dogs and just hope it doesn’t happen to theirs – but one in four is not great odds.”

‘Tiny Dogs’

Not a specific breed, but Ben also highlighted concerns over “tiny, tiny little dogs”, such as “teacup” Chihuahuas, Yorkies and any other type of dog that is specifically bred to be as small as possible. He elaborated: “This is not conducive for a great life as a dog and some of these dogs are so fragile that they can fracture limbs just from jumping off a table.”

Ben added that he also sees many other health problems in these dogs such as hydrocephalus, which is a build-up of fluid on the brain and hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, something he claims is really common in these puppies, whilst others require liver shunts, and suffer from dental problems and heart disease.

Shar Pei

“I remember the first time I saw a Shar Pei puppy,” Ben recalled as he identified the third breed on his list. “I assumed there was something wrong with it as it looked so facially distorted – but it was just a normal Shar Pei puppy.

However, the vet went on to advise prospective owners that because of their excess loose skin, their eyelids often roll inwards as puppies, who then need them to be tacked open again using stitches to avoid hair scraping their eyes and ulcerations. “Often they need a facelift-style surgery to permanently correct the problem,” he added.

Ben also advised that the Shar Pei appearance is down to a genetic mutation, which means they have too much mucin in their skin and therefore are at a higher risk of skin infection and autoimmune problems including Shar Pei Fever, which can lead to kidney failure. “They are a breed that are literally defined by a genetic abnormality,” he said.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Fourth on Ben’s list is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which he admitted in “many ways is the perfect family dog”. However, he also noted they have a “dark secret” that people are unaware of.

“About half of them are affected by a spinal problem called syringomyelia, where fluid accumulates in the spinal cord and can cause phantom nerve pain and many other signs,” Ben warned. “We truly don’t know how many of these dogs are in chronic pain and it’s all related to their domed skull shape – and as if that wasn’t bad enough, almost all Cavaliers get a heart disease called Mitral Valve Disease, which can lead to coughing and breathing difficulties and is the cause of death for about half of them.”

French Bulldog

Concluding Ben’s list is the French Bulldog, which he appreciates make “great companions”, but find it “hard to convey” how much suffering he has seen them go through over the years. “One study put their average life expectancy at four-and-a-half years because so many of them die young,” he exclaimed.

Ben continued: “It has become normalised that these dogs snore and breathe noisily – but this is not normal for any dog.” He went on to warn that so many French Bulldogs end up requiring surgery on their airways just to help them breathe and “live a half decent life”.

He closed by noting that the breed is also susceptible to slipped discs and other spinal problems that can cause severe pain and paralysis, eye ulcers, ear infections, sleep apnea, heat stroke and chronic skin problems. “The list goes on and on,” Ben said. “IT’s obviously unpleasant for the dogs for them to endure this pain and suffering, but it can also be really distressing for the family too.”