Translated by Nick R
Do you have a pug or a bulldog but don’t know if they require special care because they are wrinkly? Well, these and other breeds require special care because of their brachycephalic condition.
But don’t let that worry you, because here I will show you all the care they need and the diseases they can suffer so you can be prepared.
Table of Contents
What is a brachycephalic dog breed?
The word brachycephalic or brachycephalic refers to shortened (brachy) and head (cephalo-cephalic), so the main characteristic of these dog breeds is their flat and short muzzles. Their anatomy suffers because the skull bones are short in length and this causes the nose and face to appear to be pushed inward.
Depending on the breed, anatomically, joint or individual anomalies may occur with brachycephalic syndrome, which leads to upper airway obstruction.
- Stenotic nostrils: the nostrils are abnormally small or narrow, restricting the air that can flow through them.
- Hypoplastic trachea: the trachea has a smaller diameter than normal.
- Extended nasopharyngeal turbinates: these are bone ridges covered by tissue that help warm and humidify the air inhaled by the dog. When they extend beyond the nasal area into the pharynx cause airflow obstruction as a result.
- Laryngeal collapse: given the chronic stress caused on the laryngeal cartilage by the brachycephalic anatomy, the larynx will eventually not be able to open as wide as it normally does, causing further restriction of airflow.
- Elongated soft palate: this is the upper soft part inside the mouth, which, being so long compared to the normal length of the mouth, partially blocks the entrance to the trachea at the back of the throat.
- Inverted laryngeal sacs: these are small pouches or sacs located inside the larynx that protrude in front of the vocal cords. When they turn outward (reverse position) or are sucked into the airway it is because of the high pressure the dog is subjected to from breathing effort. The respiratory effort occurs through the stenotic fossae and/or the elongated soft palate.
On the other hand, on a physical level brachycephalics may show signs such as:
- Noisy and labored breathing
- Sneezing and coughing
- Excessive snoring and gasping
- Difficulty swallowing
- Excessive drooling or foaming
- Reflux or regurgitation
- Nasal discharge
- Frequent lip licking
Which are the brachycephalic breeds of dogs?
There are 28 brachycephalic breeds in which from their puppyhood their characteristic anatomical formation develops, such as in pugs or Pekingese, while others are very slightly affected by this feature, such as the Yorkshire terrier.
| BREED | WEIGHT | SIZE |
| Pug or Carlino | 6.3 Kg to 8.1 Kg | Small |
| French Bulldog | 11 Kg to 12.5 Kg | Small |
| Boston Terrier | 6.8 Kg to 11.5 Kg | Small |
| English Bulldog | 18 Kg to 25 Kg | Medium |
| Boxer | 25 Kg to 32Kg | Medium – Large |
| Pekinese | 3.5 Kg to 6 Kg | Small |
| Bulldog | 23 Kg to 25 Kg | Medium |
| Shar Pei | 18 Kg to 29 Kg | Medium |
| Lhasa Apso | 6 Kg to 8 Kg | Small |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 5.5 Kg to 8 Kg | Small |
| Affenpinscher | 3 Kg to 4 Kg | Small |
| Italian Mastiff or Cane Corso | 50 Kg to 80 Kg | Large |
| Bullmastiff | 41 Kg to 59 Kg | Large |
| Shih Tzu | 4.5 Kg to 7.5 Kg | Small |
| Griffon Bruxellois | 2 Kg to 5 Kg | Small |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | 45 Kg to 50 Kg | Gigantic |
| Chow Chow | 20 Kg to 34Kg | Medium |
| King Charles Spaniel | 3.6 Kg to 6.3 | Small |
| Japanese Chin | 1.8 Kg to 3.2 Kg | Small |
| English Mastíff | 73 Kg to 100 Kg | Gigantic |
| Chihuahua | 1 Kg to 3 Kg | Toy |
| Rottweiler | 36 Kg to 61 Kg | Large |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 11 Kg to 18 Kg | Medium |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 1 Kg to 4 Kg | Small |
| Tibetan Spaniel | 4 Kg to 7 Kg | Small |
| Terranova | 45 Kg to 69 Kg | Gigantic |
| American Pitbull Terrier | 13 Kg to 40 Kg | Large |
| Saint Bernard | 68 Kg to 91 Kg | Large |
What health problems do brachycephalic dogs present?
Due to their condition, brachycephalic dogs tend to develop other health problems such as digestive, skin, eye, respiratory, heart, neurological, musculoskeletal, physical, and dental problems.
Digestive
According to research done by Valérie Fraiche, veterinary doctor of the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort in France (National Veterinary School of Alfort), the most common problems are vomiting and regurgitation.
Furthermore, she mentions the main diseases that occur in the alimentary tract as:
- Esophagitis (inflammation in the duct going from the throat to the stomach).
- Gastroesophageal reflux (bile or stomach acid goes up the esophagus).
- Hiatal hernia (part of the stomach pushes up on the diaphragm muscle)
- Pyloric mucosal fold hypertrophy (inflammation and ulcers in the stomach mucosa)
- Duodenitis (inflammation in the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine).
- Pyloric stenosis (thickening of the opening between the stomach and small intestine)
- Gastritis (inflammation and disruption of the stomach lining)
- Redundant esophagus (dilatation in the area of the esophagus at the entrance of the chest and cranial to the heart).
- Delayed gastric emptying (disorder that delays the course of food from the stomach to the small intestine without obstruction).
Dermatologic
Given these breeds’ anatomy, several deep folds form in their skin in areas such as the base of the tail and around the face. The skin folds create a moist and warm environment ideal for bacterial and fungal growth. Therefore, these dogs may present:
- Intertrigo (friction inflammation).
- Fungal dermatitis (fungus in the affected area)
- Bacterial dermatitis or pyoderma
- Atopic dermatitis (inflammatory allergy)
- Demodicosis (caused by Demodex mite causing alopecia)
- Folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles)
Ocular
Another inherent characteristic of the flattened head is the very shallow eye sockets. This causes the bulging eye sensation in these breeds and makes them prone to diseases and abnormalities such as:
- Lagophthalmia (inability to close the eyelids completely).
- Exophthamosis or ocular proptosis (the eyeball protrudes noticeably from the eye socket).
- Trichiasis of the nasal fold (the eye is grazed by the fur around the nasal fold).
- Ectropion or entropion (rolling of the eyelid inward or outward)
- Cherry eye (prolapse of the third eyelid)
- Poor tear production
- Distichiasis (abnormally positioned eyelashes rubbing against the eye)
Respiratory
The most common problems in these breeds are respiratory because of their soft palates, reduced nostrils and disproportionate tongues. The diseases they may suffer from are:
- Tracheal collapses (airway obstruction).
- Sleep apneas
- Pulmonary stenosis (obstruction in the salivary tract of the right ventricle).
- Syncope or fainting
- Cyanosis (lack of oxygen)
- Collapsed larynx (chronic upper respiratory obstruction)
- Pneumonia (infection in the lungs)
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS, which is shortness of breath affecting other activities)
Cardiac
Cardiac problems are the result of the dog’s effort and difficulty breathing and the lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, which causes great pressure on the heart and makes it prone to develop diseases such as:
- Ventricular septal defect (hole located in the interventricular septum that causes the passage of blood flow from one ventricle to the other).
- Congestive heart failure (the heart does not pump or fill with blood normally).
- Cardiac remodeling (change in the shape and size of the heart due to chronic and acute damage).
Neurological
Neurological diseases will be determined by the area in which there is a vertebral malformation. Depending on the affected area, the dog may develop:
- Paraparesis (degeneration in the intervertebral disc).
- Ataxia (impaired coordination and balance due to brain and nerve damage).
- Neural abnormalities (meningoceles – abnormal bulging of the lower back and dermoid sinuses – incomplete separation of the nervous system and skin as a tubular defect).
- Syringomyelia (formation of a cyst in the spinal cord)
Musculoskeletal
Their anatomy not only affects their face, but brachycephalic dogs can also develop other skeletal problems throughout their body. These abnormalities directly affect the shape and coating of the muscles.
- Screw tail (reduced number of bones in the area of the spine where the tail is formed by angular fusion of different bones).
- Skull malformation
- Failure of the cranial fossa to attain normal size
- Spinal cord twists at the craniocervical junction area
- Episodic cervical hyperesthesia (pain in the shoulder, neck, sternum, or ear area from cervical motion)
- Cranial synostosis (premature closure of the bones of the skull)
- Scoliosis (spine deviates laterally)
- Joint pain
- Muscle wasting in the hind legs
Physical
On a physical level, the brachycephalic condition affects normal function in the dog’s system. They may suffer from:
- Hyperthermia (poor body regulation causing overheating).
- Prone to heat stroke
- In pregnant bitches: Dystocia due to disproportion between the fetus and the pelvis (the puppy’s shoulders and head are wider than the birth canal and hips).
- Low resistance to physical activities
- Sleep disruption and sleep problems
- Prone to become overweight and obese
Dental
Given the shape of the skull, the teeth cannot be properly positioned and dogs may suffer from:
- Dental crowding (because of the little space in the mouth the teeth will protrude and be located elsewhere).
- Malocclusion (there is no alignment of the teeth).
- Gum infection
- High risk of plaque, cavities, and tartar.
12 cares required by brachycephalic dogs
You must pay attention to multiple aspects of your brachycephalic dog’s life so that he can have excellent health and well-being. Special care they require is:
- Don’t expose dogs to very hot temperatures and humidity (due to hyperthermia) or very cold temperatures (due to their respiratory condition).
- Keep them hydrated and in a cool environment with fans to make them feel comfortable.
- Feed them a healthy diet to avoid weight problems.
- Clean the folds of the face, tail, and eyes frequently to prevent infections from forming.
- Clean their teeth frequently to avoid food accumulation. Check out our blog for more detailed advice on how to improve your dog’s hygiene.
- Perform moderate exercise to keep your dog in good physical condition. Here we recommend 7 types of special exercises for brachycephalic dogs.
- Avoid actions and emotions that exalt them too much to prevent respiratory crises. Always try to keep calm behavior.
- Use a chest harness and avoid choke collars as they contribute to brain and airway pressure.
- Spay and neuter for their safety. In females, it is especially recommended because of the complex process of childbirth and the pain it causes.
- Make frequent visits to the veterinarian to monitor your dog’s health status and prevent or treat disease in time.
- Be careful with surgical procedures since they require anesthesia and this must be administered in a special way in these breeds.
- Be especially careful when traveling by road or flying.
Now you know how to properly care for your brachycephalic condition, as long as he has the right care and lots of love, he can lead a happy life!
