Proceducres to manage BOAS rose from 16 surgeries in 2008 to 131 in 2018. 

RVC study highlights growing ‘canine welfare crisis’ in the UK.

French bulldogs are facing a dramatic rise in surgical procedures, according to a new study published by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

Researchers analysed theatre logs at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (QMHA) in London, and found a 2057 per cent increase in soft tissue surgical referrals between 2008 and 2018. Surgeries to treat breathing problems in flat-faced breeds rose by 800 per cent, with French bulldogs the most affected. 

Researchers hope their findings, published in Companion Animal Health and Genetics, could inform future planning, investment, and workforce training in veterinary services to better meet these new emerging clinical needs.

Dan O’Neill, Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College and co-author of the study, said: “Dogs are paying for our human desire to own dogs that no longer look like natural dogs. It is time for humanity to put the welfare needs of the dog ahead of our whims to own extreme and non-natural shaped animals, and to return to seeing the natural canine body shape as a thing of beauty.”

The study recorded a sharp rise in soft tissue surgical procedures from 659 in 2008 to 1,001 in 2018, largely driven by the increased requirement of specialist RVC surgeons to offer care for flat-faced dogs.

Procedures specifically to manage brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) rose considerably from 16 surgeries in 2008 to 131 in 2018, representing an increase of 813 per cent.

Other findings from the study include: 
    •    Almost half (45%) of all BOAS surgeries performed in 2018 were on French Bulldogs.
    •    The median age of the referred French Bulldogs in 2018 was just 26 months, suggesting a strong demand for young dogs and a shorter lifespan linked to chronic health issues.
    •    Domestic short hair cats were the most frequently presenting breed in both 2008 and 2018.
    •    Among cats, the Ragdoll showed the greatest change in referrals, increasing from one case in 2008 to eight in 2018.
    •    In cats, the subcutaneous ureteral bypass was the most common operation in 2018, with 27 performed, compared to zero in 2008.

Dr Alex Currie, former intern at the Royal Veterinary College and lead author of the study, said: “These findings demonstrate the welfare cost associated with flat-faced dogs, in addition to the financial and emotional toll on owners of managing the health needs of such breeds.”

Professor Dan Brockman, Professor of Small Animal Surgery at the RVC and co-author added: “This study was initiated to objectively examine how the role of the soft tissue surgeon in a referral environment has evolved over time.

"However, it is impossible to ignore the dominant, stark and devastating finding that human “preference” is creating a welfare catastrophe before our eyes and “on our watch”. I concur entirely with Professor O’Neill, it is time for this to stop.”

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