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Department of Veterinary Medicine

Cambridge Veterinary School
 
David Sargan discusses Brachycephalic dogs on the Today programme

With the news from the Kennel Club that so-called ‘designer dogs’ or flat faced dogs, such as French bulldogs will soon overtake Labradors as the nation’s most popular dog breed, Dr David Sargan was interviewed by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to discuss why DNA testing for genetic abnormalities should be introduced. You can hear his piece at 1:22:19 here.

The respiratory disease found in these flat faced dogs is called “brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The BOAS Group, run by David and Jane Ladlow, are conducting studies to find the association between disease progression and dimensions of the skull and upper airway tract conformation. They are also collecting DNA samples to look at the genetic basis of BOAS. The aim of our research is to improve the health and welfare of brachycephalic dogs by reducing the incidence of severe BOAS and so give the dogs a better quality of life.