Breeding French bulldogs so that they breathe well — A long way to go

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science published an interesting study on French bulldogs due to an urgent need for breeding efforts to improve the health status of these dogs.

They identified parameters that could serve as a basis for breeding against brachycephalic syndrome and simultaneously monitored the genetic variation within the breed.

They concluded that to establish a strict breeding strategy with the exclusion of phenotypically compromised individuals, it would critically reduce genetic diversity within the breed.

According to their findings, there is no viable short term solution for reducing the prevalence of brachycephalic syndrome in the French bulldog population and slow progress must be accepted to avoid a devastating reduction in genetic diversity within the breed.

Link to the open-access paper.

 

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