Approved breathing paths for parents of brachycephalic puppies born within the Swedish Kennel Club will become a requirement from the turn of the year.
It is the breeds Pug, French and English Bulldog that are covered by the new requirement, writes the Swedish Kennel Club in a press release.
All three breeds have issues with their breathing, even if it does not apply to all dogs. The most common problems are that the brachycephalic dogs have too narrow nostrils and that it becomes too narrow in the throat.
The dogs' cranium becomes shorter through breeding and then the same amount of soft tissue mass has to fit on a smaller surface. The result is that the dogs have difficulty breathing.
To meet the requirement, the parents need to obtain approved results in a breathing examination conducted by a veterinarian. Dogs that are not approved may not be used for breeding.