With more and more dogs experiencing significant health issues, should we reset their breeds to start on a healthier footing? In any case, this is what Professor Clare Rusbridge, specialist in veterinary neurology at the British University of Surrey, recommends, who points to the spread of cross-breeding as the origin of a large part of the problems currently observed.
In the columns of the British daily newspaper The Guardian, she states that the implementation of thoughtful and controlled crossings, with the aim of returning species to their original state, would make it possible to cure many ills. This would, for example, prevent French bulldogs from suffering from spinal cord diseases and respiratory problems, or even Cavalier King Charles dogs from being affected by skull deformations and heart pathologies.
Stops the decline
“Around 10 years old, they all have a heart murmur,” says the expert about them. And most of them die of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).” This heart disease has become so widespread that in 2022 Norway’s Supreme Court ordered a ban on Cavalier King Charles breeders due to their limited viability to say the least.
But if there are genetic manipulations that could make the breed more resilient, Clare Rusbridge recommends instead orchestrating its return to its roots by “cleansing” its genetic heritage instead. Otherwise, she fears that the general condition of these dogs will continue to decline and that we will witness similar phenomena for other dog breeds.
“It wouldn’t take much crossbreeding to get back to a dog that looks like the original”summarizes the scientist. “Let’s reset the species.” This idea is not entirely new: The Guardian cites the case of Finland, which has already taken measures to remove the genetic material from several dog breeds that prevents them from doing as well and living as long as in the past.
Although these methods are increasingly popular among animal specialists, we are far from consensus. Britain’s Michael Levy, who runs a club dedicated to breeding Cavalier King Charles, says it is better to select the strongest individuals of the species, prevent dogs affected by MMVD from reproducing and thus gradually rebuild lines where recurring health problems will gradually become old history.
