Some breeds that have been bred by humans to achieve a desired appearance suffer from serious health problems: breathing difficulties, joint damage, eye problems, or limited ability to communicate – the list of diseases and affected animal breeds is long. But what exactly is torture breeding?
Torture breeding refers to individual animals that have been bred to have characteristics that are highly pronounced and can cause pain, suffering, or distress. Torture breeding is prohibited under Section 11b of the German Animal Welfare Act.
The most common torture breeding characteristics, their effects on health, and the animal breeds affected are described in the following sections.
Short head (=brachycephaly)
Brachycephalic breeds are affected by a lot of health problems caused by their special skull shape. The most common problems include (see also article Brachycephalic syndrome):
Affected dog breeds: French, English, and American Bulldogs, Boxers, Chihuahuas, Pugs, Pekingese, King Charles Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Toy Spaniels, Mastiffs
Affected cat breeds: Persian, Exotic, and British Shorthair
Short tail or tailless
A short tail is associated with various spinal deformities. This can lead to neurological disorders in the hindquarters. These can include loss of sensation, paralysis of the hind limbs, and urinary and fecal incontinence. Social communication is also impaired without a tail. Cats are also unable to balance themselves.
Affected dog breeds: French and English Bulldogs, Dachshunds, Bobtails, Cocker Spaniels, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Rottweilers, Pugs
Affected cat breeds: Manx, Cymric, Japanese and Kurilian Bobtail
Hairlessness
Hairlessness disrupts thermoregulation and leaves the skin unprotected. This can lead to skin problems, allergies, sunburn, and skin cancer. Cats also experience skin thickening, inflammation, and fungal infections in skin folds. Their social communication is disrupted by hairlessness. The absence of tactile hairs also impairs their sense of touch.
Affected dog breeds: Chinese Crested Dog, Mexican and Peruvian Hairless Dog, French Bulldog (hairless), American Hairless Terrier
Affected cat breeds: Sphynx, Devon Rex, Lykoi
Dwarfism
Shortened limbs in relation to a long body can be accompanied by malformations of the intervertebral discs and slipped discs.
In dogs, the following also occur:
Affected dog breeds: Basset, Dachshund, Beagle, Corgis, English Bulldog
In cats, limited mobility can lead to obesity, arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Difficult births, spinal curvature, and funnel chest also occur. The life expectancy is greatly reduced.
Affected cat breeds: Munchkin, Minuet, Minskin
Dilute gene
The dilute gene is a genetic color variation that causes the coat color to lighten. It causes the melanin (=color pigment) in the hair to clump together, making the coat appear lighter. This results in colors such as blue, silver, or champagne. The dilute gene can be associated with the hereditary disease color mutant alopecia (CDA), which causes hair loss, itching, and skin inflammation. In Weimaraners, the dilute gene is permitted in the breeding standard, as it does not appear to have any negative effects on this breed.
Affected dog breeds: Chihuahua, Doberman, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever
Affected cat breeds: Chartreux, Russian Blue
Chiari malformation and syringomyelia
Chiari malformation is a skull malformation at the junction of the skull and cervical spine that occurs in small, brachycephalic dogs, particularly in the majority of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The altered skull bones and a thickening of the meninges cause the posterior cranial fossa to become overcrowded. This puts pressure on the cerebellum and brain stem. This can cause part of the cerebellum to fall into or through the foramen magnum into the spinal canal. This disrupts the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which then accumulates in the cavities of the brain and spinal cord. This results in hydrocephalus and syringomyelia (=formation of cavities in the spinal cord). Affected dogs experience scratching and pain attacks as well as sensitivity to touch in the neck area. As the disease progresses, neurological disorders occur, which can lead to partial paralysis of the limbs up to complete paralysis of all four limbs.
Affected breeds: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Affenpinscher, Griffon Bruxellois
Hip joint malformation
Hip joint dysplasia (see corresponding article) leads to hip joint inflammation and osteoarthritis and is accompanied by pain.
Affected breeds: German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler
Malposition of the eyelids
Drooping eyelids (see corresponding article) can lead to conjunctivitis and constant eye discharge.
Affected breeds: Neapolitan Mastiff, Great Dane, Mastiff, Basset, Spaniels, Newfoundland, Boxer, Pug
Rolled eyelids (see corresponding article) are associated with conjunctival and corneal inflammation, corneal ulcers, and hypersensitivity to light.
Affected breeds: Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, Chow Chow, Shar Pei
Cysts on the back
Some deep cysts cause pain, paralysis of the hind legs, and even inflammation of the meninges and spinal cord.
Affected breeds: Rhodesian and Thai Ridgeback
Merle factor
The merle factor is a genetic variation in coat color. It causes irregular, mottled patches in the dark base color on a lighter background. This is accompanied by malformations of the eyes and inner ear, deafness, and resulting social behavior problems and developmental disorders.
Affected breeds: Collie, Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Corgi Cardigan, Australian Shepherd, Dachshund, Dunker, Bergamasker Shepherd Dog, Berger des Pyrénées, Berger de Beauce, Mudi, Old German Shepherd Dog, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, French Bulldog (color bully), Pug (colored pug), Aussiedoodle, Aussiedor
Grey Collie Syndrome
Grey Collie Syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by a silver-gray discoloration of the coat. It is associated with severe problems in the formation of white blood cells. Their number drops sharply at regular intervals. Affected collies are therefore susceptible to infections. This leads to frequent inflammation of the gums and diarrhea. Antibiotics must be administered on a permanent basis to protect against infections. The dogs often die at an early age.
Various Collie breeding lines are affected.
Dalmatian coat color
In addition to the typical coat coloration of Dalmatians, deafness is also inherited. In these dogs, the migration of pigment cells to the inner ear is disrupted. However, these cells are necessary in the hair cells of the inner ear to convert sound waves into nerve impulses. Almost ten percent of Dalmatians suffer from hearing impairment. Two percent are deaf in both ears. In the US, where different breeding standards apply, as many as 22 percent of Dalmatians are deaf in one ear and eight percent in both ears. Dalmatians with a lot of white in their coat and blue eyes are particularly affected.
In addition, Dalmatians lack an enzyme for breaking down uric acid. They are therefore prone to developing urinary stones.
Tea cup breeds
Tea cups are small breeds that are created through the selective breeding of small and weak animals. The size difference between the mother and her puppies can lead to problems during birth, particularly with hydrocephalus puppies. The large eyes in a small face can cause corneal damage and eye infections.
Affected breeds: Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher, Yorkshire Terrier, Toy Poodle
Gigantism / Giantism
Gigantism is a genetic growth disorder that leads to excessive production of growth hormones. The resulting extremely large dogs often suffer from osteoarthritis, elbow or hip joint dysplasia (see corresponding articles) due to the high load on their bones and joints. They are also prone to bone tumors. Their deep chest puts them at high risk of gastric torsion (see corresponding article). Giant dogs age earlier and have a significantly shorter life expectancy than smaller breeds.
Affected breeds: St. Bernard, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Mastiff
Excessive skin folds
Wrinkle formation is associated with a tendency to skin inflammation with hair loss, pustules, skin redness, skin keratinization, and severe itching. It can also lead to mucinosis, a disease that causes the skin to become doughy in consistency.
Affected breeds: Shar Pei, Basset, Bloodhound, Pekingese, Toy Spaniel
Folded ears
Folded ears are associated with several health problems. These include:
Affected breeds: Scottish Fold, Highland Fold, American Curl, Poodle cats
Color gene White
In white cats, deafness is also inherited with the color gene. Some white cats lack the so-called Corti organ in the inner ear. This is necessary for processing acoustic signals. Deafness is particularly common in white cats with blue eyes. Approximately 60 to 80 percent of those with two blue eyes are deaf.
Affected breeds: Turkish Angora, Persian, Maine Coon, British Shorthair, Russian White
Color variations
The dilute gene also causes a lightening of the coat in horses. The resulting color variations, cremello, perlino, and smoky cream, have eyes and skin that are more sensitive to UV light. They quickly get sunburned and have more frequent skin problems such as dry skin, skin infections, or eczema. Palominos and cremellos are also more frequently affected by squamous cell carcinoma (=skin cancer).
Color breeding on Splashed white causes irregular white markings on the head, legs, and belly. These horses can be deaf if splashed white is very pronounced.
Silver-colored horses may have eye malformations that can manifest as bulging eyeballs and cysts.
Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS) causes various neurological disorders and overstretched joints in lavender-colored (light gray-brown) Arabian thoroughbred horses. Affected foals die shortly after birth or have to be euthanized.
Unphysiological anatomy
Arabian horses with extremely concave noses have difficulties in breathing due to the narrowness of their nasal passages and therefore show performance limitations. They are also more susceptible to respiratory infections because the natural cleansing process of the respiratory tract is impaired.
In Tennessee Walker horses, the small, delicate head can lead to a less stable head-neck connection. This can affect their balance.
Miniature horses and ponies
Miniature horses and ponies have a range of health problems. Their deformed bodies, with spherical heads, shortened necks and/or chests, enlarged joints, and bent front legs, cause them severe pain in some cases. The small skull causes crowding of the teeth and malocclusion. This leads to problems with eating. In addition, cleft palates occur, resulting in breathing problems. Miniature horses tend to be overweight. This can lead to secondary diseases such as laminitis, hyperlipidemia syndrome, and equine metabolic syndrome (see corresponding articles).
Rabbits with very drooping ears are prone to ear infections, deafness, and have a restricted field of vision. This affects lop-eared rabbits, for example.
In large rabbit breeds, the high weight leads to sole ulcers, circulatory disorders, and osteoarthritis. German Giants are affected, for example.
In long-haired breeds, the thick coat causes heat build-up, restricted movement and gastrointestinal disorders due to hair being swallowed. Angora rabbits are affected by this, for example.
Birds with an extra-long neck or featherless or particularly heavily feathered body parts can suffer from balance disorders, inability to fly, and impaired vision. This affects canaries, for example.
In pouter pigeons, the crop can become inflamed.
Buyer demand has a strong influence on animal breeding. Desired physical characteristics have been bred into animals, leading to significant health problems. The extreme short-headedness of many dog breeds is a prime example. Counteract these trends. When making your purchase decision, be sure to prioritize the welfare and health of the animal. Don't just think about its appearance. Find out more, for example, from the database of the Qualzucht-Evidenz Netzwerk (QUEN) at https://qualzucht-datenbank.eu/.
Numerous advertisers still use supposedly cute-looking torture breeds as advertising faces. Be critical of the public portrayal of animals that may be suffering: don't leave any likes and think carefully about which animals you want to show on your social media.
If you own an animal of a torture breed, pay particular attention to specific health problems. Your veterinarian will be happy to advise you on breed-specific preventive care. You can make an appointment directly via petsXL.
A horse is quite large, and the damage it can cause is considerable. In the event of an accident, the costs can easily run into several thousand dollars. A substantial sum may also be required if our horse falls ill or even needs surgery. Not to mention the financial worries if we lend our horse and it has an accident while being ridden. It is therefore very sensible and important to think about what would happen in the worst-case scenario. There are plenty of insurance policies available. Every horse owner and rider should find out exactly what is available and choose the right policy for their needs. Below is a list of some insurance policies and situations where they might be needed.
The word brachycephaly comes from Greek and means short-headed or round-headed. It describes the hereditary shorter and wider skull shape of some dog and cat breeds, which is reminiscent of the "childhood pattern" of young animals. The health consequences of this shortened facial skull are far-reaching and are referred to as brachycephalic syndrome.
Laryngeal whistle syndrome, also known as hemiplegia laryngis or recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), describes the paralysis of one side of the laryngeal muscles caused by a disorder of the nerve responsible for controlling them. The disease manifests itself through a typical sound during inhalation, which is why riders often say that the horse has a "tone." Large horses are particularly affected, with geldings and stallions more commonly affected than mares.
Liver disease has a complex effect on metabolism. Symptoms are nonspecific and only appear when 70% of the liver is no longer functioning. This means that liver disease is only detected once it is at an advanced stage.
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"My horse isn't too fat." That's what many horse owners think – and they're wrong. Assessing a horse's weight isn't easy, and horse scales aren't usually available on site. With a little practice, you can use body condition scoring to assess your horse's nutritional status yourself.
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