I’m a vet – the dog breed people think is cute but it’s really ‘broken,’ smelly and prone to loads of illnesses
A VETERINARIAN has revealed the dog breed that many people say is cute but are unaware of its health issues.
Cat (@cat_the_vet) explained English Bulldogs are extremely popular but are prone to several serious health conditions.
She sparked a debate among her 326,000 followers on TikTok after uploading a video captioned “The English Bulldog is broken.”
Cat said: “Pets that people think are cute but are not.
“And keeping with my recent theme of the flat-face breeds it’s time to find out how bad the English Bulldogs really are.
“A recent study has shown that they are 38 percent more likely to suffer from skin fold dermatitis.
“I don’t know about you but I can smell this guy in advance.
“And seven times more likely to suffer with cherry eye which is where their tear gland sticks out.”
Cat showed a closeup photo of an English Bulldog with visible redness and swelling on its eyes.
She continued: “And sidenote the way to fix cherry eyes is not to chop them out like some breeders advocate.
“That will leave the dogs vulnerable to horrible painful, dry eye conditions as they get older.
“They are 24 more times likely to have a severely undershot jaw which is hardly surprising because it’s actually written into the breeds standards.
“When you see a picture of their skull you can appreciate how many breathing problems and dental issues they suffer with because of it.
“They are also 19 times more likely to have Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) unsurprisingly.
“13 times more likely to suffer with painful interdigital cysts between their toes.
“And 12 times more likely to suffer from dry eyes probably because so many people decided that the way to cure cherry eye is to chop out their tear ducts.
“And to top it all off they are 11 times more likely to suffer with Entropian which is a painful condition where the eyelids roll inwards.
“Eight times more likely to suffer with demodectic mange and nearly five times more likely to suffer with generalized painful paw inflammation.”
Cat said research into English Bulldogs throughout the past 60 years has had similar findings with the breed plagued with many abnormalities and defects.
She explained that nothing has been done to improve the health issues despite the dog remaining one of the most popular breeds for animal lovers.
The vet added: “As a British person I am ashamed to have this dog as our national mascot.”
She included hashtags #cutebutnot, #learnontiktok, and #EnglishBulldog.
The video was watched over 26,000 times and people shared their opinions in the comment section.
One person wrote: “In 20 years of vet med, mostly emergency & referral. I have NEVER seen a healthy bulldog.”
Another commented: “Poor babies. They are a brilliant and kind breed.
“If only breeders would breed to eliminate these conditions and not so much for looks.”
A third said: “This ‘was’ my dream dog. I’ve wanted one for so long.
“I’ll stick with my cat. Thank you for highlighting these issues.”
A fourth added: “My sister’s dog has every single issue. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
Another wrote: “Can’t change my mind my bulldog is perfect!
“My rescue pity has WAY more health issues than my bully. If you take care of them they can be healthy.”