From friendly Labradors to fluffy Poodles, many of the most popular dogs in the world are purebreds.
Until now, it was generally believed that pure breeds are more prone to health problems than mixed breeds.
In a new study, researchers from Texas A&M University have finally debunked this long-standing myth.
“There are several known diseases that are common in specific dog breeds,” says Dr. Kate Creevy, chief veterinarian of the Dog Aging Project and professor in the VMBS Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.
‘This has helped perpetuate the misconception that all purebred dogs are more susceptible to disease, but that is not the case.’
From friendly Labradors to fluffy Poodles, many of the most popular dogs in the world are purebreds. Until now, it was generally believed that pure breeds are more prone to health problems than mixed breeds. In a new study, researchers from Texas A&M University have finally debunked this long-standing myth
In their study, the researchers wanted to understand whether purebred animals such as Labradors (stock image) are more or less likely to suffer from health problems than mixed breeds.
As the title suggests, purebred dogs come from one breed, while mixed breed dogs are dogs whose genetics are a combination of more than one breed.
In their study, the researchers wanted to understand whether purebreds are more or less likely to have health problems than mixed breeds.
The team surveyed the owners of more than 27,000 dogs about possible diagnoses.
The results showed that within the 25 most common purebred breeds, a total of 53 medical conditions were reported.
“The medical conditions reported by purebred dog owners varied considerably,” Dr Creevy said.
“However, some conditions were common among the top 10 reported health problems by race.”
Among these 25 breeds, the 10 most common conditions were tartar (hardened plaque), dog bites, pulled teeth, giardia (a parasite), osteoarthritis, seasonal allergies, ear infections, heart murmurs, broken teeth and cataracts.
Meanwhile, the most common reported conditions in mixed-breed dogs were very similar, with cataracts and heart murmurs replaced by broken toenails and chocolate poisoning.
Some conditions – such as tartar and osteoarthritis – occurred with approximately the same frequency in both purebred and mixed-breed dogs.
Conditions such as pulled teeth and dog bites were more common in purebreds. However, other problems, such as ear infections, were more common in mixed breeds (stock image)
Conditions such as pulled teeth and dog bites were more common in purebreds.
However, other problems, such as ear infections, were more common in mixed breeds.
‘Of the 53 medical conditions reported by owners, 26 did not differ significantly between mixed-breed and purebred dogs,’ said Dr Creevy.
Aside from debunking the long-standing myth, the researchers hope the findings will be useful to anyone considering buying a dog.
‘People should consider many factors when choosing a dog, including the environment, lifestyle, social interactions and physical activity available to the dog,’ said Dr Creevy.
‘Planning for both preventative veterinary care and medical care as the dog ages is also wise.
“Dog owners should also talk to their primary care veterinarians about the types of medical problems to which their new dog may be particularly susceptible, based on breed, size, gender, etc.”