Welfare Considerations of Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome in Dogs

Abstract

Small brachycephalic dog breeds have had a recent period of popularity. Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome (BOS) is a term used to describe the many ocular problems these breeds suffer from, largely as a result of their conformation. The exact presentation of BOS is often breed dependent but corneal health is often poor in the affected animals. When treating corneal disease in these breeds, attention must be given to correcting the underlying causes, the eyelids, cornea and tear film need to be thought of as one entity. Medial canthoplasty is the usual surgical treatment to improve facial conformation, but support of the tear film and correction of aggravating factors such as ectopic cilia and distichiasis may be required. As well as the treatment of individual cases, the development of guidelines and potential legislation to encourage the breeding of dogs with less extreme conformation is desirable. Public information plays an important role in educating the public on the problems associated with these breeds so they can think carefully before purchasing one and should they do so, what care they require. Information © The Author 2023