English Bulldogs Require Infusion Of New Bloodline To Survive Amid Health Problems.

The cross-breeding of the English Bulldog is required to ensure its survival amid growing health problems. The selective nature of breeding for physical traits has made the Bulldog so inbred it cannot be returned to health unless with an infusion of new bloodlines, a genetic study published in the journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology suggests. The U.S. researchers have said that the Olde English Bulldogge, a related breed from America, is likely a candidate. The English Bulldog breed, which is also known as the British Bulldog, has cultural association with the United Kingdom, but has also been adopted worldwide. The breed is of gentle temperament and requires low-maintenance. But the breed suffers from several medical conditions, including breathing difficulties, skin allergies and mobility problems. Pedersen and his colleagues from the Center for Companion Animal Health conducted tests on the DNA of 102 registered English Bulldogs to determine its genetic diversity. However, the results show that the dogs have very low levels of diversity. Comparisons between the 102 registered bulldogs and an additional 37 animals suggest there was no difference genetically between the registered animals and dogs from commercial breeders. Pedersen noted that there are some English Bulldogs that can breed normally and give birth normally, while there are some that are more mobile than others, there are some that can breathe better than others, and some that don't have the skin allergies and auto-immune disorders. He added that it's hard to find one individual that contains all of those traits. You may have one English Bulldog that does not have the extreme changes in the head so that they breathe easier, but they may have lots of skeletal problems that lead to extreme arthritis.continue