A British vet has gone viral on Tik Tok recently after sharing a video in which he revealed five dog breeds he would never choose to own and the reason for each.
Ben Simpson-Vernon, a veterinarian based in Chigwell, England also known as @ben.the.vet on Tik Tok, shared a post which earned more than six million views in less than four days. No surprise there, as, in the video, he shared which five dog breeds he, as a veterinarian, would never choose to own. Shockingly, some very popular breeds made the list.
He starts the video by warning viewers “remember, it is ultimately my opinion […and] you may disagree.”
Chow Chow
Martha Stewart’s favorite fluffy dog makes the list as the first breed the vet would not want to own. “The first of five for me is the Chow Chow,” he says. “Now I’m sure there are some nice ones but I just find they often don’t have a very nice temperament, they’re really aloof. They’re often very aggressive at the vets, and it can be quite hard to fit a muzzle onto their face.”
He also added that they “suffer quite commonly [from] eye problems” and he finds their purple tongues “a bit unnerving.”
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The new King of England might not want to hear this, but the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel made the list as the second breed the vet would never own. He admits “they are the loveliest dogs,” but, unfortunately, they suffer from many health issues.
He admits: “If I was going to pick a dog breed for myself, if it weren’t for all of the health issues, it would probably be the Cavvy.”
He adds that “they do have loads of issues. Pretty much all of them get the same kind of heart disease, called mitral valve disease, which means that many of them spend their last days coughing and spluttering, and struggling to breathe, and ultimately dying of heart failure.”
Dachshunds, a.k.a “Sausage Dogs”
Describing them as “really lovely dogs” and even revealing them as some of his favorite patients, the breed unfortunately is prone to health problems, the vet says.
He explains that one in four develop back problems in their lifetime “that can range from just pain to complete paralysis.”
“This frequently means that they have to have spinal surgery, which is obviously a massive undertaking that has a really long recovery period,” the vet explaines. “Again, fantastic personalities, but just too much potential for heartbreak.”
Shar Pei
This wrinkly dog breed even has a disease named after it, the Shar Pei fever. The vet explains that their characteristic wrinkles cause health problems.
“There are people breeding less exaggerated Shar Peis, but most of them are too wrinkly,” he says. “They’re so wrinkly, they have to have their eyelids tacked in place, so their hairs don’t rub in their eyes.”
They also frequently have skin issues. The vet says “they’re often trying to bite the faces off all of the staff.”
Pugs, French bulldogs, bulldogs
The no.1 dog breed listed is not just one breed but “any one flat-faced or brachycephalic dog breed,” such as the French bulldog, bulldog, or pug.
“They are so prone to so many problems,” Simpson-Vernon says, mentioning spinal problems, skin issues, and eye problems amongst their many health issues.
“Society has normalized the fact these dogs snorting means they can’t breathe very well,” Simpson-Vernon states.
He also adds that “the fact that over half of them have to be a caesarean to give birth is enough of an ethical issue for me to never want to have one.”
“If you’re okay with that, that’s fine,” he declares, “but for me personally, it isn’t very fair.”
@ben.the.vet 5 dog breeds I would/could never own as a veterinary surgeon #dogsoftiktok #learnontiktok #veterinary #benthevet
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