ABSTRACT: Brachycephalic canines have grown in popularity, but many owners are unaware of pre-existing breed related health conditions. Brachycephalic breeds most encountered in practice include British Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs. The veterinary team are faced with challenges in the medical and surgical treatment of these patients. Therefore, there needs to be a collective effort to increase public awareness of the breeds predispositions and educate owners on safely improving the animal’s welfare. Methods to achieve awareness include nursing clinics, social media, veterinary websites and improved veterinary communication with the breeding community.

Author

Hannah Campbell BSC (Hons) RVN

Hannah graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2019. During training she was regularly involved in the nursing care of British and French Bulldogs c-sections. This inspired her honours project to focus on the nursing implications of overbreeding brachycephalic canines, which was published in ‘The Veterinary Nurse’ in June 2020. Shortly after qualifying Hannah worked in a small animal hospital in Bermuda. Hannah has recently moved back to the UK and works at a small animal practice in Cardiff. She now hopes to become more involved in nurse clinics and raising brachycephalic awareness.

Keywords: Brachycephalic; nurse clinics; education

To cite this article:  Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 36 • June 2021

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