It is essential we recognise that brachycephalic cats have many of the same problems as brachycephalic dogs, with the most severely brachycephalic individuals having the most serious health problems. Persians, a major brachycephalic breed, are one of the oldest breeds, but their ‘type’ (shape) has changed over time, becoming ever more extreme.”ĭanièlle Gunn-Moore, Professor of Feline Medicine, University of Edinburgh and co-author said: “Along with growing health and welfare concerns for brachycephalic dogs, our studies raise the same concerns for brachycephalic cats. There is a growing preference for pedigree cats and brachycephalic (flat faced) breeds. Petra Černá, Intern in Small Animal Internal Medicine, University of Edinburgh and co-author said: “Cats are quite rightly the most popular pet in much of the world. Additionally, owners of Persians need to be especially alert to dental, eye and haircoat issues in their cats and seek treatment at the earliest signs of ill-health.” Hopefully this evidence baseline will kick-start demands to reform the Persian breed’s health by breeding towards a less extreme body shape. Now, our new study of Persians provides evidence that cats with flattened faces are similarly predisposed to some unpleasant and debilitating conditions. This enabled them to identify health trends in the Persian cats who were treated under general veterinary care across the UK in 2013.ĭr Dan O’Neill, lead author and VetCompass veterinary epidemiologist at the RVC, said: “Welfare concerns over brachycephaly [flat faces) in dogs have been recognised for some years. The academics behind this study analysed the clinical records of 3,325 Persian cats using the RVC’s VetCompass™ programme. Meanwhile, the high levels of haircoat problems seen in this RVC study are associated with the thick and long coat of the Persian which is prone to tangling and matting. Previous research has shown that this abnormal head shape has been associated with various health problems in dogs, as well as cats. ![]() The high levels of dental and eye problems seen in Persians are thought to result from the brachycephalic, commonly referred to as ‘flat- faced’, shaped heads of these cats.
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