More and more so-called “fashion dogs” are showing serious signs of long-term overbreeding and, in general, these phenomena have an extremely negative impact on the animals’ health. The best-known example of long-term overbreeding is undoubtedly the German Shepherd, in which the signs of overbreeding appear after a certain age in the form of hip dysplasia. But other dog breeds, such as the Pug and the French Bulldog, not only have joint problems, they also show other signs of overbreeding.
What is overbreeding anyway?
Overbreeding is generally referred to as the physical and health condition of a dog or an entire breed that is significantly impaired by years of breeding in accordance with the criteria of the breed list. The breed list for dogs provides precise information about which external characteristics a dog must meet and the respective breeds are then bred according to these criteria, despite the significant health problems that this can cause. To take the example of the German Shepherd Dog again – a typical feature of this dog breed is the sloping backbone towards the hind legs, which means that dogs of this breed usually suffer from hip dysplasia due to years of breeding, a misalignment of the hip joints and its consequences.</ p>
The symptoms of overbreeding do not only show up in the musculoskeletal system
The other examples already listed, the Pug and French Bulldog, were bred over generations to have a flat and flattened snout, which can result in the animals having considerable breathing difficulties. Due to over-breeding, mucus drainage is no longer guaranteed properly in this breed of dog. In fact, many Pug or French Bulldog owners have to regularly intervene and clear the animals’ respiratory tract of mucus. A typical sign of this serious overbreeding of these two breeds is extremely loud snoring when sleeping.
What can be done?
Genetic damage caused by years of breeding different breeds can unfortunately hardly be reversed. Therefore, dog lovers who are interested in an overbred breed must be aware that the animals can sooner or later develop a wide variety of health problems, such as a joint problem in German Shepherds or cartilage wear due to overloading. For this reason, every dog owner should take preventative measures and also take action in the event of acute joint problems.
DOG FIT by PreThis® JOINTS, which is specifically designed to address joint problems in dogs, contains high-quality joint nutrients in the ideal dosage for every dog’s weight. JOINTS has proven itself for many years as a preventive joint protection and to relieve acute joint problems.
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