Dogs with squished faces may be adorable. But that cuteness can come at a cost to the dogs. Among some breeds with such flattened faces, fewer than 11 percent can breathe easily, a new study finds.
Doctors describe the skulls of dogs with flat faces, such as pugs and bulldogs, as brachycephalic (Brak-ee-seh-FAAL-ik). Finding this attractive, people have bred dogs to have these features. But a shortened skull can narrow a dog’s airways. That can cause airway blockages, which lead to snorting and heavy and noisy breathing.
The problem is known as BOAS (short for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome). It develops when the bones in the heads and faces of affected dogs are shorter than normal.
Researchers have long known BOAS is a big problem for pugs and bulldogs. But little was known about its risk to ot...
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