If you're a regular PETA Files reader, you probably already know about the physical and psychological problems that plague specially bred (meaning inbred) dogs. Labrador retrievers commonly suffer from hip dysplasia, cataracts, and retinal degeneration. German shepherds are prone not only to hip dysplasia but also to spinal paralysis, epilepsy, and blood disorders. Bulldogs often develop heart problems and hip disease. (Purebred cats are prone to health problems, too, as I discovered after adopting an adult Siamese cat from a local rescue group and finding out that he has asthma—a condition that affects Siamese kitties more than any other type of cat.)

But a new study shows that breeding is messing with more than dogs' bodies: It's actually changing their brains. The study's researchers found that the brains of many dogs with short snouts, such as mastiffs and pugs, have rotated forward by as much as 15 degrees and that the olfactory bulbs of these animals have drifted downward—possibly affecting their ability to smell! Researchers aren't sure if these changes could also affect behavior, but they may.

This is just one more reason why breeding animals should be nixed—and dogs should be mixed!

Written by Paula Moore

allposters / CC

After years of breeding dogs that end up sick and short-lived (as was brought to light in a special BBC documentary), U.K. breeders are scrambling to change the very breeding standards that they touted a minute ago.

Following the BBC's decision to drop Crufts, the UK equivalent of the Westminster Dog Show, The Kennel Club in the UK has announced new breeding standards for 209 different breeds in an attempt to make the dogs healthier. For example, bulldogs will now be taller, leaner, and have smaller faces. But guess what? I think that I have a much more obvious solution:

Stop breeding dogs!

Mutts are usually far healthier than "purebreds," and millions of these angels are being euthanized every year because so many people search for the "perfect" bred dog. Breedism is sicker than the dogs it creates, and it is directly responsible for robbing shelter dogs of their chances to find happy homes!

The kennel clubs need to stop trying to sweep their abysmal code under the rug and drop the whole concept of breeding standards. Just pack 'em up and move 'em out already. The man who said, "[A] lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," is being sworn in on January 20, and everyone needs to swear by mutts from now on.

Written by Christine Doré

One of the many tragic things about breeders (I’m talking about the bad kind here, not the awesome, rockin’ kind) is that their obsession with generating a manufactured, unnatural series of traits in the animals they manipulate inevitably results (as you might expect) in a whole slew of health problems for the victims (not to mention an untimely death for the homeless animals who won’t be adopted as a result). I’m about to drop some science on you here, so bear with me, but this list, of the top 10 over-bred dog breeds in the U.S., is a stark reminder of the sacrifices that these people think it’s acceptable for animals in their care to make so that they can tell their friends that their dog is the fluffiest, or the shiniest, or whatever the hell it is they talk about when they’re not leaving hateful comments on this blog or writing big checks to help the AKC stifle laws designed to protect animals from abuse. Phew! Sorry for the run-on sentence (and the possibly unforgivable use of the phrase “drop some science”)—I tend to get a bit ranty when I talk about breeders. Here’s the list:

The Top 10 Most Over-Bred Dogs and Their Ailments
(Coincidentally enough, this is also the list of the top 10 most popular breeds, according to the AKC)

• Hip dysplasia—a hip disease that can lead to crippling, lameness, or painful arthritis
• Progressive retinal atrophy—degeneration of the retina, which can lead to blindness
• Cataracts
• Eye abnormalities
• Bloat—a life-threatening condition in which the stomach becomes overly filled with food, water, and air and may twist, cutting off access to the esophagus and small intestines; can lead to circulatory failure and death within hours
• Elbow dysplasia—a degenerative elbow disease which can lead to lameness or crippling

• Bronchitis
• Early tooth decay
• Poor digestion
• Paralysis in the hindquarters caused by herniated disks and other spine problems
• Fragile bones can easily be fractured
• Poor tolerance of anesthetics
• Abnormal skull formations in Yorkshire terriers measuring less than 8 inches (20cm)
• Birthing complications
• “Teacup” Yorkshire terriers often have serious health and behavioral problems
• Slipped stifle—a condition in which the knee-like joint above the hock in a dog’s hind leg slips; may require surgery
• Eye infections
• Gum weaknesses

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Blood disorders
• Digestive problems
• Epilepsy
• Chronic eczema
• Keratitis—an inflammation of the cornea
• Dwarfism
• Flea allergies
• Bloat
• Gastric disorders
• Panosteitis—a painful bone disease that causes periods of sudden pain and lameness
• Spinal paralysis
• Eye disease
• Skin conditions

• Heart problems
• Epilepsy
• Von Willebrand disease—a blood disorder that can cause prolonged bleeding from simple injuries
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Cataracts
• Congenital eye defects
• Hip dysplasia
• Skin allergies

• Hypothyroidism
• Demodectic mange—a skin condition that occurs when a dog’s immune system can’t regulate the number of mites living in the skin and mites proliferate, causing hair loss and open, crusty sores
• Umbilical hernia
• Epilepsy
• Eye and eyelid problems
• Cryptorchidism—absent or undescended testicles, which increases the risk of testicular cancer
• Dwarfism
• Hip dysplasia
• Intervertebral disk disease—slipped or ruptured spinal disks, which can cause pain and paralysis
• Luxating patella—a condition in which the kneecap moves out of place, can cause limping, difficulty walking and osteoarthritis, and may require surgery to correct

• Cardiomyopathy—a heart disease that causes abnormal heat beat, which reduces blood flow to the body and can lead to unconsciousness, collapse, and death
• Heart problems
• Subaortic stenosis—a narrowing of the outflow valve beneath the heart’s aortic valve, can lead to heart failure
• Epilepsy
• Tumors
• Hip dysplasia
• Allergies
• Deafness (in white boxers)

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Urinary stones
• Spinal disc problems
• Eye disorders
• Skin conditions

• Cataracts
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Allergies
• Severe skin disease
• Hip dysplasia
• Eye problems, especially runny eyes
• Ear infections
• Von Willebrand disease
• Bloat
• Addison's disease—an adrenal gland deficiency which requires lifelong medication and monitoring

• Spinal disc disease
• Respiratory problems
• Obesity
• Early tooth loss
• Eye problems
• Ear problems

• Cherry Eye
• Conjunctivitis
• Entropia
• Dermatitis
• Heart Problems
• Demodectic Mange
• Gastric Torsion and/or bloat
• Hip Dysplasia