Breeding, not lifestyle, linked to increase in dogs developing more allergies

A leading veterinary expert believes the real culprit behind an increase in pet allergies could be the growing popularity of flat-faced dogs

Dr Dan O'Neill says the apparent rise in pet allergies could be caused by the changes in dog breeds we own, particularly flat-faced dogs like pugs.

A Tipperary-born veterinary expert says the cause of allergies and illnesses in dogs is not their pampered lifestyle but their genetics.

Dr Dan O’Neill, a senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, noticed an apparent rise in conditions in pets over two decades during the course of his veterinary work.

“I was in general practice for 22 years,” Dr O’Neill says. “During this time, a huge proportion of my time was spent dealing with problems in dogs that were likely to be allergic in origin: sore ears, general itchiness, infections between the toes, runny eyes, repeated diarrhoea and many more. These problems often seemed to be associated with certain dog breeds whereas some other breeds seemed to rarely show allergic problems.

“My perception was that allergic conditions, especially skin and bowel problems, were getting more common over time... however, we had very little robust data back then to even report how common these problems were in dogs." 

Dr Dan O'Neill

Media reports in recent days have suggested the apparent rise in allergies is linked to human intervention - dogs are living indoors more often, eating food intended for human consumption and are cleaner than ever before. Dr O’Neill is sceptical of this interpretation.

“Moving an outdoor species such as the dog into an indoor environment may well be associated with increasing allergies but indoor living conversely brings many other improvements to the quality of life of dogs – there is a reason why mankind moved from living in cold caves into insulated warm houses,” Dr O’Neill says.

“So moving out beloved pet dogs back to living outside the house may not be acceptable to most owners.” 

Dr O’Neill thinks the real culprit could be the changes in dog breeds we own, particularly flat-nosed dogs which are more likely to suffer from conditions including sore ears, anal sac problems, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis and dermatitis. It’s an area he has researched in some depth.

"There is evidence that French bulldogs and pugs are predisposed to sore ears and also to nasty skin fold infections that may have an allergic underlying trigger."

“If allergic conditions are getting more common in dogs over time, this may really just reflect the recent and dramatic changes in the breeds that we now own,” he says.

“Certain flat-faced breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs have become hugely popular over the past decade. There is evidence that these breeds are predisposed to sore ears and also to nasty skin fold infections that may have an allergic underlying trigger. So it may really just be that the breed structure of the dogs we own is changing rather than a true rise in intrinsic allergies.” 

The solution, according to Dr O’Neill, is to avoid buying a flat-faced dog and instead consider a more traditional breed.

“It is widely accepted that we are now in the midst of a dog welfare crisis related to the huge demand for flat-faced dogs that have some major health problems associated with them. 

The most basic action that owners could think about to reduce the risk of allergic or other problems in their dogs is to choose their breed with health rather than looks in mind. 

"It may be fine to love the look of flat-faced dogs but not to go out and buy one. This is why the general message now to owners is to ‘Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’.” 

For owners who already have a flat-faced dog or a dog with an allergic disease, Dr O’Neill suggests speaking to your vet to determine a treatment plan.

“It is well worth having a discussion with your veterinary surgeon about how to deal with this. We are all aware of how common allergic problems are in humans - asthma or skin problems for example. But this also shows that there are many therapies that help to reduce the unpleasant symptoms that come with these disorders. There are similarly lots of treatment options for dogs. And your vet can advise on these.”