Your local vet probably won't tell you to stop getting pugs and bulldogs, but deep inside, they really want to urge dog lovers to think about buying these pure breeds. The reason is that the features people love about them so much - their cute faces, squished noses, and double-curled tails - are all genetic defects.
Having these anatomical features actually causes them pain and suffering such as difficulty breathing and eating which could lead to more serious conditions like overheating or cardiovascular stress. The British Veterinary Association has issued several statements expressing their concern over the popularity of these breeds, and they urged people to reconsider a different breed or a crossbreed instead.
Although there's some debate on whether mixed breeds are healthier than pure breeds, data from a study has shown that out of 24 genetic disorders, there is a higher incidence of 10 genetic disorders in pure breeds than in mixed breeds with only one disorder being higher in mixed breeds. The rest are equally distributed.
In fact, some of the more famous pets online actually had health problems. Lil Bub and Grumpy Cat both had genetic mutations that caused them to look funny, but in reality, they were going through some painful conditions. Lil Bub had osteoporosis and died of a bone infection, while Grumpy Cat had dwarfism and died from urinary tract infection.
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