UROS and the Cone of Shame

This French Bulldog was born with a condition vets call UROS ("Upper Respiratory Obstruction Syndrome") a complex series of genetic defects deliberately imposed on the dog by breeders who have sought to follow their own agenda in canine design. The syndrome comprises a flat face, shortened nose, narrow external nares, bulky soft palate and narrow trachea (windpipe) as well as defects in the larynx. This means that the dog looks rather human but it can't breath properly. This particular dog was so badly affected that surgical amelioration has been attempted; but even the best surgeons are not able to make these dogs "normal." Many vets, like me, become passionately opposed to the dog breeding establishment because, in our view, they seem to be more interested in distorted breed standards than the health and welfare of the animals they breed.

The odd looking blue "ruff" that this dog is wearing is designed to prevent the dog damaging the surgical wounds before they have healed. These collars are a bore for the animals to wear but they are often essential to prevent wound problems. There are many variations on this theme. In the cartoon film "UP" one of the dogs, a Doberman, wears a similar device, which the other dogs call "the cone of shame."