Dr Dan O'Neill

A Dog's Life with Anna Webb

We’re joined by Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor for Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and co-founding ICECDogs member. We’re chatting about the ICECDogs - the International Collaborative on Extreme Conformations in Dogs. Particularly discussing the recently published position paper, the aim of which is to help owners to recognise good innate health in dogs. The paper was heavily informed by research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). The first of its kind, it provides a guide for animal caregivers, and the wider public, to identify healthy natural physical characteristics in dogs and to predict and assess potential health and welfare based on body shape. This will help anyone who cares about dogs to understand how likely a dog is to suffer from negative impacts resulting from an extreme conformation. Dr Dan explains that no dog owner ever wants an unhealthy dog, but the huge popularity of dogs with extreme conformations suggests that many owners have not fully grasped the link between body shape and quality of life for dogs. The aim to raise awareness at all levels - owners, prospective owners, breeders, and underline that dogs should be dogs, and not click bait on social media.

Find out more :

The full ICECDogs paper, can be accessed here

More information about the UK’s Brachycephalic Working Group, can be found here

More information about the RVC’s VetCompass research, can be found here

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Music and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People Productions

Cover art by Jaijo

Cover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

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