Purebred Dogs Far Sicker Than Crossbreeds

A new study from UC Davis has found that pure bred dogs are far more likely to suffer from serious genetic-related illness than crossbred dogs.

The researchers evaluated records for more than 90,000 purebred and mixed-breed dogs that were examined at UC Davis’ veterinary medical teaching hospital between 1995 and 2010. From this group, 27,254 dogs were identified as having one or more of 24 genetic disorders, including various types of cancers, heart diseases, endocrine-system ailments and orthopedic problems, as well as allergies, bloat, cataracts, epilepsy, an eye lens problem and a liver condition. The 24 disorders were selected for the study because they can be diagnosed accurately, are highly prevalent in the overall dog population and are debilitating to the extent that owners would seek veterinary care for the animal. In addition, the selected disorders represent a variety of different locations and physiologic systems in the dog’s body. The researchers found that the prevalence of 13 of the 24 genetic disorders was approximately the same in purebred dogs as in their mixed-breed counterparts. Ten were found more frequently among purebred dogs, and one such disorder was more common in mixed-breeds.

The UC Davis study screened out all lesser-known breed-specific diseases, greatly skewing health data in favor of purebred dogs, but still the research shows that purebred dogs are much more likely to suffer from serious and costly genetic problems than crossbred dogs.

This, of course, is nothing new as insurance records have proven the case for years and years,which is perhaps why the UC Davis press department tossed out the study's actual data in favor of a headline which is demonstrably not supported by the work itself.
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