If you’re thinking about getting a cat or dog, it’s important to do your research.
For example, if you live in a small apartment you don’t want to get a dog that needs a lot of space to run around. knowing their life expectancy, and potential health risks are also important so that when it comes time to make big decisions at the vet you aren’t caught off guard.
Ben the Vet is a popular TikToker who also happens to be a veterinary surgeon. He recently revealed which cat and dog breeds he would never personally own and why in these viral videos. So if you’re an animal lover or in the market for a new companion, this info may be something to consider.
On TikTok, Ben the Vet reveals which dog and cat breeds he would personally never own and why
Before getting into it, Ben mentions he’d consider adopting these breeds from a shelter, but never go out of his way to purchase them
I’m a vet and here are four cat breeds I would never choose to buy. I say ‘buy’ because if it was a rescue situation and they needed to be adopted, then that’s different and I would consider them.
Remember that, as has been in the previous videos, this is just based on my personal experience as a vet. When we’re talking about health problems, there is science to back up what I’m saying, but ultimately, this is my opinion.
He then revealed which cat breeds aren’t his personal favorites
4. The Bengal
They are beautiful-looking cats. They have gorgeous coats. I can see why people like them. But what a lot of people aren’t aware of is that they’re a hybrid between a type of wildcat called an “Asian leopard cat” and domestic cat breeds.
So they’re still quite wild in terms of their behavior and temperament. And at the vets, they have a reputation for being quite aggressive. Usually, it’s out of fear, but they can actually be really quite dangerous to handle. They’re highly intelligent. They need a lot of stimulation, and unfortunately, a lot of homes just aren’t right for them.
3. The Sphynx
Nothing against them, they are nice cats. I just prefer to cuddle a fluffy cat.
2. Scottish Fold Cat
The reason is that their curly ears, which is their most distinctive feature, are actually because of a cartilage disorder called osteochondrodysplasia.
The problem is that this defective cartilage is also found in all of their joints, and this means that they commonly develop painful arthritis at a young age.
These are x-rays of normal joints at the bottom and quite obviously diseased ones at the top. For me, that is just cruel and unfair, and I could never support their breeding.
1. The Persian Cat
That is because of how flat their faces are and how many issues cause them with regard to their health and their day-to-day life.
As with the Brachycephalic dog breeds like French Bulldogs and pugs, there are some breeders that are trying to breed Persian cats with less extreme features, but in my experience, they’re in the minority, and on the whole, people are just far too accepting of the health problems that these cats have.
I have seen Persian cats whose noses look inverted into their face and their eyes bulge beyond their nose. People don’t realize they can struggle to breathe just as bad as some of the flat-faced dog breeds, and that’s for the same reasons on the whole.
Their nostrils are too small, all the bones in their nasal passages are crowded together, and they often have too long a soft palette at the back of their throat. Their tear ducts usually don’t work properly, so all of their eye boogers collect around their eyes.
Because of the shape of their heads and the fact that they have these bulging eyes, they’re very prone to issues such as corneal ulcers and which is called a corneal sequester.
They’re also predisposed to heart disease and a problem called polycystic kidney disease, which studies have shown affects 40% of them. Oh, and they’re prone to dental disease as well. So they’re a bit of a health disaster overall. And for that reason, I could never buy one.
You Can View The Full Video Here:
@ben.the.vet And now its the cats’ turn! 4 breeds I wouldn’t buy as a vet #learnontiktok #catlovers #miaow #veterinary #benthevet
Ben later explained why he prefers other dog breeds over these
5. The Chow Chow
Now, I’m sure there are some nice ones but I just find they often don’t have a very nice temperament. They can be really aloof and they’re often very aggressive at the vets, but it’s quite hard to fit a muzzle onto their face. They suffer quite commonly from a ton of eye problems, and their purple tongues are a bit unnerving.
4. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
They are the loveliest dogs, and if I were gonna pick a dog breed for myself, if it weren’t for all of their health issues, it would probably be the Cavi. But they do have loads of issues.
Pretty much all of them get the same kind of heart disease called mitral valve disease, which means that many of them spend their last days coughing and spluttering, struggling to breathe, and ultimately dying of heart failure.
Okay, they gotta die of something, but in my opinion, breeding a dog with such a high probability of disease is not fair.
3. The Dachshund
Again, they’re really lovely dogs and some of my favorite patients are sausage dogs, but one in four of them develop back problems in their lifetime.
That can range from just pain to complete paralysis. This frequently means they have to have spinal surgery, which is obviously a massive undertaking and has a really long recovery period. Again, fantastic personalities but just too much potential for heartbreak.
2. The Shar Pei
They even have a disease named after them called Shar Pei fever. There are people breeding less exaggerated Shar Peis, but most of them are too wrinkly.
They’re so wrinkly that they have to have their eyelids tacked in place so the hairs don’t rub on their eyes. They’re always getting skin issues. They’ve got tiny, narrow ear canals.
There are specimens of these dogs that are healthier than others, but they are so prone to so many problems: spinal issues, skin problems, eye problems.
At the vets, they’re often trying to bite the face off of all the staff. Most of the Shar Peis that I see have loads of health issues.
1. Basically any flat-faced or brachycephalic dog breeds like a French bulldog, or a bulldog, or a pug
Society has normalized the fact that these dogs’ snorting means that they can’t breathe very well.
There are specimens of these dogs that are healthier than others, but they are so prone to so many problems: spinal issues, skin problems, eye problems.
The fact that over half of them have to have a cesarean to give birth is enough of an ethical issue for me to never want to have one. If you’re okay with that, that’s fine, but for me personally, it’s not very fair.
You Can View The Full Video Here:
@ben.the.vet 5 dog breeds I would/could never own as a veterinary surgeon #dogsoftiktok #learnontiktok #veterinary #benthevet
For the most part, commenters seemed to agree with Ben’s assessments
h/t: BoredPanda