People must stop buying 'lilac' and 'Merle' coloured dogs, which face a lifetime of skin conditions, and extreme breeds selected to resemble toads, the vice president of the British Veterinary Association has warned.
Daniella Dos Santos said Instagram was driving a trend of new 'extreme' breeds facing a lifetime of health problems, that cost as much as £10,000.
She said buyers are failing to realise that dogs whose fur is a soft lilac colour, or whose fur is affected by a genetic condition called "merle" which creates patches of colour and odd-colour eyes, are treated as disabled by reputable breeders.
Different breeds of bulldogs are also being overbred, she warned, coming with a catalogue of health issues including how they have trouble breathing, skeletal issues and are unable to fully close their eyes.
New breeds being advertised are dogs like "exotic bullies", bred from the American Bully, below, that is favoured for its fearsome look and strong jaws, costing as much as £10,000 a puppy.
Another example is the "toad line bully", which have extremely short legs and very muscular bodies. Because of their unnaturally compact shape, they face skeletal problems as well as other health issues.
The designer dog was bred with an aim of creating the smallest in size but biggest boned bulldogs possible. They sell for as much as £6,000.
Ms Dos Santos also warned about the long rope French Bulldog, which are bred to have a large flap of folded skin over the nose, known as the "rope", impeding breathing. They are on sale online for around £6,000
It is currently against the law in Britain to knowingly breed dogs with disabling genetic conditions. However, this is rarely pursued and there has not yet been a test case.
Ms Dos Santos told TheTelegraph “there is a worrying rise in dogs bred to look extremeand toad-like” and criticised sellers online marketing them as exotic and desirable.
She said: “What we are seeing now is a growing number of irresponsible breeders breeding extreme dogs, often called exotic bullies, muscle tone pocket bullies, long rope french bulldogs, and toadline bullies.
"We do have a real concern about the increase in popularity of these dogs, the health consequences that come with as well. And we are seeing that often these dogs are advertised for sale via Instagram and other social media platforms. Instead of being realistic about what these deformities mean, they are advertised as glamorous, rare and desirable. There is a link between this - people wanting the most unusual dogs and these health problems."
The trend for buying these dogs has been imported from the United States, and many of them also have to suffer having their ears cropped as puppies. The government is considering a ban on imported dogs with cropped ears after UK vets said they had seen a rise in puppies with chopped off ears in their practice.
The vet explained: "We are talking about really painful skin folds, where the skin is folded over and you get painful infections, we are talking about a lifetime of eye problems, they can’t shut their eyes properly, spinal problems, mobility problems, a lot of them are flat faced so come inherently with problems breathing."
The colouring of the deformed puppies adds a new dimension to their lifetime of pain, Ms Dos Santos said.
"The breeders are trying to breed lilac coloured dogs, which is a genetic condition they are choosing for when they breed which results in skin problems, skin inflammation and hair loss. We are seeing an uptick in interest in Merle dogs. Merle genes we see intermittently in collie dogs, and we see these are associated with deafness and blindness.
"These breeders are choosing the colours to breed from just for the colour in the full knowledge that they have health problems. They charge huge prices for them because of their social media popularity. We are really really concerned that this is an escalating welfare problem for these dogs.
“We are keen to see a wider awareness of these extreme breeds so buyers aren’t being sucked into buying these dogs and possibly signing up to a lifetime of heartbreak when the dog that becomes a member of their family and has health problems."
The government has said it will crack down on this illegal practice, and that it is unacceptable for breeders to deliberately select for puppies which have painful skin conditions.
A Defra spokesperson said: “The UK is a world leader in animal welfare and we are committed to cracking down on unscrupulous breeders who breed dogs purely out of financial greed at the expense of their welfare.
“Our Animal Welfare Regulations prohibit the breeding of dogs where this could be reasonably expected to harm the welfare of either the mother or puppies. This includes breeding dogs to ensure that they are a particular colour, which puts them at risk of harmful skin conditions.”
