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Daily Record
Lifestyle
Jacob Rawley

Vet lists 10 dog breeds that he would never own - and shares reasons why

A vet has shared the 10 dog breeds he would never choose to own and explained the reasons why.

While finding the right dog is an incredibly personal decision, the animal expert explained which breeds that he personally wouldn't own due to problems such as health issues or aggression.

Posting on TikTok under the username @ben.the.vet, Ben Simpson-Vernon has now shared his reasons for why he wouldn't own at least 10 different dog breeds.

He previously went viral after naming five breeds, but has now shared another clip bringing the list to 10.

However, as he had previously said, he would consider rescuing these breeds. The clip has already amassed over 2 million views, and sees the vet start off his latest list with the Doberman.

The Doberman

Doberman dogs are prone to a type of heart desease (Getty Images)

He explains: "I've met many lovely, lovely dobermans, but it's shocking how many of them get a kind of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy... It's over half of them.

"So, the majority of Dobermans get this kind of heart disease [and] it typically has quite a poor prognosis."

The vet then recounts a sad experience in which a Doberman died before he could intervene due to the condition. Understandably, Ben says "That was a traumatic enough experience for me never to want one."

The Border Collie

A Border Collie needs to be kept active (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"They are quite healthy, [although] they are quite prone to epilepsy,"Ben starts. "But I just find that they're a dog breed that doesn't adapt very well to the sedentary life of being a pet."

He adds that "their brains need to be constantly stimulated" and that they "want to work". If they aren't kept busy they can "go a bit loopy", says Ben.

The Boxer

Boxers can have a long list of health issues (Getty Images/EyeEm)

The vet explains that he's met many lovely boxers however they have a long list of genetic problems.

While showing a book that compiles diseases, Ben said: "The boxer has 74 diseases in their section."

This included brain tumours and skin tumours. "you name it, they get it," the vet says.

The Great Dane

They only live for seven years on average (Getty Images)

In this instance, Ben admits: "I think I'm just not a big dog person at heart.

"My car isn't big enough, my house isn't big enough, the vent bills are huge because all of the drug doses are dosed by weight, which costs more money.

"Also they often only live until the age of seven."

Flat-coated Retriever

This breed is prone to a type of cancer (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"This is a really hard one because the flat-coated retriever is a wonderful family dog," Ben says for his final pick.

"If you are a veterinary oncologist, you'll see a lot of these dogs because they are very prone to a type of aggressive cancer called histiocytic sarcoma.

"They are the poster child of this disease [and] around 50 percent of all flat-coats die of cancer."

He concludes: "I would just want to avoid this heartache if I can."

Chow Chow

Ben often finds this breed to be aloof (Getty Images/EyeEm)

In Ben's personal experience, they often don't have a nice temperament, which puts him off rom owning one.

He explained: "I'm sure there are some nice ones but I just find they often don't have a very nice temperament, they're really aloof.

"They're often very aggressive at the vets, they suffer quite commonly with eye problems and their purple tongues are a bit unnerving."

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels also have health issues (Getty Images)

Ben said: "They are the loveliest dogs. If I was going to pick a dog breed for myself, if it weren't for all of the health issues, it would probably be the Cavvy.

"But they do have a lot of issues. Pretty much all of them get the same kind of heart disease, called mitral valve disease, which means they mainly spend their final days spluttering and struggling to breathe, and ultimately dying of heart failure.

Dachshund

Dachshund dogs often suffer back issues (Getty Images)

Otherwise known as a 'sausage dog', ben warned that back problems were common for this breed.

He said: "They're really lovely dogs, some of my favourite patients are sausage dogs, but one in four of them develop back problems in their lifetime."

Shar Pei

Shar-Peis' loose skin can become a health problem (Getty Images)

"There are people breeding less exaggerated Shar Peis, but most of them are too wrinkly," Ben says. "

They're so wrinkly they have to have their eyelids tacked in place, they're always getting skin issues and they've got tiny, narrow ear canals.

"At the vets, they're often trying to bite the faces off all of the staff. Most of the Shar Peis I see have loads of health issues".

Any "flat-faced" dog breeds

Flat faced dogs have breathing problems (Getty Images)

Breeds such as as bulldogs or pugs can have serious breathing problems in their life, says the expert.

He said: "Society has normalised the fact these dogs snorting means 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 issues."

He said: "Spinal issues, skin problems, eye problems. The fact that over half of them have to have a caesarean to give birth is enough of an ethical issue for me to never want to have one."

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