Ben the Vet passes on his advice on a further set of five dog breeds that he wouldn’t buy although he says that he might adopt one from a rescue center and he stresses that this is his opinion. That’s a good point as vets are particularly aware of health issues and probably more sensitive to them compared to the typical dog owner who frankly is more interested in appearance than health or the costs of dealing with health issues which continues to relentlessly climb in the UK.
In his TikTok video he starts off with the Doberman which he shockingly states has a strong predisposition to contracting a killer heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy which affects the majority of Dobermans (more than 50%).
He confesses that a Doberman dropped dead of the disease in front of him on one occasion which must have been a shock both to him and the caregiver.
He is becoming sensitive to implied criticism from providing advice on dog breeds that he would not buy rather than those he would buy. But I think he is very correct in highlighting these serious inherited diseases. It is shocking that so many dog breeds are so inherently unhealthy. One does not want to sound negative but there is a need to be realistic and hope that the dog associations change their breed standards and make demands to improve health. They’ve been criticised for a long time about poor dog breed health and very short lifespans in some breeds.
I love dogs, I promise, I’m just fussy!
Ben
There is an underlying major problem in the dog fancy or world of purebred, pedigree dogs which is health. Dogs are taken to the vet more than cats and some of these breeds make taking out a health insurance plan essential. This puts up the price of veterinary care which can put some people off taking their dog to the vet is they are uninsured and on modest incomes with low savings.
Dobermans can also be ear-cropped which is illegal in the UK and painful. Not good when you add that to the dilated cardiomyopathy. It seems that humans are not doing a great job in breeding and owning the Doberman. They could do better.
RELATED: Is Doberman ear cropping legal and how do they do it?
He also says that the border collie is unsuited to being a typical pet as they want to work and they need to be constantly stimulated. Not all caregivers have the time and the commitment to do that.
