Welcome to this episode of The Underdog Vet Podcast! In this episode's 'Animal Advocate Interview' I spoke with Dr Rowena Packer BSc (Hons) PhD PGCert(VetEd) FHEA from The Royal Veterinary College here in the UK. Rowena is a Lecturer and researcher in Companion Animal Behaviour & Welfare Science. Rowena has published extensively on the effect body shape of some dogs has on their health and welfare and lectures student vets and nurses at The Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire. Rowena and I discussed her latest research about Pugs that suggests they can no longer be considered a typical dog, why they are still so popular despite being one of the unhealthiest breeds of dog and we consider if our love of certain dog breeds might actually be killing them. We mentioned a few terms some people may not be familiar with so I've explained them here: Toad Lines: Bulldogs deliberately bred with extremely deformed body shapes BOAS: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome Phenotypic variation/diversity: The variation in physical appearance within a population of animals fMRI: Functional magnetic resonance imaging is used to see which areas of the brain are active during certain activities Dystocia: Difficulty during the birthing process Disc extrusion: Herniation of the intervertebral disc in the spine Hansen type-I disc extrusion: A specific type of disc extrusion, most common type seen in dachshunds Paresis: Limb weakness caused by nerve damage Homozygous: Describes genetic conditions inherited from both the mother's and father's genes Hemilaminectomy: A surgical procedure used to correct herniated discs in the thoracolumbar spine Links: Rowena's latest research on Pugs: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/new-research-shows-pugs-have-high-health-risks-and-can-no-longer-be-considered-a-typical-dog-from-a-health-perspective BOAS Information: https://vetspecialists.co.uk/fact-sheets-post/brachycephalic-upper-airway-obstruction-syndrome-fact-sheet/ Brachycephalic Working Group: http://www.ukbwg.org.uk/ Cambridge Veterinary School BOAS Research: https://www.vet.cam.ac.uk/boas/about-boas/recognition-diagnosis RVC's Brachycephalic Clinic: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/specialist-referrals/advanced-techniques/brachycephaly-expertise RVC Vet Compass: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass Lafora Disease in Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds: https://www.dachshundhealth.org.uk/lafora-disease