In the Carolina Rain... — voicesofthedistantsea: toxeh: arsanatomica: ...

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See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna
voicesofthedistantsea
arsanatomica

Given how different these skulls look, it’s hard to believe they’re the same species. They’re cats. 

The one on the left is your normal garden-variety cat, and the one on the left is a Persian cat. The capability of selective breeding to mold muscle and bone, is absolutely phenomenal.  

Artificial selective breeding is creature design in practice, bringing to life creatures, in ways designers for games and movies can only envy.

(I posted these photos on my twitter account, challenging followers to identify them. They were correctly identified by User Deadly Beloved)


toxeh

I honestly feel very bad for persians / pugs / animals with smashed in faces.

That’s not a healthy looking skull…

voicesofthedistantsea

It is very much not a healthy skull- the animals bred to have smooch faces may look ‘cute’, but they have numerous health issues related to breathing, and in pugs, their eyes are known to actually pop out if they are on normal leashes and occasionally from being over excited.

carolinarain

Okay, slow down on the myth spreading guys. Yes, brachycephalic animals are predisposed to certain issues because simply being brachycephalic brings on a whole host of issues (stenoic nares or narrowed nostrils if you will, elongated soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules, tracheal stenosis to name a few). To put it quite simply, it takes more effort for a brachycephalic animal to pass air through its nostrils and airway than it would a non-brachycephalic just because of the nature of their bodily structure. The reason it is suggested that brachycephalic dog breeds (like the pug, pekinese, boston terrier, cavailer king charles spaniel, english and french bulldogs, and shih-tzu) are walked with a harness that wraps around the body rather than the neck is because of things like their predisposition to tracheal stenosis and everted laryngeal saccules. Why? Because 99% of dogs pull on their leashes, hard, due to lack of owner behavior modification. Especially in small dogs. And when little Fluffy is going bonkers and pulling at the end of a leash that is attached to a collar around their neck it puts an increased amount of pressure on the esophagus of a dog that is already at a higher risk of having esophageal issues. 

Now, as far as eye proptosis (the abnormal protrusion or displacement of the eye) goes, this can be brought on by trauma (usually fighting with another dog, a head injury, or sometimes even if someone scruffs the dog violently and pulls its skin too harshly away at the back of its neck) and is considered a medical emergency. If your dog ever has an eye proptosis (and trust me, you’ll know.) get them to the vet ASAP because time is of the essence if you want any hope of trying to save the eye. (Had to throw that PSA in there!) Now, this can happen to any breed of dog, however in brachycephalic dogs can be more affected because the nature of their skulls cause them to have a more shallow eye socket. However, just because they are more susceptible doesn’t necessarily mean we should go around making people think it’s something that could happen when their dog sneezes or coughs.

Its important to do your research, know your dog breed, and know about things that could potentially harm it. Teach your brachycephalic dogs how to walk calmly and politely on a harnessed leash. Not just for the sake of easing pressure on their tracheas, but when they get all nutty and start breathing heavy that puts stress on them as well. Knowledge is power guys, be responsible pet owners. If you own a brachycephalic dog or cat and are concerned, talk to your vet. Don’t go taking things people say on tumblr as gospel. Even the things I’ve just tried to be informative about are in no way shape or form to be an acceptable form of veterinary advice. I’m not a veterinarian. Know yours, talk to yours, be a responsible pet owner, don’t spread myths and promote fear as a way of spreading knowledge.

That is all.