Persians

posiepurrs

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I have been seeing a lot of posts all over the internet about Persians being unhealthy because of being bred to show standard. This statement is in the least misleading and worst, just plain WRONG. If a Persian comes from a caring, knowledgeable breeder the cat should have no problems breathing. A good breeder will breed for large nares (nostrils) among other qualities. Most of the problems come from back yard breeders or people who don't have the knowledge to breed responsibly. PLEASE, when you buy any pedigree pet (cat or dog) DO YOUR RESEACH!! I will get off of my soapbox now and go clean litter boxes.
 

Willowy

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Do brachycephalic cats still need special consideration when it comes to anesthetic/flying/etc.? I know brachy dogs do, even if they come from a good breeder. Which means, yes, that head shape does have a negative effect. I don't think it's bad to point these things out.
 

lutece

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I've been told that Persians require special consideration under anesthesia because they can react badly to ketamine (this can be true of other breeds as well), but this is a different issue from brachycephalic head shape. I don't know if the head shape itself presents problems for anesthesia. I'm not a Persian breeder or owner.
 
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posiepurrs

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I was not saying that Persians (or any breed) do not have challenges, because they do. What I was trying (poorly I guess) to say was that you can not lump ALL Persians into 'they are unhealthy because they have a short nose' group. With any breed of cat or dog, you need to learn about the issues, be it medical or temperament before buying and consider if you can deal with them. A good breeder will be open and upfront about health issues that can afflict the breed - because all animals have them. Yes, Persians do present a challenge with anesthesia. They are sensitive to some anesthesias (as are other breeds) and require care when intubating (but we would expect care to be taken anyway I hope!).
 

di and bob

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I have cats that are normal in the head shape and nose department and they have trouble with breathing at times and snore terribly. I agree that you shouldn't lump all Persians as having trouble, I think most breeds all have their individual traits and problems, but you shouldn't lump them all together, most breeders are very concerned about labeling and try to avoid it when they can by careful selection and breeding.
 
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