Rocketing cost of keeping cute handbag hounds
UK – but now there are more than 10,000.
Sandra Lawton, manager of the Glasgow Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre – said the number of abandoned small dogs has rocketed in the past 10 years.
“We never really saw a pug or a Frenchie (French Bulldog) who had been abandoned.
“Now they come in all the time as people struggle to cope with their needs.
“The short snout makes them look very cute but also gives them serious health problems.”
It’s important to remember, according to the Kennel Club, that companion dogs aren’t just cuddly toys.
“Underneath their fluffy exterior you have to remember that your Chihuahua is a dog,” said Aimee.
“Although they love affection they need to be walking around, sniffing and investigating things, and they need exercise.
“They’re not meant to be left in a handbag.” Kennel Club Assured price: approx £1500+ Independent breeder: £550 Health problems: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Can develop a twisted spine through disc disease. Reproductive problems. Cataracts. KC Assured price: approx £1200 and upwards Independent breeder: £500 Health problems: Can develop inflammation of the brain. Tends to suffer from breathing problems and a deformed back. KC Assured price: approx £800+ Independent breeder: £400 Health: Can develop a collapsed windpipe, slipped kneecaps, eye disorders, heart diseases, and water on the brain. KC Assured price: £1,000+ Independent breeder: £550 Health: Particularly prone to eye conditions like cataracts and rolled eyelids, kidney stones, muscular dystrophy and Von Willebrand’s disease (VWD), a blood clotting defect. KC Assured price: £800+ Independent breeder: £575 Health: Prone to mitral valve disease, a brain disorder called syringomyelia, eye problems like cataracts and keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or dry eye. KC Assured price: £550+ Independent breeder: £300 Health: Prone to inheriting underdeveloped kidney disorder. Eyes can bulge out of it socket. Can suffer from breathing problems and ingrown eyelashes. KC Assured price: £550+ Independent breeder: £350 Health: Can develop hip problems, slipped kneecaps, kidney disease, back and eye problems. Also prone to glaucoma or blindness. KC Assured price: £850+ Independent breeder: £400 Health problems: As well as cataracts, ulcers on the eye and knee dislocation, this breed is prone to several types of breathing problems similar to pugs and French Bulldogs. KC Assured price: £600+ Independent breeder: £300 Health problems: Portosystemic shunt, a kidney problem, is common in Yorkies, and can cost several thousand pounds to fix. Prone to developing a limp. KC Assured price: £1000+ Independent breeder: £350 Health problems: Can suffer from portosystemic shunt. Is prone to developing shaker dog syndrome and begin to shake uncontrollably.