'It's not normal, it's just been normalised' - addressing the impact of extreme breeding.

Veterinarians must challenge normalized breed-related suffering and support evidence-based welfare reforms.

This article addresses the critical issue of extreme breeding practices and their normalization within veterinary and breeding communities. Lauren Bennett, representing the RSPCA, advocates for renewed commitment to combating harmful conformations that cause suffering in animals. The piece emphasizes that many breed-related health problems have become so commonplace that they are often accepted as normal rather than recognized as pathological. The author argues for a paradigm shift in how the veterinary profession and breeding organizations approach congenital conditions associated with selective breeding for exaggerated physical traits. The RSPCA's forthcoming strategy aims to reinvigorate efforts to tackle these issues systematically. The article challenges the normalization of suffering by highlighting that conditions resulting from extreme breeding are not inherent to the species but rather consequences of human selection pressures. This perspective piece calls upon veterinary professionals to actively engage with proposed strategies to improve animal welfare by addressing the root causes of breed-related health problems rather than simply managing their clinical manifestations.

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