Immune System Breakdown: Comparing bp morphs to purebred dogs

[sorraia]

I can't really say anything about snakes, because I am new to the different morphs of ball python... but in regards to dogs...

My whole live I've only ever had mutts. Most of my family and friends have only ever had mutts. There have only been a couple purebred dogs here and there that I've known. NOT ONE SINGLE mutt I've known has been healthy. At least half of them have had some kind of hip or elbow problem, most of them have had allergy issues, some of them have had mental issues, etc. My uncle has some purebred Basset Hounds, and I haven't heard of any issues he's had with them. My aunt had a purebred Dalmatian who had issues, but he also contracted parvo as a pup which contributed to some of those issues (mutts get parvo too, though). When I was a child my neighbor had a purebred Dachshund, and as far as I could remember he was healthy as can be up until he became an old little dog. Then one day he slipped a disk and had to be put to sleep (something I understand happens to Dachshunds and other long-backed breeds, but with this dog it didn't happen until he was OLD). A ranch I worked at had a purebred cattle dog, and I can't remember any health issues that dog ever had.

Not saying purebreds are better than mutts, just saying there's an awful lot of sick mutts out there too.

The problem is HOW the animal is bred. The problem with mutts is not that health problems are being selected for because they are associated with the desired traits, BUT they are inheriting issues from their purebred ancestors. Where a German Shepherd may have hip problems and a Collie has eye problems, a cross between those two breeds might end up inheriting BOTH issues. Doesn't always happen that way, but my experience tells me it happens a fair amount, but it seems in general people don't acknowledge it, instead focusing on the issues purebreds have because "everyone" knows purebreds are unhealthy.

I think in the end, the animals are only as good as the breeders who produce them. In a natural setting where generations and generations of random breeding take place, nature will select for the strongest. The "strongest" only means those who are best suited for the environment they live in, it really is not a single standard. What is a deleterious trait in one environment, may actually be an advantageous trait in another environment. For example... sickle cell anemia in humans, actually advantageous for those individuals who live in areas where malaria is common. The problem with captive breeding programs is that humans make the selection, and humans have a tendency to look at what they consider "pretty", "attractive", or otherwise "beneficial". There is a tendency to ignore the long term effects of these selections, and that can result in serious ramifications for health, whether the animal is purebred, wild type, or a mutt.