Chow Chow (Low Risk Brachycephalic Breed)
Chow Chows are technically a brachycephalic but not one that typically suffers from many BOAS issues. However Chow chows can suffer from a higher than usual number of common health issues including Hip & Elbow dysplasia, thyroiditis, diabetes and a number of eye disorders. From a transport point of view the ones of more concern are stomach cancer, Gastric torsion (Bloat) and heart conditions.
Like all the low risk Brachycephalic breeds as they age or if they are overweight they tend to be less tolerant of heat and in any situation where they do become stressed or anxious for any reason, even due to other unrelated health issues they may have more difficulty breathing which can exacerbate the problem.
We therefore do still have to ensure that owners are aware that we consider them to be a breed at risk during transport, that we will make transport decisions as best we can based on the information provided by the owners rather than requiring veterinary checks and that there are additional terms & conditions they need to be aware of and accept.