What is a Deep-Chested Dog? All You Need to Know
You may have heard the term "deep-chested dog," but may not be aware of its exact definition.
Sure, by paying close attention to this term you can deduce that it simply means a dog with a deep chest, but how deep is deep to fit the definition?
In order to better understand this term, it's firstly important learning more about the anatomy of the dog's chest, and then taking a peek at some pictures.
As the saying goes: a picture is worth 1,000 words!
What Exactly is a Dog's Chest?
Anatomically, the chest simply consists of the part of the body that is located in the front part of the torso, more exactly between the dog's neck and the abdomen.
For sake of an example, imagine your dog's chest as a large suitcase that contains many important organs such as the lungs and heart.
And just like a suitcase, your dog's chest has a handle too! That "handle" is the spine, and just like a handle, it helps your dog stand up and move around.
Below is a picture that can give you a vague idea of where your dog's chest is located.
Rough location of your dog's chest area
What is a "Deep Chest" in Dogs?
In technical terms, a chest is considered deep when its length from the backbone to the sternum is relatively long (top-to-bottom, vertically) while the chest width from right to left is narrow (horizontally).
A deep chest therefore depicts depth, not width, points out Carina Macdonald, in the book “Knack Dog Care and Training.”
A tell-tale sign of a dog with a deep chest, is the chest bulging by the elbow area of the dog's front leg. This gives dogs the pronounced S shape when you admire them from the side.
Greyhounds boast a deep chest that gently curves into a graciously tucked waist. A good girth of the chest is a sign of great lung power.
What Dog Breeds are Deep Chested?
There are several dog breeds that are deep chested. Here is a list of some deep-chested dog breeds (the list is not exhaustive):
- Akita
- Great Dane
- German shepherd
- Rottweiler
- Irish setter
- Greyhound
- Labrador retriever
- Golden retriever
- Weimaraner
- Norwegian elkhound
- Bloodhound
- Saint Bernard
- Doberman pinscher
- Scottish Deerhound
- Irish wolfhound
- Ibizan hound
- Pointer
- Whippet
- Afghan Hound
- Poodle
A deep-chested great Dane. Notice the bulge at the bottom of the chest area.
What's The Function of a Dog's Deep Chest?
Because dogs were selectively bred to carry out different functions, the structure of a dog's chest may vary to meet specific needs.
In general, it can be said that the deep chest allows greater lung capacity which helps enhance a dog's endurance and athleticism. Energy ultimately depends on the dog's capacity to take in air to the lungs.
A deep chest allows more room to accommodate the heart, which translates into an improved ability to pump more blood and oxygen to the dog's muscles.
A deeper chest also allows dogs to take in more air which means increased sensitivity of their olfactory receptors, allowing them to detect scents from farther away. This may explain why bloodhounds are deep chested.
A deep chest can also come handy when living in the cold since it helps increase lung capacity and the ability to stay warm. This may explain why Saint Bernard are also deep-chested.
Deep Chested Dogs Are at Risk for Bloat
Deep-chested dogs are more predisposed to developing a potentially life-threatening condition known as bloat, which can lead to gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV).
The onset of bloat in dogs starts with the accumulation of gas in the stomach. The most common reason for the gaseous build-up in the stomach is swallowing air.
As the stomach distends, there are increased risks for it to flip on itself which leads to both the entrance and exit of the stomach to become obstructed.
When this happens, the gas is trapped in the stomach and the stomach continues to bloat (expand). This leads to a cascading chain of events.
The bloated stomach starts putting pressure on the diaphragm, causing breathing difficulties in the affected dog.
The bloated stomach also puts pressures on the large veins in the abdomen which are responsible for carrying blood back to the heart, therefore compromising the affected dog's blood circulation.
As the pressure of the gas on the stomach wall increases, insufficient blood flow reaches the wall, resulting in tissue death.
Once vital tissues are deprived of blood and oxygen, then systemic shock sets in.
Digestion stops and toxins accumulate in the blood which exacerbates the shock. As the dilatation progresses, the risk of the stomach wall rupturing increases, explains veterinarian Dr. Ivana Crnec in the article "why do dog stomachs flip?"
What Are the Signs of Stomach Flipping in Dogs?
Affected dogs may develop a variety of signs which get progressively worst. Owners of deep-chested dogs should therefore keep an eye for the following symptoms:
- Abdominal enlargement
- Stomach feeling tight
- Drum-like sound when tapping with fingers behind the last ribs
- Loss of appetite
- Drooling
- Restlessness
- Pacing
- Trouble breathing
- Retching, but being unable to vomit
- Hunched-up posture
- Pale gums
Treatment involves emergency surgery to rotate the stomach back into its regular position.
To eliminate the risk of future GDV episodes, the veterinarian may perform a preventative procedure known as gastropexy ( the surgical attachment of the stomach to the body wall) also known as "stomach tacking" or sometimes shortened as "pexy."
Why Are Deep-Chested Dogs More Prone to Bloat?
While any dog breed can get bloat, dogs with deep chests are more predisposed to bloat, and its dangerous complication, gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV).
Why are deep-chested dogs more predisposed to bloat and (GDV)? A deep chest shape alters the relationship between the dog's stomach and esophagus, decreasing the ability for the dog to burp and allows more room for the stomach to move and twist on itself. See picture below.
Because of the significant risks of bloat, breeders need to be extra careful to not go overboard when breeding dogs with deep chests.
The greyhound in 1864, By John Henry Walsh Edition
How Likely is My Deep-Chested Dog to Get Bloat?
While we know for a fact that the dogs at higher risk for bloat are those with deep and narrow chests, how much they are at risk is calculated by getting a depth-to-width ratio.
This is done by first measuring the dog's chest depth from the spinal column to sternum, basically, from the top of the dog's shoulders to the lowest point of the chest.
Next, the dog's chest width is measured across the broadest part of the chest, (usually just behind the front legs), from right to left.
So if the width is 30 centimeters and the width is 15 centimeters, you would divide the depth by the width and the ratio would be 2.0.
The number obtained tells you how much room there is for stomach movement in the abdomen, behind the ribcage. The higher the number, the greater the risk of developing bloat, explains veterinarian Dr. Jerold S. Bell in an article for Veterinary Information Network.
Dogs with a thoracic depth-to-width ratio less than 0.75 were categorized as barrel-chested dogs, while dogs with a ratio great than 1.25 were considered deep-chested dogs.
Lean dogs are also particularly predisposed considering the fact that, fat helps take up space, making the stomach less likely to flip.
Other Health Risks of Deep-Chested Dogs
Another possible health risks of deep-chested dogs is what's known as "splenic torsion." Fortunately, this condition is rather uncommon, but it can turn fatal quickly if not addressed.
As the name implies, a splenic torsion consists of the spleen rotating on itself and cutting its blood supply, rather then the stomach twisting on itself.
Similar to the stomach flipping, splenic torsion is mostly seen in Great Danes, German shepherds, English bulldogs, and other large/giant-breed, deep-chested dogs, explains Dr. Marc Seitz, a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
To further add insult to injury, deep-chested dogs are also prone to what's known as Lung lobe torsion (LLT). In this case, it's the dog's lung lobe to rotate, leading to another his life-threatening disorder requires immediate surgical intervention. This condition is more common in Afghan hounds.
What Are The Traits of Deep-Chested Dogs?
Deep-chested dogs in general, share the following traits:
- The chest is taller than it is wide. The chest's bottom typically protrudes by the dog's elbow area.
- The deep chest allows plenty of room for a dog's heart and lungs. This allows better breathing and cardiovascular function, which translates into superior endurance and athletic ability.
- Many dog breeds that are deep-chested are large to giant dog breeds.
- Many deep chested dogs are used for running. This is because the deep chest allows efficient locomotion as it balances the dog's center of gravity. This ultimately aids the dog's stride length and stability at high speeds, allowing these dogs to cover ground quickly and efficiently.
- The weight of deep-chested dogs tends to gravitate more towards the front. This may cause more stress to a dog's front limbs and shoulders.
- Deep-chested dogs are predisposed to bloat. This is because their deep chests allow more room for the stomach to distend and potentially twist on itself.
It's important to point out that, not all dog breeds with deep chests will necessarily share all of these characteristics.
A Doberman with a very deep chest
Is a Harness OK For Deep-Chested Dogs?
As an owner of a deep-chested harness, I can attest that fitting a deep-chested dog with a harness can be a bit of a challenge.
Here's why: in as nutshell, most harnesses that are able to go around the dog's chest, end up being too large around the dog's neck. Finding the perfect fit may therefore be a bit of a challenge and a matter of some trial and error.
If you find that perfect fit, then, yes, it's OK for deep-chested dogs to wear a harness as long as they're comfortable walking in it!
What Are Some Different Chest Types in Dogs?
On top of being deep, a dog's chest may present various other shapes and forms. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to dogs, as they come in all shapes and sizes!
Barrel Chest: this chest type resembles a barrel, hence its name.
Overly round in form, when seen in cross-section, the barrel chest creates very round contours and causes the front legs to spread out preventing them from overturning.
Examples of barrel chested dogs are bulldogs, Boston terriers and Lhasa apsos.
Oval Chest: this chest type is deeper than wide. When seen in cross-section, it appears oval in form.
This chest type in dogs allows a flat surface for effective shoulder blade movement.
Oval Tapered Chest: this chest type allows a flat surface for effective shoulder blade movement and permits leg convergence.
Its flat surface allows more surface area for pound of weight, which turns advantageous in hot climates.
Narrow Chest: as the name implies, the chest is narrow.
A picture of an English bulldog with a barrel chest and a Saluki with a deep chest
References:
Veterinary Information Network: Risk Factors for Canine Bloat. This article lists lean, deep-chested dogs at higher risk for bloat.
Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Schellenberg, Simpson K, Lantz GC (1997): Multiple risk factors for the gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome in dogs: a practitioner/owner case-control study. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 33, 197–20
In this study, dogs with a thoracic depth-to-width ratio <0.75 were considered barrel-chested dogs, and dogs with a ratio >1.25 were considered deep-chested dogs.
Clinician's Brief: Canine Lung Lobe Torsion
Han S, Yun M, Song K. Comparative Assessment of the Vertebral Left Atrial Size in Healthy Adult Dogs. J Vet Clin 2022
Photo Credits:
The greyhound in 1864: being the second edition of a treatise on the art of breeding, rearing, and training greyhounds for public running …By John Henry Walsh Edition: 2 Published by Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, 1864 Public Domain
Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or behavioral advice. If your dog is acting sick or aggressive please consult with a qualified professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
