In general, representatives of the French Bulldog breed are strong and healthy dogs. However, like everyone else, there are certain specific diseases and features in the breed.
Nose
The French bulldog has a flat face, short muzzle and a condensed breathing system; it is this breathing system that gives the breed its commonly known snuffles, sniffles and snorting noises. It is this system that also makes the French bulldog a bad candidate for anaesthesia; this is one aspect that should be talked about with your vet before any surgery is undertaken.
It is common knowledge that bulldogs are known as “snorers”, but it should be noted that not all of them. Of the nine dogs in my kennel, only one often snores and “grunts” when excited, two more – only occasionally, and the rest almost never. But in extreme heat, many bulldogs have loud breathing.
This fact is due to the fact that bulldogs have short and curved nasal passages. Dogs with constricted (pinched) nostrils snore more often and more strongly, which is a serious disadvantage according to the standard.
Also, if your bully’s nose tends to be spongy or dull and rough, it needs to be greased. I have had good experiences with milking fat and quartan ointment.
Allergic
In addition, Frenchies are very often prone to various allergic reactions, and it is worth noting that more often than others they are white or spotted dogs. As a rule, this begins with the dog scratching the ears, there is an outflow from the ears, severe redness and baldness of the auricles, and the skin on them becomes rough, and thickened. The authors of the site do not consider this a disease of the ears, this is a consequence, and the cause is a disease of the internal organs. In this regard, it is better to try to treat from the inside. To do this, I use drugs to cleanse the body and improve metabolism. The use of the following drugs gives very positive results: “Tsamaks”, “Erilan”, “Vetom”, “Purified Sulfur”, “Mezim-forte” or “Festal”, “Karsil” or “Essentiale”, “Aminovit”, “Tykveol”, course of immunostimulants. Of all the ear drops, I like Tetra-delta more, but we must keep in mind that it contains hormones, albeit in small quantities, so there may be a gradual addiction to the drug, and not to abuse it.
Those places that dogs have combed, usually on the ears and body, we recommend lubricating with Sinaflan, this ointment quickly softens and relieves itching. With such complex treatment, changes for the better are visible after 3-4 days. The whole course is 10-14 days. If the dog is prone to allergies, then you should not bring it to a serious condition, as soon as you notice that it starts combing its ears again, drip Tetra-Delta, usually 1-2 times is enough. Of course, such a dog needs to carefully select a diet, very gradually introduce new foods, observing the reaction of the body.
Due to its short fur, the French bulldog is one of the most easy-care dogs. Nevertheless, the care of the dog should never be neglected. The eyes, facial folds, paws and claws, ears and anus require special attention.
Eyes
You should devote yourself to your bully’s eyes every day. They have little protection and are particularly vulnerable to injury. In case of redness and watery eyes, you should immediately consult a veterinarian. The discharge in the eyes (also called sleep) is of a harmless nature. You only need to wipe them off with a damp cloth. It is not advisable to use cotton and cellulose, as their fluff can irritate your Bully’s eyes. Better to use gauze and clean clothes.
Facial Wrinkles
You have to clean the facial wrinkles as necessary. The facial folds are ideal breeding grounds for parasites. Neglecting to clean facial wrinkles can lead to nasty infections. You can use any fragrance-free baby oils and creams for care. Since the French bulldog’s facial skin is particularly sensitive, avoid strong rubbing movements! If you have a piebald, you need to clean their facial folds daily to avoid turning their hair brown!
Paws
The paws should also be checked regularly. If your dog persistently licks its paws, this could be an indication that a foreign body has entered. Severe redness between the toes and the balls of the feet can indicate sweat gland eczema. Make sure this doesn’t become chronic! Otherwise, this can lead to the sweat glands becoming sclerosed and your bully would suffer from cracked bunions and the resulting walking difficulties for the rest of his life. If your Bully runs over softened tar roads in summer, this can lead to hair sticking together and the formation of lumps between the balls of the feet and toes. You can loosen and rub out the tar with pure butter, for example. This avoids inflammation. In winter, roads and paths can often be cleared of ice with salt. Be sure, that you clean your Bully’s paws immediately after a walk with a damp cloth. Under no circumstances should you let your bully lick the salt off his paws. If your paws are cracked or rough, you can rub them with castor oil or deer tallow. This is also ideal protection against the cold.
Claws
The claws of every dog grow and sometimes need to be trimmed. If your Bully walks a lot on hard ground, his claws will shorten naturally – apart from the thumb claw, as this has no contact with the ground. If he has little exercise or moves mostly on soft ground, the claws must be shortened every two to four weeks. If the claw care is neglected, the overly long claws can grow in or your dog can get caught somewhere with them and pull them out in the process. To shorten the claws, there are special claw pliers in specialist shops. Be careful not to cut into the perfused part of the claw. Injuries to the claw nerve bleed profusely and are very painful for any dog. We do not recommend using your own nail clippers,
Ears
The ears of the French Bulldog must be checked regularly and cleaned at least every two weeks. Commercially available ear cleaning agents (available in specialist shops or from veterinarians), which you use according to the instructions for use, work very well for cleaning. Superficial dirt or earwax is best removed with cotton swabs. Dip this in the solution or in baby oil. Be extremely gentle when cleaning your ears and only put the cotton swab in your ear as far as you can see in good light. Never go deeper into the ear, as the risk of injury is too great. Hearing damage can result. Please also make sure that no water gets into your bully’s ears. Water in the inner ear can lead to severe inflammation.
Anus
The anal glands are arranged in a ring around the anus and on both sides under the anus in the anal sacs. They serve to mark the territory by secreting secretions when defecation. These glands can become clogged with a build-up of secretions. In order to prevent inflammation and abscesses, the anal glands must be expressed in good time. In the early stages, a build-up of secretions manifests itself as itching in the anus area. The affected dog tries to get relief by licking and sliding around on its hindquarters.
You can be sure whether your bully’s anal glands are blocked if you have him and his feces examined by a veterinarian. This will then also express the viscous and foul-smelling secretion.
The accumulation of secretion can be caused by chronic constipation and follow-up treatment is not excluded. Let your vet show you how to squeeze out the anal glands and save yourself the trip there in the future.
As a precaution, you should regularly examine the anus area of your bully and also clean it with a damp cloth. This is particularly advisable if your bully has a knotted rod on the buttocks that covers the anus.
Teeth
The teeth should be checked every one to two weeks. If there is plaque on the teeth, remove it. As with us humans, regular dental care also prevents tartar formation, bad teeth (the most common cause of bad breath) and tooth loss in dogs. But that doesn’t mean that you brush your darling’s teeth regularly now. Regularly feeding chewing bones or dog biscuits has the same effect. However, you should take this food enrichment into account in your dog’s daily ration. If there is plaque, you can simply scrape it off your teeth. Do not use any sharp or hard objects for this. Use a mouth spatula, which you can get in pharmacies, or just your fingernail. Stubborn tartar should be removed by a veterinarian.
Coat
Your Bully’s coat requires little care. If your dog is healthy, it will shine by itself. Weekly brushing is sufficient and will be accepted by your Bully with pleasure if used correctly. Use a soft brush or a grooming glove or a dog glove. When you change your hair, you should brush it more often, otherwise, it will scratch everywhere. Hair change is in spring and autumn.
If the coat becomes dull and loses its density inexplicably – and your Bully is not in the process of shedding, is pregnant, or is being stressed by puppies – it may be that he is suffering from the consequences of malnutrition or internal diseases. Take your Bully to the vet immediately and get advice.
Bathing
French Bulldog dog bathing is a very controversial topic. It should be avoided because of the soap substances that degrease the skin and hair. However, for reasons of hygiene and your dog’s own body odor, a bath should be possible once a month. However, it should be noted that there are alkali-free and moisturizing shampoos. These largely rule out damage to the coat and skin caused by soap. If you didn’t use a PH-neutral shampoo, it would attack your Bully’s natural protective acid mantle. As a consequence; Dirt and dust can adhere better and the protection against skin diseases and also against cold would be reduced.
Bathe your Bully in the shower or in a small tub. Sinks and bowls are too small and therefore unsuitable. Your bully won’t like high bathtub walls either. Wet your Bully with lukewarm water, then soap it up and rinse it off again thoroughly. Be careful not to get soap or water in your dog’s eyes, ears, and nose. Give your bully a chance to shake after you have showered him. Then rub off thoroughly and blow-dry. He won’t like it very much. Talk to him gently and try to calm him down.
Even if your bully seems to be dry again, make sure that it stays in a draught-free environment for about 2 hours. In summer you can also let his fur dry in the sun.
Breathing
The French bulldog breed is predisposed to a number of ailments and congenital diseases, the most frequent of which are issues with breathing as a result of the squatness of their face. A disorder known as Von Willebrand’s disease, which is an illness that is very similar to haemophilia in people, is one that the French bulldog is especially predisposed to developing. A significant number of breeders of French bulldogs now conduct regular screenings for the presence of this particular disease.
One of the most common defects found in the French bulldog is the elongated soft palate or cleft palate, cleft palate is considered to be something which is almost impossible to correct in the French bulldog and so puppies born with this defect are generally put down at birth.
The elongated soft palate can cause problems such as mild labored breathing difficulties to the more serious condition in which the dog can pass out during moderate exercise. One serious problem for both dog and owner due to a soft elongated palate is the regurgitation of food, a dog with this condition will vomit food or phlegm during exercise or after eating.
Before buying a puppy always ask the breeder if the parents have this problem or have been operated on for this problem. Another problem of the French bulldog is due to the compacted airways of the breed is their inability to regulate successfully their temperature, while most other breeds suffer to some degree from the heat to the frenchie it can be fatal.
Therefore it is essential that they are protected from extreme temperatures at all times and that they have access to cool water and shade.
Heatstroke
The shorter breathing system of the French bulldog puts them at greater risk of heatstroke than many other breeds, the frenchie has less chance of cooling the air that it takes into the body which can then result in them becoming overheated. Great care should be taken on warm days to ensure that your frenchie has somewhere cool to lie down and that cool fresh water is available to them at all times. It can never be stressed enough that great care with a very watchful eye should be taken to cool your dog down should they start to pant a lot and their inner ears suddenly redden.
Back problem
The frenchie is also prone to back problems, some of which are spinal diseases. This is probably down to the fact that the dogs were chosen from dwarf breeds and some breeders feel that only dogs that have had spinal x-rays should be used to breed from.
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