Health of the French Bulldog
The French Bulldog’s health, but and also the health of the purebred dog population in general, has a lot of problems. The French Bulldog has a short skull and belongs to the so called brachycephale breeds.This more or less causes breathing problems for many dogs. Sometimes the windpipe is too narrow, which makes them less able to pant and thus less able to regulate their temperature. In severe cases the esophagus is deformed which causes serious digestive problems.
Because of the short skull and snout, the back end of the pallate is often too long, which makes it hang in front of the windpipe and it can sometimes even be sucked into the windpipe with every breath. It causes a snoring sound, which many people think of as funny, but there ‘s really nothing funny about it, many dogscan hardly breathe. Very often there are also swellings in the throat and they have nostrils that are too narrow for breathing. All these problems together are being called ‘Brachycephalic airway Obstructive Syndrome’ (BOS syndrome)
Narrow nostrils in French Bulldog
My own Frenchie Body, whom I had adopted into my family, had surgery for no less than three times. His elongated pallate was shortened and some tissue in his throat was removed. He was lucky not to have a deformed esophagus and his windpipe was not too narrow. He did have narrow nostrils, but the vet told me they were big enough to breathe through.
When you buy a puppy, you usually don’t notice any of these problems yet. They often show up later, when the dog is fully grown. Of course we excluded Body from breeding and we neutered him, so nobody can ever get the wrong idea anymore.
Other problems within the breed are back and neck problems. The French Bulldog is born with a short tail or sometimes even without a tail. If you touch the tail, you can usually feel a nod, a deformation of the tailbone. In fact, this deformation of the tail or the tail being absent, is a deformation of the spine. Many times, you can also find deformations elsewhere in the spine, that can cause a hernia, as well in the back as in the neck. Before mating a dog, one should always get x-rays to see if there are any hidden deformations in the back or in the neck. In puppies, you should see if the tail isn’t bended too much in the direction of the skin. Sometimes the tail will grow into the skin, with all it’s consequences.
Of course, we’re not there yet. The skin is also a point of attention in the French Bulldog. Many dogs suffer from allergies that can cause serious skin conditions. An allergic dogs scratches and licks itself ceaselessly. They can be allergic to certain parts of their food, but also to dustmites or pollen. Allergies are very common in the French Bulldog and no one should breed these kinds of dogs either.
Epylepsy seems to frequently show up in Frenchies too. I don’t have any experience with that myself, but of course, these animals should also be excluded from breeding.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a neurological condition that is common in many breeds and sadly also in the French Bulldog. It can be compared with the human variety MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and it affects the spinal marrow. The symptoms usually show up at a higher age and isn’t painful, at least not in the beginning. The back end of the dogs becomes weak, it will start dragging a hind leg and later both legs. Sometimes they’ll have to wear little shoes, because they can’t lift their legs anymore, which makes the nails become too short. It’s possible to check if your dog has this disease in it’s genes by doing a DNA test. You can find out if he’s free, if he’s a carrier or if he’s actually at risk. By selective breeding, so by using tested animals, it’s possible to ban this disease.
You’ll understand that only a small percentage of animals is actually suitable for breeding. Sadly, there are still far too many people who think it’s nice to have a litter. Without any knowledge they put two dogs together and simply increase the amount of dogs, they don’t really make a contribution. These people litterally sicken the breed, because many of the animals end up in the breeding circle, with people who want to make some quick cash. Sick animals end up with the vets, who state that the French Bulldog is such a sick breed.
If you still want a Frenchie inspite of of all this, please get one from a responsible breeder. A good breeder had his animals medically screened and can show you proof of that. You’ll get a contract which shows your rights and obligations and in case of problems, they will be solved in a satisfying way.
