Most Common Issues With French Bulldogs

 

The sturdy and playful nature of the French Bulldog often conceals that they have more than a handful of underlying health conditions to deal with, some life-threatening, others minor challenges, but harmful still. While the French Bulldog is a fragile breed, the males are more fragile. They are more likely to be diagnosed with 8 of the 26 health conditions associated with the French Bulldog breed.

In the dog world, the likelihood of finding another breed more susceptible to health conditions such as these is a near impossibility.

• Allergies

One of the most recorded health issues in French Bulldogs is allergy. Awful reactions to food, environment, substances, et Al.

• Food allergy

Food Allergy is common amongst dogs, as most dog breeds often have select feed classes recognized by the health bodies. When timely sorted, food allergies aren’t usually too much of a problem; when neglected, they could result in severe medical infections in the digestive tracts. One of such infections is the French Bulldog IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

In French Bulldogs, IBD could plague both the intestinal tracts and stomach, resulting in a more severe condition.

Symptoms Include Diarrhea, Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss, Abdominal Pain, Irregular Movement in the belly, Vomiting, Bloody Stool, et Al.

Causes: Dairy Products, Corn, Rice, Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Soy, Egg, et al.

• Environmental allergy

Sometimes, the allergy-causing agents could be components of the French Bulldog’s environment. Pollen, Grass, Dust, Bugs, all of these seemingly insignificant components could also have damning effects on the French Bulldog’s health, eventually.

Environmental Allergies are often one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose as the key to treating any ailment is finding its causes and environmental allergens are often too insignificant to detect.

• Cleft palate

This is one of the most commonly recorded health disorders in French Bulldogs. Their flat faces do very little to help them avoid this disorder. The palate is the uppermost section of the mouth, which separates the nasal passages and the mouth. The resulting effect when a palate does not develop fully is a defect called, Cleft Palate.  Cleft Palate causes a lot of difficulty for French Bulldogs, difficulty in eating, breathing, et Al.

Cleft Palate in French Bulldogs requires corrective surgeries to be fixed. These surgeries can, however, be unsafe for younger and less developed Frenchies.

• The flat face in French Bulldogs also means that they have smushed-in noses, making breathing a slightly laborious task for them. This, however, makes it more difficult for French Bulldogs to retain a cool body temperature, even in moderate weather conditions. As such, French Bulldogs cannot participate in activities that are strenuous or require heavy breathing patterns.

Heatstroke in French Bulldogs can be prevented by avoiding physical activities in hot and warm temperatures. Heatstroke is a repetitive condition; hence French Bulldogs who have had a heatstroke episode are likely to have recurring episodes in the future.

• Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye is a common medical condition. It isn’t only common to the French Bulldog breed, but other animals and humans too. It is one of the most common eye infections known to medicine.

Conjunctivitis is the swelling of the eye tissue responsible for covering the eyeball’s front and lining the eyelids. It’s also referred to as Pink Eye because of the pale red color that the eye gets from itching during the infection duration.

Symptoms often vary, depending on breed or type; some of the most common ones are blinking, liquid discharge, inflammation, redness in the eye, etc. Unlike many health conditions that the French Bulldog faces, only very rare cases of Conjunctivitis require surgery; it is often corrected with antibiotic shots or ointments.

 

Bottom Line

These health conditions are often manageable, but in the case of negligent dog owners and breeders, they could reduce French Bulldogs’ lifespan. French Bulldog Puppies are also more likely to be infected and die from infection, as they have underdeveloped immune systems. Hence owners are advised to take them for regular checkups and watch their dogs carefully.