Hi! I'm a French Bulldog, and unless you are
extremely lucky, you may not have any other patients of my
rather rare breed. If that is the case, please let me alert
you to some special health needs of Frenchies, as our
friends call us. Though our Minimum Daily Requirement for
human companionship and love is high, our day-to-day needs
are simple. Petting keeps our coat shiny; praise keeps us
happy. The best medicine for a Frenchie is TLC. But we do
have a higher incidence of certain structural problems that
go along with our flat-faced, dwarf status than do other
breeds (the ones we think of as spindly and pointy-nosed).
As with other brachycephalic breeds, we have
airways that are easily compromised. We overheat very
easily, often have an elongated soft palate that may need to
be shortened, and anything that causes swelling in the mouth
or pharynx (trauma, insect stings, tonsillitis, etc.) can
cause a respiratory emergency. Sometimes our nares are
rather stenotic; this does, however, give us the most
endearing snore. Cleft lip/palate, of course, is more
frequent in short-faced breeds. And it has been suggested
that we are more likely to have oddly-formed thyroids and
anterior pituitaries, since the pharynx, from which these
structures develop as outpocketings, is so abbreviated.
Whether these glandular abnormalities cause any functional
problem is uncertain, but it's worth considering if any
problems are seen that could have an endocrine basis.
Anesthesia, of course, is a constant worry.
Thanks to our laid-back attitude, many procedures requiring
a general anesthetic in other, more excitable breeds can
often be done without it in Frenchies. When a general
anesthetic is required, we are very hard to intubate; even
more so than Bostons, we're told. First, please note that
our necks tend to be rather squatty (no way to put it
delicately). The endotracheal tube may have to be shorter
than in a longer-necked dog of comparable size; if it is too
long, it will end up in a bronchus and we'll only be
half-ventilated. Also, we must be left lying on our bellies
and watched closely after extubation, until we are up and
walking around, becuase our large tongues and/or floppy soft
palates can easily relax and obstruct the airway. And any
swelling in the pharynx or larynx, which is an every present
danger with intubation, is doubly serious in our breed. With
our generally calm nature, we may also require less
anesthesia than other dogs of comparable size, as anesthetic
depression can occur more easily in us than in, say, a Fox
Terrier.
Probably our most important and serious
built-in anatomical problems (other than the airway) are
back problems caused by the chondrodystrophic dwarfism that
gives us our distinctive shape. Like the other dwarf breeds,
we suffer from a high incidence of hemivertebrae and
premature disc degeneration. The exact incidence of
hemivertebrae in our breed is unknown, since most dogs that
have these malformed vertebrae never have problems related
to them, so that they are only detected incidentally on a
radiograph done for some other reason. If they do occur,
they are most often seen at T9 - T11; a single vertebra may
be involved, or several. Depending on which part of the
vertebra is malformed, they may cause scoliosis or kyphosis;
and this can produce secondary changes in the rib cage.
Premature intervertebral disc degeneration most often is
seen in 3- to 5-year old dogs and generally affects the
discs between C2 - C4 and T11 - L2; disc degeneration seen
as a consequence of age is more likely in the cervical
region. If you should note any hemivertebrae, calcified
discs, or narrowing of discs spaces on an x-ray, or palpate
any bony deformities, please instruct my owner about how
best to protect my back, and what neurological signs to
watch for in case problems should develop. Many Frenchies
are frisking happily about today after extensive spinal
surgery, because their owners quickly sought help at the
first sign of trouble, before the spinal cord was
permanently damaged.
As is the case with Bostons and Bulldogs, we
often have whelping difficulties. Though some Frenchies are
free whelpers, the combination of the big head and narrow
pelvis plus the uterine inertia that seems common in the
breed, often necessitates cesarean delivery. (Considering
the anesthesia risk, this helps explain why there are so few
of us around.) We also seem to be plagued by pyometra more
often than other breeds; some believe that our odd
construction tilts the female reproductive tract in such a
way that it doesn't drain properly. Whatever the cause, this
is a problem to watch for. Impacted anal glands may also
afflict us (especially if the screw tail torques sharply to
one side and compresses a duct). We may suffer from most of
the other usual canine ills. Frenchies with lighter coat
colors tend to have more skin problems than do the darker
ones. This is particularly true in hot, damp climates, where
every variety of fungus and bacterium tends to flourish.
Though hip dysplasia is not known to be a major problem, it
has been reported in the breed; whether it's inheritable or
due to a random defect in Frenchies is not yet known.
Our breeders are constantly trying to produce
sounder pups, and the French Bulldog Club of America has a
Genetics Committee to gather information about health
problems in the breed that might be inheritable, serve as a
liason with the AKC Canine Health Foundation, and to help
educate breeders about potential inheritable problems. We
would appreciate your help in this regard. If you should
detect any problem in a Frenchie patient that you believe is
genetic, please discuss this with the owner and/or breeder
of the dog so that we might avoid the spreading of harmful
genes through the breed. Our gene pool is so small that a
recessive gene in a popular sire could spread like wildfire;
and early detection requires the help of our vets. Though
there have been cases of clotting disorders in Frenchies, we
have not yet had problems like juvenile cataracts and copper
toxicosis that have devastated other breeds, and we want to
keep it that way.
We Frenchies are a proud lot, and are
increasing in popularity. We would appreciate any new
observations or information that you might give us about our
breed to help our breeders and owners keep us sound and
happy, both as a breed and as individuals. And, finally,
should the time come when...because of age, injury, or
illness...my life should become more burden to me than
blessing, please help my owner/friend make and accept the
most loving and kind decision. Tell him to "Sing no sad
songs for me," but to know that my life, however short or
long, was an enviable one. I was a French Bulldog.
