So for the first time ever in 31 years, the French Bulldog has surpassed the Labrador Retriever as the most popular dog breed in the United States. I see a ton of Frenchies in my office and often the breeding is awful. What this means is that they are bred to be cute, but their body structure is not ideal for life as a healthy dog. Everyone one loves a smushy face, and as you can see from the dog on my home page, I love them just as much as anyone. However, before you go and shop for the cutest dog, please consider the other health issues that are associated with them.
Brachycephalic airway syndrome
Brachycephalic airway syndrome is present in almost all Bulldogs. What does this mean?
Stenotic nares: nostrils that are pinched so tight it is hard to breath through the nose.
Elongated soft palate: excessive tissue on the roof of their mouth that extends into the back of their throat and can flop into the airways making if very hard to breath against.
Laryngeal collapse: because of the excessive pressure on the larynx (voice box) needed to breath, eventually the cartilage in this area collapses. This causes a further decrease in the space for air to flow into the trachea and lungs.
Hypoplastic trachea: the trachea is smaller in diameter than it should be. Again making it harder for a bulldog to breath.
Is Brachycephalic airway syndrome fixable? Partially. Stenotic nares a can be resected to allow an opening of the nasal passageways. The elongated soft palate can be trimmed. But the other two components are not fixable. Laryngeal collapse can be prevented if the fixable issues are corrected early on in life. In order to fix the issues, a surgical procedure needs to be done. Anesthesia in bulldogs is often more complicated due to their conformation.
Skin and Intestinal Tract Issues
If you thought the breathing issues were the end, there is more! Bulldogs often have very sensitive gastrointestinal tracts and even further commonly have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This means they will need a special prescription diet for their whole lives and may struggle with intermittent bouts of diarrhea or vomiting.
Their skin also tends to be very sensitive, leading them prone to skin infections, itchiness and a need for chronic maintenance. Their skin folds (face and tail) need to be cleaned on a daily basis. Ear infections are common, so regular maintence on them may be required. They may need chronic allergy medication, either daily tablets or maybe even monthly injections to keep them comfortable.
Theres more....
If all that doesn't sound like enough, their smushy mouth conformation leads them prone to severe dental disease. Their gums are prone to getting elargement that can cause their gums to grow over their teeth. They are also prone to gingival (gum) masses that can interfere with chewing and become painful. All of these issues require anesthesia and dentistry procedures to be fixed. Their poor leg confirmation makes them prone to arthritis and joint disease (elbow dysplasia, torn ACL's).
So if you have financial concerns, want a low maintenance dog, or just want a dog that is overall healthy, Bulldogs are not the breed for you. My advice for anyone who is going to become a Bulldog owner is to get pet insurance for them on day one and keep it for their whole life. It may save you from financial burdens and your dog from suffering with disease when issues develop.
Margo Murillo, DVM
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