Bulldoghealth

Bulldog Health

As a general rule today's bulldog is pretty healthy, some do have
breathing difficulties due to the shape of their head (i.e. Brach
cephalic - short nosed) and occasionally they may develop structural
faults due to their shallow joints, for this reason you need to keep an
eye on young pups (under 9 months) so as they don't damage their
green bones. The shape of his head does make it difficult for some
to cope with hot weather, but providing you are sensible, provide the
best food and supplements, and appreciate that the this breed is
totally unique, problems will be few and far between.

Maintenance?

For the same reasons that you wouldn't buy a long haired breed
and never brush it, don't by a bulldog and never expect to have to
wash his face. The bulldog will require daily attention to his face
and maybe under his tail too. Wipe his face over daily, ensuring
that you wipe out the wrinkles (especially the one that goes over his
nose) with a damp cloth or baby wipes, make sure you dry
thoroughly and if any soreness is present wipe a little Desitin into
the folds. A dab of Vaseline on his nose will keep it soft and prevent
it from drying out and becoming flaky. Make sure that the ears are
clean and that his eyes are bright and clear, tear stains can be
combated with a daily wipe over with Optrex Eye Lotion and cotton
wool, not only is this safe for his eyes but Optrex contains Boric Acid
that will lessen the stain. His coat should be brushed on a weekly
basis which will also give you the opportunity to check for any skin
soreness and fleas - and during the summer for ticks!

All this may sound like hard work, but for the time and energy he
will request from you, in return he will love you unconditionally and
be loyal to you and your family no matter what. Owning a Bulldog is
something that should never be taken lightly, they are a high
maintenance breed, so before purchasing that cute little puppy read
as much about the breed as you can and it's also a good idea to
attend a breed show where you will be able to watch the bulldogs in
the ring and have the opportunity to talk to breeders and other
bulldog owners.

Itchy Skin: Probably an allergy, possibly the food you are feeding - If
this cannot be controlled by diet then you may need to see your vet,

Cherry Eye: Where the gland under the third eyelid protrudes and
looks rather like a cherry in the corner of the eye. Your vet will need
to remove the gland (some prefer to tuck). Occasionally removal of
the gland causes dry eye.

Entropian: Where the eyelashes have turned inwards and are
rubbing against the eye, again surgery may be required. Don’t
confuse this with stray eyelashes that are just growing astray, these
can be plucked with tweezers (you may prefer your vet to do this).
Entropian needs surgery - if left the in-turned lashes will scratch the
cornea and the result will be a severely damaged eye, at worst
blindness or loss of eye

Head tremors: Rather like a fit, but effecting just the head, which will
involuntary shake from side to side, sometimes violently enough to
cause their lips to flap about. We have always found them to be
linked to stress which may cause the blood sugar level to drop
enough to trigger the head shake. Giving some glucose or runny
honey to bring the blood sugar level back up should help although
distraction often stops the shaking. If you are unable to link the
attack to a specific stressful incident then your bulldog may be
suffering in some way and it is advisable that you get your vet to
check him over. Note, many vets are unfamiliar with this breed
specific condition and some breeders attribute them to a lack of
calcium as they are common in the pregnant or nursing bitch.
However please do not give calcium under normal circumstances as
this could effect the bone formation of your puppy,

Development Problems: Because of the bulldog’s rapid growth it is
very important that you keep play and exercise properly managed in
the first 9 months, early joint damage could be permanent and may
lead to osteoarthritis, irregular growth in the bones could lead to
joint deformities. Hip/elbow displaysia is genetic but can be
encouraged via environmental factors (i.e.: slippery floors, jumping
etc). Fairly often puppy limping will disappear at maturity and is
usually due to the rapid growth spurts or an incorrect diet.

Elongated Soft Palate and other airway disorders: Every bulldog has
an elongated soft palate, this is because of the shape of their heads
(i.e.: Brach cephalic - short nosed). In most cases this causes
nothing more than snoring, but in severe cases will cause your
bulldog difficulty in breathing. Heat and exercise will cause loud,
gurgly breathing, (commonly known as "roaring") and your bulldog
may appear to be "lazy". The severity can range from loud
breathing when excited, during/after exercise to total exercise
intolerance, regurgitation of food to permanent breathing difficulties.
The condition can be corrected with surgery and you need to be
sure that the vet you chose to carry out this surgery totally
understand Brach cephalic breeds.

Tear Stains: If your dog has a white face you may find that over time
the tears from his eyes cause his face to stain red. This may be
attributed to the red coloring in the food he’s eating but this is not
always the case, some bulldogs produce red tears and some don’t,
those with white faces will have these stains more than dark colored
faces. A daily wipe with "Optrex" eye wash will help, Optrex contains
boric acid and witch-hazel which will break up the stain and will not
effect the dogs eyes as the solution specifically for use in the eyes.

Sore Wrinkles: Looking after a bulldog involves daily care of the face
and the deep folds. Wash their faces on a daily basis with either a
soft cloth and water or unscented baby wipes. Be sure to dry the
face properly and then apply Desiten to the folds, extra care is
needed to the nose roll which in some bulldogs can be very deep.

Tail Problems: A true bulldog tail is a dream to look after, ideally he
should have a nice straight spiked tail, moderate in length, that can
be easily lifted away from the body - however, screw tails in bulldogs
are not uncommon and this and/or an inverted tail (where the tail is
growing back into the body) can cause your bulldog a few
problems. You should endeavor to keep tight tails clean and DRY,
but if this proves to be a problem you should consult your vet

Temperature: Your dogs temperature should be between 100 and
101

Vets

Please try to find a vet that understands the bulldog, this breed is a
hard breed to anaesthetize so be sure that the vet you have chosen
is aware of this fact at least, try to only have your bulldog put under
when absolutely necessary. Bulldogs also have very shallow joint
sockets and a vet that is unfamiliar with the breed may not only miss-
diagnose joint problems but may also see you as a way to make
more money. Almost every Bulldog will have a slightly elongated soft
palate which is why they snore, this is because of the shape of their
heads and because the entire throat is being stuffed into a space
that is too small in comparison to other breeds, in sever cases it will
restrict your bulldogs ability to breathe and will need surgery (see
above) , but if your dog is comfortable then it’s best to leave it be, so
be aware - if your vet informs you that he needs to resection the soft
palate this may not be the case at all. Bulldogs with severe soft
palate problems will overheat easily, find it very difficult to cope with
any form of exercise and may regurgitate their food. If there are
other bulldog owners in your area ask them who they go to and at
least ask your vet what his bulldog experience is.

Karen & Rick
DejahBleuBulldog@aol.com