Every breed of dog has issues common to that breed. With Bulldogs, be
they French or English, most of the issues are directly related to the
very same things we love about the breed. The flat face, rolling gait,
short tail. Do all the research you can and take what you read with a
grain of salt. Everyone has an opinion. Understand and accept that if
you chose to bring a purebred into your life, you may have to deal with
some issues. We do all we can to insure healthy pups. These issues are
considered NORMAL and not covered in our guarantee.
CHERRY EYE...The most normal and expected thing in the Bulldog are
cherry eyes. This is when the tear gland in the corner of the eye pops
out. It resembles a small cherry, hence the name. In some cases they do
go away and in more cases, you may need surgery to correct it. They can
happen very quickly and they can affect one or both eyes. I believe that
some cherry eyes are caused by irritants and some by virus'. At any rate
the flat skull of both French and English make them very prone to it.
More English than French will have this.
There are two schools of thought. One is to tack the gland back in with
stitches. The other is to remove most of this gland. The vets who like to
tack will tell you that removing the gland is cause for dry eye. The vets
who like to remove it will tell you that tacking is usually not successful.
It is important to understand that this is not the only area of the eye
that produces tears. They are also made in other areas. Part of the
gland is also left behind and may very well make tears.
We remove. We do not tack. I have tacked in the past to no avail, they
pop right back up again. I know a woman who, against my advice, had
her pup's eye tacked. The scarring was so severe, the eye had to be
removed. While this is an extreme case, I still advocate removal. Very
simple procedure, takes about 1 minute.
Some dogs with both tear glands get dry eyes. Some with gland removed
do not get dry eyes. It is your pup and your choice. Many vets charge an
exorbitant and shocking price for tacking. They will tell you that the
success rate is no where near 100% if they are being honest.
If your pup gets a cherry eye here, we will remove it at our cost. It is
entirely possible for a pup to leave us with no cherries and pop one out
on the flight or very soon after coming to you. They can pop out at any
time. If your pup gets a cherry eye after he/she comes home to you, it is
your financial responsibility to have it repaired.
There are many products one can use on a dog that does not produce
enough tears.
ENTROPION-ECTROPION...This is more an English issue than a French
issue. The eyelids either roll in or out. Ectopion is when the eyelids roll
out. Entropion is where they roll in and they can rub against the eyeball,
causing irritation. A simple surgery can correct it. The more wrinkled
your English Bulldog is, the higher the chance he or she will be affected.
BREATHING ISSUES...Again, look at the skull. See that smashed nose?
Dogs pant to cool themselves. Bulldogs have a decreased capability of
doing this. In addition, all of the usual things must fit in that skull. All
the teeth, the tongue, the soft and hard palate. Palate issues are
common to the breed. A normal soft palate size can have trouble fitting
into the tiny space. In addition many of them have very small trachea's.
This all contributes to overheating in a very short time. The nostrils are
sometimes pinched as well. If you want a Bulldog, be prepared to safe
guard him/her in the heat. Be prepared for snoring and be prepared for
snorting and sometimes a choking sound. It is all due to that head. If
you do not want to deal with this? Buy a Lab or a German Shepherd. It
is equally common in both the French and the English.
A clear nasal discharge is OK. A green one is not. Because of the very
short breathing passages, these pups are prone to respiratory
infections. Kennel Cough which has nothing to with a kennel, is caused
by many different virus' and bacteria. It is highly contagious. We do
suggest antibiotics for secondary infection if viral and to beat the
bacteria that causes the bacterial induced KC. It can take several weeks
for the cough to clear past a cure. We will not allow any pup to leave us
that is showing any signs that it may have UPI (Upper Respiratory
Infection) We will keep him or her here and treat. If your pup comes
home to you and develops a green nasal discharge or a cough, get to
your vet ASAP! Because of the very short nose, a slight infection can
become a serious lung issue quickly.
BACTERIAL SKIN INFECTIONS... There are many folds and pockets on
these dogs, more so the English than the French. These folds and
wrinkles MUST be kept clean. We suggest baby wipes, NOT disinfecting
wipes. Dry the area fully after cleaning them. If your dog has a very
tightly curled tail, keep that area clean as well. If you do not, you will
have a nasty skin infection very quickly. If any fold becomes red and
foul smelling, go to your vet.
ALLERGIES... Allergies can be dietary, they can be due to pollen, grass,
your home, dust mites. Many people feed substandard dog food, full of
corn and wheat. We strongly suggest you feed your pup the best you
afford. You may cringe when you see the price on some dogs foods and
figure the cheap stuff is fine. It isn't. Your dog will eat far less of the
good stuff and he will leave smaller feces behind him as well. Look for
food with meat listed as first ingredient. Over vaccinating has been
proven to contribute to allergies as well. Also ask yourself do you really
need to treat your dog for fleas with Bio Spot, Frontline etc? If he has
no fleas, why dump chemicals on him? If you suspect your dog has a
dietary allergy, change his food. There are many grain free foods on the
market today. Grain is usually what they are allergic to, if it is food
allergy. This takes week to diagnose, with you leaving out this or that for
weeks to determine what the allergen is.
HERNIAS... Common in pups. There are 2 types, umbilical (an outy
belly button) and inguinal or groin. They can be due to many things.
Even a bitch tugging on the umbilical cord shortly after birth can pop
them out. The small inguinals usually go away and cause no issues to
the dog. If we find a hernia at vet check and my vet thinks it needs
repair, we will repair it. Smaller ones can be left with no problem. It is
rare that we miss a hernia but the very tiny ones in the groin can also be
fat deposits. As long as the intestines are not present in the hernia
(which would mean a very big one) hernias are not worrisome. An
umbilical hernia is not worrisome if the umbilicus is closed. Again, we
will repair here if we find one at vet check.
MANGE... 2 types, Sarcoptic (when people get this we call it scabies)
and Demodectic. Sarcoptic is pretty rare in well cared for animals.
Demo is also called "red" or "puppy" mange. 2 kinds of Demo, Localized
(several spots) and Generalized (affecting most f the dog) Again 2
schools of thought. You have the people who think if a pup comes up
with this, they should all be spayed and neutered along with every dog
related. In localized Demo, I strongly disagree. ALL DOGS, EVERY ONE
of them has mites on its skin. Yes even your dog. Your dog's immune
system lives with it in total harmony and keeps the number down.
Localized can be brought on by several things. Stress, puberty,
environmental issues. A puppy has an incomplete immune system.
When your pup is stressed the immune system falters and these mites
breed and then it becomes obvious to you that there is something wrong.
Localized Demo will often cure itself, when the dog's immune system
catches up. We do advocate helping it along. There are dips, injections,
oral and topical meds that work. It will help keep them in check while
your dog's immune system gains strength. Generalized is another issue.
It is not the mange that is truly the issue, it is the dog's immune system.
A dog suffering from Generalized Demo probably has some underlying
genetic issues and should not be bred.
Loose Hips/Knees... Many of the breeds will have a degree of looseness
in both of these. My vet checks these out and informs me if there might
be trouble ahead. Understand that this a pup and he is growing. They
can go through periods of limping or very loose joints. Nearly all
Bulldogs if X rays are shown to be some what dysplastic, compared to
normal hips on other breeds. But this does not mean they are
compromised, it is a Bully thing. Also understand that over
manipulation of the knee cap can cause the tendons holding it to
become looser. Keep a Bull pup slim while growing. Do NOT
supplement with calcium. Vitamin C is a very good joint supplement.
But never Calcium. Another interesting fact on X raying and OFA ing a
dog's hips? Guess what? You can still get very dysplastic pups out of
parents who rated Excellent on their OFA. Why? Because the test only
means the parents are not affected. That is all. Dysplacia is due to
many recessive factors and you can take a fully ambulatory dog and
make it worse by how he is raised. So in my opinion, OFA means very
little. Most Bulls would not pass anyway. Bulldogs, the English
especially are prone to ligament issues. Never let your Bully jump from
very high places, or your children sit on his back. He is not a pony!
Keep your Bullies slim and fed right.
STRESS... Many people underestimate the damage that stress causes.
Stress is not harmless. It is very harmful. Understand that your pup,
no matter how much you love him, is stressed. He has just left his home,
dam, litter mates, been weaned, had shots and been de wormed. Any
pup, like any human, while under stress is far likely to become ill or
have issues. His immune system is not even near grown up and he is
now under stress. There are MILLIONS of bacteria, virus' fungi,
parasites in the world. Keep him quiet, do not go visiting or to Pet
Smart or have a party or have a bunch of people in your house squealing
over how cute he is. Give him time, at least 2 weeks to settle in with you.
Then, party on!! When you go to your vet, hold him. Do not set him on
the floor!!!!! Your vet sees sick dogs!! Yes he is current on shots, yes he
was healthy when he left. But 2 shots does NOT guarantee immunity
and we cannot vaccinate for bacteria or fungi.
The more extreme your Bully is, that is to say the closer to the standard
of perfection, flatter face, smaller tail, massive body and head the more
apt he or she it to develop some issues. Most people want the most
wrinkled, no nose, no tail "perfect" Bulldog. Be aware that if you are
one of these people, you are purchasing a pup that has the POTENTIAL
for more issues. It is not a promise you will have these, but the potential
is far higher than in the pet quality (longer nosed, more athletic types)
You can see our guarantee here. We cover life threating or life altering
serious issues on each breed. By sending us a deposit or paying for pup
in full, you are agreeing that you have read and agree with what we do
and do not cover. You, the buyer are also expected to fulfill your part.
Failure to do them renders the guarantee/warranty VOID. NO
EXCEPTIONS!! Having a pup means having vet bills. We do not pay vet
bills on any pup for any reason after it leaves our care.
For more information on Coccidia, Giardia (common parasites in pups)
and so on, click here.
To learn more about vaccinations, click here.
they French or English, most of the issues are directly related to the
very same things we love about the breed. The flat face, rolling gait,
short tail. Do all the research you can and take what you read with a
grain of salt. Everyone has an opinion. Understand and accept that if
you chose to bring a purebred into your life, you may have to deal with
some issues. We do all we can to insure healthy pups. These issues are
considered NORMAL and not covered in our guarantee.
CHERRY EYE...The most normal and expected thing in the Bulldog are
cherry eyes. This is when the tear gland in the corner of the eye pops
out. It resembles a small cherry, hence the name. In some cases they do
go away and in more cases, you may need surgery to correct it. They can
happen very quickly and they can affect one or both eyes. I believe that
some cherry eyes are caused by irritants and some by virus'. At any rate
the flat skull of both French and English make them very prone to it.
More English than French will have this.
There are two schools of thought. One is to tack the gland back in with
stitches. The other is to remove most of this gland. The vets who like to
tack will tell you that removing the gland is cause for dry eye. The vets
who like to remove it will tell you that tacking is usually not successful.
It is important to understand that this is not the only area of the eye
that produces tears. They are also made in other areas. Part of the
gland is also left behind and may very well make tears.
We remove. We do not tack. I have tacked in the past to no avail, they
pop right back up again. I know a woman who, against my advice, had
her pup's eye tacked. The scarring was so severe, the eye had to be
removed. While this is an extreme case, I still advocate removal. Very
simple procedure, takes about 1 minute.
Some dogs with both tear glands get dry eyes. Some with gland removed
do not get dry eyes. It is your pup and your choice. Many vets charge an
exorbitant and shocking price for tacking. They will tell you that the
success rate is no where near 100% if they are being honest.
If your pup gets a cherry eye here, we will remove it at our cost. It is
entirely possible for a pup to leave us with no cherries and pop one out
on the flight or very soon after coming to you. They can pop out at any
time. If your pup gets a cherry eye after he/she comes home to you, it is
your financial responsibility to have it repaired.
There are many products one can use on a dog that does not produce
enough tears.
ENTROPION-ECTROPION...This is more an English issue than a French
issue. The eyelids either roll in or out. Ectopion is when the eyelids roll
out. Entropion is where they roll in and they can rub against the eyeball,
causing irritation. A simple surgery can correct it. The more wrinkled
your English Bulldog is, the higher the chance he or she will be affected.
BREATHING ISSUES...Again, look at the skull. See that smashed nose?
Dogs pant to cool themselves. Bulldogs have a decreased capability of
doing this. In addition, all of the usual things must fit in that skull. All
the teeth, the tongue, the soft and hard palate. Palate issues are
common to the breed. A normal soft palate size can have trouble fitting
into the tiny space. In addition many of them have very small trachea's.
This all contributes to overheating in a very short time. The nostrils are
sometimes pinched as well. If you want a Bulldog, be prepared to safe
guard him/her in the heat. Be prepared for snoring and be prepared for
snorting and sometimes a choking sound. It is all due to that head. If
you do not want to deal with this? Buy a Lab or a German Shepherd. It
is equally common in both the French and the English.
A clear nasal discharge is OK. A green one is not. Because of the very
short breathing passages, these pups are prone to respiratory
infections. Kennel Cough which has nothing to with a kennel, is caused
by many different virus' and bacteria. It is highly contagious. We do
suggest antibiotics for secondary infection if viral and to beat the
bacteria that causes the bacterial induced KC. It can take several weeks
for the cough to clear past a cure. We will not allow any pup to leave us
that is showing any signs that it may have UPI (Upper Respiratory
Infection) We will keep him or her here and treat. If your pup comes
home to you and develops a green nasal discharge or a cough, get to
your vet ASAP! Because of the very short nose, a slight infection can
become a serious lung issue quickly.
BACTERIAL SKIN INFECTIONS... There are many folds and pockets on
these dogs, more so the English than the French. These folds and
wrinkles MUST be kept clean. We suggest baby wipes, NOT disinfecting
wipes. Dry the area fully after cleaning them. If your dog has a very
tightly curled tail, keep that area clean as well. If you do not, you will
have a nasty skin infection very quickly. If any fold becomes red and
foul smelling, go to your vet.
ALLERGIES... Allergies can be dietary, they can be due to pollen, grass,
your home, dust mites. Many people feed substandard dog food, full of
corn and wheat. We strongly suggest you feed your pup the best you
afford. You may cringe when you see the price on some dogs foods and
figure the cheap stuff is fine. It isn't. Your dog will eat far less of the
good stuff and he will leave smaller feces behind him as well. Look for
food with meat listed as first ingredient. Over vaccinating has been
proven to contribute to allergies as well. Also ask yourself do you really
need to treat your dog for fleas with Bio Spot, Frontline etc? If he has
no fleas, why dump chemicals on him? If you suspect your dog has a
dietary allergy, change his food. There are many grain free foods on the
market today. Grain is usually what they are allergic to, if it is food
allergy. This takes week to diagnose, with you leaving out this or that for
weeks to determine what the allergen is.
HERNIAS... Common in pups. There are 2 types, umbilical (an outy
belly button) and inguinal or groin. They can be due to many things.
Even a bitch tugging on the umbilical cord shortly after birth can pop
them out. The small inguinals usually go away and cause no issues to
the dog. If we find a hernia at vet check and my vet thinks it needs
repair, we will repair it. Smaller ones can be left with no problem. It is
rare that we miss a hernia but the very tiny ones in the groin can also be
fat deposits. As long as the intestines are not present in the hernia
(which would mean a very big one) hernias are not worrisome. An
umbilical hernia is not worrisome if the umbilicus is closed. Again, we
will repair here if we find one at vet check.
MANGE... 2 types, Sarcoptic (when people get this we call it scabies)
and Demodectic. Sarcoptic is pretty rare in well cared for animals.
Demo is also called "red" or "puppy" mange. 2 kinds of Demo, Localized
(several spots) and Generalized (affecting most f the dog) Again 2
schools of thought. You have the people who think if a pup comes up
with this, they should all be spayed and neutered along with every dog
related. In localized Demo, I strongly disagree. ALL DOGS, EVERY ONE
of them has mites on its skin. Yes even your dog. Your dog's immune
system lives with it in total harmony and keeps the number down.
Localized can be brought on by several things. Stress, puberty,
environmental issues. A puppy has an incomplete immune system.
When your pup is stressed the immune system falters and these mites
breed and then it becomes obvious to you that there is something wrong.
Localized Demo will often cure itself, when the dog's immune system
catches up. We do advocate helping it along. There are dips, injections,
oral and topical meds that work. It will help keep them in check while
your dog's immune system gains strength. Generalized is another issue.
It is not the mange that is truly the issue, it is the dog's immune system.
A dog suffering from Generalized Demo probably has some underlying
genetic issues and should not be bred.
Loose Hips/Knees... Many of the breeds will have a degree of looseness
in both of these. My vet checks these out and informs me if there might
be trouble ahead. Understand that this a pup and he is growing. They
can go through periods of limping or very loose joints. Nearly all
Bulldogs if X rays are shown to be some what dysplastic, compared to
normal hips on other breeds. But this does not mean they are
compromised, it is a Bully thing. Also understand that over
manipulation of the knee cap can cause the tendons holding it to
become looser. Keep a Bull pup slim while growing. Do NOT
supplement with calcium. Vitamin C is a very good joint supplement.
But never Calcium. Another interesting fact on X raying and OFA ing a
dog's hips? Guess what? You can still get very dysplastic pups out of
parents who rated Excellent on their OFA. Why? Because the test only
means the parents are not affected. That is all. Dysplacia is due to
many recessive factors and you can take a fully ambulatory dog and
make it worse by how he is raised. So in my opinion, OFA means very
little. Most Bulls would not pass anyway. Bulldogs, the English
especially are prone to ligament issues. Never let your Bully jump from
very high places, or your children sit on his back. He is not a pony!
Keep your Bullies slim and fed right.
STRESS... Many people underestimate the damage that stress causes.
Stress is not harmless. It is very harmful. Understand that your pup,
no matter how much you love him, is stressed. He has just left his home,
dam, litter mates, been weaned, had shots and been de wormed. Any
pup, like any human, while under stress is far likely to become ill or
have issues. His immune system is not even near grown up and he is
now under stress. There are MILLIONS of bacteria, virus' fungi,
parasites in the world. Keep him quiet, do not go visiting or to Pet
Smart or have a party or have a bunch of people in your house squealing
over how cute he is. Give him time, at least 2 weeks to settle in with you.
Then, party on!! When you go to your vet, hold him. Do not set him on
the floor!!!!! Your vet sees sick dogs!! Yes he is current on shots, yes he
was healthy when he left. But 2 shots does NOT guarantee immunity
and we cannot vaccinate for bacteria or fungi.
The more extreme your Bully is, that is to say the closer to the standard
of perfection, flatter face, smaller tail, massive body and head the more
apt he or she it to develop some issues. Most people want the most
wrinkled, no nose, no tail "perfect" Bulldog. Be aware that if you are
one of these people, you are purchasing a pup that has the POTENTIAL
for more issues. It is not a promise you will have these, but the potential
is far higher than in the pet quality (longer nosed, more athletic types)
You can see our guarantee here. We cover life threating or life altering
serious issues on each breed. By sending us a deposit or paying for pup
in full, you are agreeing that you have read and agree with what we do
and do not cover. You, the buyer are also expected to fulfill your part.
Failure to do them renders the guarantee/warranty VOID. NO
EXCEPTIONS!! Having a pup means having vet bills. We do not pay vet
bills on any pup for any reason after it leaves our care.
For more information on Coccidia, Giardia (common parasites in pups)
and so on, click here.
To learn more about vaccinations, click here.
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Health Issues