Please make careful consideration before you purchase a bulldog. Do a lot of research about the breed and educate yourself so that you know what you are buying. What you will find is that bulldogs are prone to quite a few health issues. The following is a list of conditions that are fairly common in bulldogs. This is NOT to say YOUR bulldog will have these problems.
EYES:
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 but it's not recommended and has a low success rate). Occasionally removal of the gland causes dry eye but dry eye is a very common bulldog problem anyway regardless of if the dog had cherry eye surgery as a pup. More recently we have heard of vets that refuse to snip, try and find one that will if possible. The risk of dry eye is increased but we see so much dry eye in dogs that haven't had this surgery that it's not usually a factor - bulldog tear glands often block even if they still have this gland. Cherry eye is not an emergency. It is generally not painful and if your dog has a cherry eye, you should wait at least 2 weeks before having it removed, as often times the other eye will soon develop one also. If the cherry is bleeding, painful or causing irritation, it will need to be removed as soon as possible. Cherry eye is not hereditary and can appear within a very short period of time. Rarely, it will go back on it's own. It is thought to be induced by stress, over activity or for no explanation.
Dry Eye or Ulceration of the Cornea
Dry Eye: Caused when natural tear production slows or stops. Symptoms include green gunky eyes, especially in the morning and a dry appearance or blue haze to the eye itself. Can be confirmed by your vet who will perform a dry eye test with blotting type paper to see how much moisture can be soaked from the eyes surface. Artificial tears will need to be applied to the eye for life, your vet can prescribe this.
Ulceration of the Cornea: Damage to the eye surface will show itself as an Ulcer, best described as a blue "hazy" area. The damage is done by irritation to the surface of the eye so always get your vet to check any unusual marks on the cornea. Untreated ulcers will result in permanent loss of vision in the ulcerated area which may lead to the loss of the eye.
For more information: www.eyevet.org
Entropian
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, ulcerated eye, at worst blindness or loss of eye. It is very common in the Bulldog breed. Dogs with a flatter face and a bigger rope are more prone to Entropian.
Conjunctivitis: You will need to obtain an antibiotic cream from your vet to apply to the affected eye, repeated bouts of conjunctivitis can cause the dog to retract the eyeball which in severe cases can lead to entropian.
EARS:
Closed Ear
Long term ear infections will eventually close the ear canal as the ear tissues swells with infection. Ear drops will be required from the vet. Cleaning extremely infected ears can be a long process as you literally clean the infection away a layer at a time.
Dirty Ear
Dirty / Infected ears are a very common problem, regular ear cleaning is essential. Long term dirty ears will become infected and sometimes the infection will be so deep in the inner ear it can go undected until the dog is in pain.
Ear Mites : Common in puppies, especially those in families with cats. Treatment will be required.
NOSE:
Dry Nose: Bulldog noses almost always go dry and flakey. Dab some petroleum jelly on the nose 2 or 3 times a day to restore a crusty nose and a couple of times a week to prevent it. The dog will try and lick the petroleum jelly off but enough will soak in to soften the nose again. In severe cases petroleum jelly the nose up to 6 times a day - you'll be surprised at how quickly the nose recovers.
Inverted sneezing: Rapid forced breathing through the nose. Usually because the dog has something in his nose but sounds a lot worse than it is, keep the dog calm and it will pass
MOUTH:
Mouth Tumours: Lumps in the mouth should be seen by a vet immediately.
HEAD/FACE:
Head Shakes:
Rather like a fit, but effecting just the head, which will involuntary shake from side to side (or up and down), sometimes violently enough to cause their lips to flap about. The dog is conscious and aware of what is happening. 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, runny honey or a tablespoon of white frosting 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 or a recent period of over excitement then your bulldog may be in pain and it is advisable that you get your vet to check him over. Note, many vets are unfamiliar with this breed specific condition and sometimes mis diagnose epilepsy. I have also found that this is happens more around the age of 18 months and with pregnant or nursing females. The "attack" usually lasts about 1-2 minutes.
Tear stains
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 colouring 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 coloured faces. A daily wipe with "Diamond Eye" eye wash will help
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 Desititn or another moisture barrier to the folds, extra care is needed to the nose roll which in some bulldogs can be very deep: 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 show these stains more than dark colored faces. A daily wipe with "Diamond Eye" eye wash will help.
THROAT/BREATHING:
Elongated Soft Palate and other airway disordersSleep Apnea
Pinched Nostrils: Also called Stenotic Nares. In extreme cases surgery will be required to open the nostrils
Elongated Soft Palate: Every bulldog has an elongated soft palate to a certain degree, this is because of the shape of their heads (ie: brachycephalic - short nosed). In most cases this causes nothing more than snoring, but in severe cases may 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 brachycephalic breeds.
Sleep Apnea: Common in humans that snore and also common in bulldogs. They appear to stop breathing while asleep and if you hear it happen it can be quite scary waiting for them to breath out again - they will ...... eventually.
More information: http://www.artreality.com/portfolio/wdwork/vet/brachycephalicairwaysyndrome.htm
SKIN:
Demodectic Mange
Mange: Diagnosis is made by "scraping the skin area" with a sharp blade, in order to "lift" the parasite off of the skin. The scraped material is then examined under the microscope to visualize the parasite. The condition is not usually itchy but in severe cases, the entire body may be affected, in this form it has become "generalized", and along with hair loss, a secondary bacterial infection can occur. These patients can itch and scratch because of the bacterial infection. Treatment generally involves dipping the patient in a solution effective against demodex. Ivermectin is commonly used also.
The most common form of Mange is Demodex (demodectic mange or red mange). The mite is present in all dogs and is passed from mother to pup during suckling. Infection occurs when the body's immune system is unable to maintain a harmonious state with the demodex parasite. This lull in the immune system can be genetic but can also be due to depression in the dog, following illness or sometimes during a growth spurt, after a booster jab, environmental changes, poor quality food and at puberty. Common in younger dogs it is more often "localized" (small patches around face, chest or front legs) but is not contagious between dogs. There are many misconceptions regarding mange. It is extremely prevelant in the Bulldog breed and needs to be understood that there are many external factors that contribute to a puppy having mange. Dogs with generalized Demodectic Mange should not be bred and need treatment. If a dog recovers from localized Demodex without treatment, the dog is still a canidate for breeding.
Sarcoptic Mange: A contagious mite, treatable. Similar to lice in that it is very itchy and must be treated very aggressively to ensure reinfestation does not occur.
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. You must feed your Bulldog a high quality premium food. It is always worth trialing a change in diet before heading down the allergy testing route. Switch foods (no supplements or tid bits) for at least 2 weeks. Only allow steroid treatment in extreme circumstances and for as short a time as you can get away with
Baldness: Many bulldogs go bald and the most common site for this is on the sides of the body. Often the baldness is symmetrical on both sides and the skin underneath blackens. The most likely cause is hormonal or seasonal alopecia, however it's worth asking the vet to test Thyroid function and for Cushings syndrome, especially in dogs that have recently put on a lot of weight as both of these conditions will initially present as bald sides. Spayed bitches will sometimes go bald when they would have come into season and some dogs will only go bald during certain times of the year.
JOINTS & LIGAMENTS
OCD and Hip Displacia
Development Problems :
Diet plays a large role in bone development, because of the rapid growth it is wise to take puppy off of puppy food at 5 months to lower the protein intake. We also start our puppies out on Large Breed puppy food, it assists in helping puppies at a slower growth rate, giving time for large bones to develop properly. Many dog food manufactures recommend that puppy stays on the puppy mix for the first year, but the bulldogs bones don't need such a high protein intake as it speeds up an already rapid growth and can lead to development deformities in some cases. The same applies to calcium, don't give puppy any extra calcium - find a good well balanced dog food and stick to it.
Because of the bulldog’s rapid growth it is very important that you keep weight, play and exercise properly managed during the first year. Limit jumping and running to a minimum, Bulldogs are not built for high energy activities. Just because your dog wants to, doesn't mean he/she is ready to engage in risky activities. Early joint damage could be permanent and may lead to osteoarthritis. Irregular growth in the long bones is very common and is almost always only temporary as the dog usually grows out of it by the time the bones fuse at about 9 months to 1 year of age. Hip/elbow displaysia can be genetic but is also caused by environmental factors (ie: slippery floors, jumping, overweight, rough play, running etc). Any puppy that shows lameness should be rested as it is not unusual during a rapid growth spurt, try not panic if your puppy becomes lame and don't ever allow surgery to be undertaken on growing bones - no firm diagnoses can be made until he is at least a year old anyway.
CRUCIATE LIGAMENT DAMAGE
The bulldog can damage his cruciate ligament almost without even trying. The back legs are usually longer than the front and this puts pressure on the stifle joint (knee). A bad landing or a sudden turn can snap one of the cruciate ligaments. The vet will be able to confirm a damaged cruciate ligament by manipulating the knee joint, side to side movement is usually the sign. A dog with a damaged cruciate will hold his back leg with either just the toes touching the floor or with the leg fully off the ground bent at the knee. If the ligament is only stretched strict crate rest will almost always work, but you have to be very strict and keep the dog crated only allowing them out to the toilet on a lead. If there is no improvement after one week then surgery may be required
For more information: http://www.artreality.com/portfolio/wdwork/vet/anteriorcruciaterupture.htm
Luxating Patella: Where the knee cap (patella) shifts out of place. Most likely surgery will be required to repair it.
For more information: http://www.artreality.com/portfolio/wdwork/vet/medialpatellaluxation.htm
FEET
Nails
Typically bulldogs do not have their dew claws removed. Dew claws that are left to grow may grow back into the leg of the dog or may catch in things and be ripped out.
Be careful not to cut through the quick of the nail (the pink part), this area is especially hard to see if the nails are black. Cutting through the quick will bleed heavily but looks worse than it is and will stop although will be painful for the dog and will be sore for a while afterwards.
Interdigital Cysts
Interdigital Cysts: Red lumps that appear between the toes on the front feet, causes include inverted hair follicles, grass seeds or cutting very long toe nails and altering the pressure put on the toes. There is very little that can be done to prevent interdigital cysts but you can help alleviate them by soaking the dogs feet in a solution of Epsom Salts and cooled kettle water, dry thoroughly . A short course of antibiotics may help in the short term. If your dog will allow it, squeeze out anything that is ready to burst prior to soaking the feet in the salt solution
GENERAL:
Gas: Goes with the breed I’m afraid, they will lay right at your feet and fart for England and be totally oblivious to what’s going on. We’ve found the Nutro food has almost totally eliminated the gas problem, but each dog is different. Charcoal Bonio biscuits are great for a windy dog as the charcoal will help soak up the internal gasses.
Temperature : Your dogs temperature should be between 100 and 101 (approx 38.6)
UTI's and Cystitis: Bulldogs are prone to UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) and bitches are prone to Cystitis - especially when in season. A drop of Cider Apple Vinegar in the drinking water will help. If the condition continues you must consult your vet as a course of Synolux will be required or in the worse cases xrays to rule out bladder stones or crystals.
Vets: Please try to find a vet that understands the bulldog, this breed is a higher risk to anaesthetize that snouted breeds 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 mis-diagnose joint problems but may also see you as a license to print money. Almost every Bulldog will have a slightly elongated soft palate which is why they snore, 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.
