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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, because 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.
Dr. Jan
Durr Greb wrote this letter & you can find from Healthy Frenchies: an
Owner's Manual. |
