French Bulldog 411

Cute French Bulldog ready for their exam at Wagnolia Vet Clinic.

Frenchies are a very popular breed in the US for many reasons - they tend to be sweet, goofy and loving companions. While there's a lot to love, they are sadly overbred and unethically bred.

Frenchies are a brachycephalic breed. Brachycephalic means that the skull is broad and the muzzle (nose) is shortened. Due to unscrupulous breeding, Frenchies have numerous health concerns that can become expensive and difficult to manage, even for the most well-meaning pet owner.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BOAS) - The planned anatomical skull abnormalities in Frenchies and other brachycephalic animals (including but not limited to English bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and Persian cats) often lead to airway issues requiring surgical intervention. These airway issues can lead to secondary laryngeal collapse, hiatal hernias, and aspiration pneumonia; some of these disorders can be life-threatening and occur suddenly. While not all animals will experience the most severe consequences, most will have some degree of lifelong respiratory difficulty unless an experienced veterinarian or board-certified surgical specialist surgically treats them.

Gastrointestinal Disease - Frenchies are prone to diseases such as esophagitis and gastrointestinal reflux, which can be associated with BOAS, though not always. Pet owners often overlook these diseases because they're unsure what to look for or don't report it because the symptoms are constant and don't appear to be causing immediate pain/discomfort. Vomiting, regurgitating, gulping, burping, gassiness, soft stools are abnormal for any pet and often go unnoticed because they don't necessarily happen every day.

Musculoskeletal Disease - Poorly bred small breed dogs, including Frenchies, are at risk for skeletal disorders such as medial luxating patella, which can lead to early arthritis and cranial cruciate ligament tears.

Neurological Disorders - Frenchies are at high risk for neurologic diseases including intervertebral disc disease and degenerative myelopathy. The veterinary community is also seeing increasing cases of vertebral malformation that can lead to debilitating, chronic pain. Sometimes these vertebral abnormalities are seen in otherwise clinically normal dogs, which can lead to either a "ticking time bomb" for pain.

Dermatological Issues - Itchy and Frenchie are almost synonyms. Food allergies and environmental allergies are nearly inevitable in French Bulldogs. These issues often appear early in life and continue throughout life. Dermatological disorders are perhaps the most common reason Frenchie patients visit Wagnolia Vet.

Unethical breeders will not share all of this information with you, and perhaps the sign of an ethical breeder is that they openly discuss the reality of Frenchie ownership with every willing buyer.

Some breeders are working to improve the anatomical defects that characterize this and other brachycephalic breeds. While the BOAS aspect may be mitigated, there is no guarantee that the other issues listed above will be resolved. Wagnolia Veterinary Clinic is always here to help any pet; we do not judge anyone's choices. However, education is one of our team's core values, and we want to help current and prospective pet owners make informed choices.