Alek G.
03/12/2020
If you have just become the owner of a Frenchie, then you probably have hundreds of questions to ask about its care, health, and nutrition. Its small size, irresistible wrinkled face, and friendly personality make it a perfect choice for any type of family. These charming fellows are taking the world by storm and currently take the high 4th place according to the AKC. To make your pooch always happy and in a good shape, we’ve decided to provide you with the Ultimate Guide to French bulldog health and care.
Widely known for its iconic features, Frenchie’s personality is another aspect that attracts people to keep them for pets. These gorgeous pups are comical, entertaining, and dependable. They are quite peaceful around other pets and act like loyal protectors toward kids. French bulldogs and kids make one of the best matches in the house. These four-legged friends find in them their best buddies for playing and clowning around. When we talk about the Frenchies’ relationship with owners, they are very dependable. Therefore, a Frenchie is not a good fit for families whose members are often out of the house.
French bulldogs belong to companion dogs. It means that they depend on their owners, otherwise, they can start to suffer from separation anxiety. It is a condition where a dog becomes stressed when its owner walks out of the door. Since they act so sensitively to stay alone, dog owners should consider bringing another dog or cat into a family. If your Frenchie grows up with a cat or a dog by his side, they can make a beautiful friendship for life.
French bulldogs belong to small dogs whose weight should not exceed 28 pounds. Male dogs usually weigh between 20-28 pounds, while female’s weight goes around 16-24 pounds. The height of both females and males goes between 28-30 cm. Thanks to their portable size, Frenchies suit apartment-living conditions.
On the other hand, these little batpigs are also prone to obesity if you don’t take them on regular strolls. Their brachycephalic skulls make them prone to quickly get tired, so it can be a bit challenging when you want to take them out in hot weather.
In this guide, we are going to provide the essential information and tips if you are the owner of this breed. Not all Frenchies are on a tendency to suffer from the following health issues, but it’s good to be aware of them. We also need to mention a heartbreaking fact about these dogs. Unfortunately, since they are notorious for health issues that occur due to irresponsible breathing, they often end up being abandoned in the streets.
Allergies are one of the most common issues that happen in this breed. There are two main types of allergies – food and environmental, and the disease rate is equal. To prevent these little gremlins from environmental allergies, it’s best to invest in their immunity. It includes feeding a pup with healthy and fresh ingredients that will strengthen its immune system. Another solution represents protecting the dog’s skin with clothes. French bulldog clothes will help your pet in keeping his skin free of seasonal pollen, dust, mites, mold, and other allergy triggers.
When we talk about food allergies in Frenchies, they can be prevented by choosing a high-quality and well-balanced diet. If your doggie shows signs of flatulence, itchy skin, bumps, and diarrhea, then you should consider changing his diet.
French bulldog health and care demands also include paying attention to their main feature-brachycephalic skull. Thanks to their shortened nostrils and elongated soft palates, these dogs often experience issues with breathing. They shouldn’t be exposed to great physical exertions and should be kept safe in cold and hot temperatures. Aside from this, snorting and snuffling are nothing uncommon in this breed.
Hip dysplasia occurs not only in Frenchies but in many other dog breeds. It is a skeletal condition where a ball and socket don’t fit or develop properly. As a dog ages, this condition may become severe and painful. Unfortunately, many inappropriately bred Frenchies are born with this condition. That’s why we advise you buy Frenchie puppies only from trusted breeders that will ensure a dog’s health history. Over the years, hip dysplasia may progress into arthritis. In extreme cases, vets will recommend surgery to improve the dog’s mobility.
Hemivertebrae in French bulldogs is described as a malformation of one or more vertebrae. It causes a spine to be shaped like a wedge or triangle. Hemivertebrae can lead to pressure on the spinal cord which results in progressive pain and loss of hind limb function and incontinence. Frenchies are predisposed to suffer from this condition because they are born with screw tails. Unfortunately, this condition is not curable, so a dog with such an issue is condemned to suffering.
Every dog is at risk to get heatstroke, however, Frenchies are on a higher one. That’s why the prevention of overheating represents one of the most important aspects of French bulldog health and care. Their short muzzles make them incapable to cool off the air they inhale. Therefore, in case you live in a hot climate, you should consider buying summer essentials. They include a cooling pad bed, cooling collar, and a vest that help dogs to regulate their temperature.
At temperatures higher than 25 C degrees, you should consider taking your pooch outside early in the morning and late in the evening. Increase drinking the amount of water and frequently change the water in your French bulldog’s bowl. When we talk about a feeding schedule in hot weather, it’s better to include multiple smaller meals than one big.
Here are the signs of heatstroke in French bulldogs to consider:
Thanks to their short snouts, these little gremlins literally inhale the food you serve into their bowls. As you can guess, this leads to painful bloating and farting. Therefore, to escape such issues, it’s helpful to provide your dog with an Anti-choking feeding bowl. Such a bowl has a rotating part in the middle that prevents a dog from fast eating. Another important part of the French bulldog health and care routine is to choose a well-balanced diet.
Food for French bulldogs should be free of additives, artificial colors, and by-products. Those are some of the common causes of food allergies.
Despite the fact they are often called couch potatoes, these fellows require regular training lessons as well. Frenchies very cooperative dogs and they like to play with other dogs and family members. Regular training may include playing fetch, going to strolls, and chasing a ball through the yard. However, these exercises should be done within normal limits.
Going for a walk twice a day on a hot summer day will satisfy your dog’s needs. You can also have a relaxing time by the pool and in that case, you need to bring a life swimming jacket for your pooch. Frenchies can’t swim due to their shortened muzzles and stout and short bodies so life jackets are ‘must-have’ items for them.
On the other hand, walking outside in cold weather can also be challenging. These fellows require wearing jackets and coats in the winter to stay away from hypothermia.
When we talk about teaching a Frenchie certain commands, you’ll need to find a good motivational tool. Otherwise, they may start acting stubborn. Aside from this fact, French bulldogs are very intelligent and are able to quickly learn tricks and commands.
Luckily, Frenchies don’t shed much. They have a short coat that starts to lose dead hear during warmer months. In the winter, a Frenchie’s undercoat becomes thicker so it can stay warm in cold weather. The French bulldog’s coat is easy to groom and can be performed by using a grooming glove or brush.
To make your dog’s hair smooth and shiny, it’s also good to include antioxidants and Omega 3 and 6 fatty oils. Ingredients such as carrots, blueberries, spinach, and pumpkin represent some of the best sources of antioxidants.
Another tip that will help you strengthen the dog’s hair is spraying it with a solution made of apple cider vinegar and water (50/50). You can apply this solution to your Frenchie’s coat twice a week or add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your pet’s water.
Since these cute batpigs are notorious for dozens of folds especially on their head, every owner should pay attention to their cleaning. Folds are dark and moist places on a Frenchie’s head that collect dirt, allergens, and food leftovers. If not cleaned regularly, they become the perfect base for the development of bacterial infections.
Infected folds have a bad odor, they are swollen, red, and itchy. The cleaning process is in that case very painful. The treatment includes using topical creams and as well antibiotic therapy.
If your dog’s folds are healthy, you can clean the folds by using wet baby wipes. After you finish the process, you can apply cornstarch between each fold to pick up the moisture.
When it comes to the part of bathing, it’s enough to bathe your pooch once a month. It’s highly advisable to avoid human and baby shampoos because they have different pH levels. As one of the best shampoos for Frenchies, we recommend you check the following one.
To clean your frog dog’s fur between baths, you can use a wet baby wipes and the Frenchie World Dry Cleaning Foam. Just gently massage the dog with a proper amount of foam and massage for 3-5 minutes. After that wipe them with a dry towel.
Tail pocket cleaning is an important part of the French bulldog health and care requirements. These dogs might not have tails but have hidden places that are prone to collecting feces and dirt. Unfortunately, those places often become irritated, itchy, and red if don’t get a proper cleaning. Therefore, if you own a Frenchie, our advice is to clean your pet’s tail pocket every time he goes to the toilet.
Despite being famous for their cute bat ears, these body parts are susceptible to catch allergens and pieces of grass. Regular ear cleaning is one of the basic French bulldog health and care routines where you need to encourage your pet to feel relaxed while performing the process. You can relax him by giving him treats and telling praise words. The next step is to place your doggie in a lying position and gently apply the Ear Cleaning Solution.
Widely known for their gorgeous and big eyes, these little fellows produce tear stains like any other dog. Tear stains are more visible on dogs with lighter hair. However, it doesn’t mean that black, brown, or blue French bulldogs don’t have them.
As one of the best tear stain removers for dogs, we recommend you to check the following one. Tear stains may vary from red to brown color. The red tear stains occur due to porphyrins. Those are iron-containing waste products from the breakdown of red blood cells that can be excreted in tears and saliva.
On the other hand, brown tear stains often occur due to a yeast infection. In that case, a dog requires the therapy prescribed by a vet.
Nails are one more important aspect of the French bulldog health and care. To escape ingrown nails and issues with mobility, every dog should get nail trimming. The right time for trimming is when you hear your dog’s nails rattling on the ground. The following Dog Electric nail trimmer is one of the best you’ll find because it won’t cause pains.
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