Dogs don’t sweat like humans do—instead, they cool their bodies by panting. When dogs pant, moisture is evaporated from the mouth and upper respiratory tract, which helps them stay cool.
Frenchies are predisposed to heatstroke, so it’s important to keep them inside on very hot and/or humid days (25’C). When you do let your Frenchie outside, only do so in the morning or evening when it’s cooler. It’s also important that they always have water and shade whenever they’re outdoors.
Signs of heat stroke include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, weakness, confusion, stumbling, being hot to the touch, increased pulse and heartbeat, excessive thirst and in severe cases, the dog being in a comatose-like state where it can’t stand.
Heat stroke can be prevented by supervising your dog during outdoor exercise and play, not allowing it to be out in the sun or humid temperatures for extended amounts of time and making sure it’s hydrated. Also, never leave your dog unattended in a car. If you live in humid climates, the sun may not even have to be out for heat stroke to occur.
If your Frenchie gets a heat stroke, move the dog to a shaded and cool area. Immediately pour cool (not cold to avoid shock) water over the dog. Tap water (15-16°C) has been found to be the most effective at cooling dogs with heat-related illnesses. In a true emergency, any water is better than nothing. It’s important to stay calm and head straight to the vet. Early detection and action are vital—if the affected dog is not treated right away, heat stroke could result in kidney injury, blood clotting, shock and even death.
“[Some people say], ‘Let’s wait and see’ or ‘I’m going to throw a bunch of ice cold water on them.’ Do not throw a bunch of ice cold water on them, that will lower their body temperature too fast and can make them go into shock. Rather spray your dog’s paws with rubbing alcohol since it helps dissipate heat and head to the vet asap. Once you get to the ER, a vet will administer fluid therapy and oxygen to stabilise your pooch. Your dog may also receive antibiotics, anti-seizure medications or other treatments depending on its case. Recovery time could be anywhere from two to five days.
A Frenchie’s huge, upright ears are a trademark of the breed, but it makes it easy for debris and bacteria to find their way into the ear. Because frenchies have very narrow ear canals, it is hard for the debris and moisture to make their way out of the ear canal once it gets in. This makes it easier for infections to develop.
Ear glands swell up to resist infections and produce more wax than usual. This leads to an overproduction of ear tissue, making the canal even more narrower and inflamed. Symptoms include head scratching and shaking, redness, a foul odour, yellow or black discharge and crusty or thickened ear canals. If left untreated, an ear infection could result in pain, neurological issues, balance complications, and in severe cases face paralysis, partial deafness or permanent hearing loss. Treatment for ear infections depends on the cause but typically, a vet will apply topical medications such as antibiotics and anti-fungal medicines. Then, you’ll be sent home with more topical medicine to administer to your dog.
Ear infections can be prevented by cleaning your dog’s ears at least every two weeks. You can use an antimicrobial ear rinse but be sure to check with a vet for their specific recommendation.
The French Bulldog’s breathing issues go hand-in-hand with an increased risk under anaesthesia. Because of their narrower trachea and congenital airway abnormalities, it can be much more difficult to insert an endotracheal tube, which is needed to help dogs breathe under anesthesias.
When recovering from anaesthesia, if their endotracheal tube is removed too soon, they may not be awake enough to compensate for their airway issues when breathing. This can cause respiratory distress and the need to be re-intubated. Frenchies are also more susceptible to inflammation of their already small airway after anaesthesia, which, again, puts them at higher risk for respiratory distress.
Frenchies are also predisposed to several stomach issues, which puts them at increased risk for vomiting and regurgitating, either after their pre-medication is given (prior to anaesthesia to help them relax) or while under anesthesias. This then increases their risk of developing aspiration pneumonia after anaesthesia.
Because of these risks and issues, veterinarians typically take extra precautions with this breed to help mitigate risk.
Stomach upsets are very common in Frenchies, so monitoring their diet is necessary. Consistent bouts of diarrhoea can be caused by parasites, viruses, or E. coli, all of which French Bulldogs are very sensitive to. Take note of their stools if they are wet, runny, or tarry, smell foul, or if you see blood in the stools. These are all signs of a severe digestion problem. Other tell-tale signs are your dog losing weight, losing its appetite, vomiting, or having a fever.
Sadly, many French Bulldogs are also at a high risk of BOAS due to their flat faces and short snouts. The short structure of the French Bulldog’s face also means a shorter airway in the nose and throat too.
This can lead to shortness of breath, trouble breathing, sleeping difficulties, and heat intolerance. You’ll notice this problem occurring during exercise and in warmer temperatures. Because of this problem, we try to breed our Frenchies with a bit longer snout.
As a short-nosed breed, French Bulldogs are very at-risk of upper respiratory tract infections. These will usually happen to every bulldog at least once in their lives and are infectious, so they will occur if your dog spends more time with other canines. URT symptoms are similar to a human cold: nasal congestion, coughing, and lethargy.
Another common skin problem is bacterial skin infections. This occurs when your dog has a cut or scratch that becomes infected. Again, look out for itching, red skin, pus, and hair loss around the cut.
Due to French Bulldogs folded facial skin around their muzzle and nose, this can lead to dermatitis. It can also occur in other areas of their bodies that are folded, like armpits, necks, and crotches. Signs of this problem include itching, biting, and scratching of the area and redness and sores on the affected skin. Keeping skin folds dry and clean can prevent dermatitis from occurring.
Again, due to the genetic makeup of French Bulldogs, they are at a high risk of suffering from conjunctivitis. This is because they are a short-nosed (brachycephalic) breed.
It’s usually caused by bacterial and viral infections or allergic reactions to substances. Watch out for your Frenchie having pink or red eyes, if they start blinking more than usual or have mucus, pus, or discharge leaking from their eyes.
If a dog’s eye is red, it is inflamed and there is almost always something else to correlate with. The first thing to do is to look if your dog caught a cold. If he/she has a runny nose, sneezing a lot, coughing, then the cold is causing eye inflammation. In this case, eye drops are not enough, because they will not go away. Colds should be treated with a tablet or injection of the active substance Amoxicillin. Eg: Synulox tablets according to weight. Eye drops: Eye drops containing dexamethasone and tobramycin. Eg: Tobradex, Tobrex.
Another eye problem is due to allergies. In this case, it could help to switch to a hypoallergenic diet. If something went into his/her eyes like powder, shampoo, then the eye drops described above are also good, they are available at a human pharmacy, but they are also sold by veterinarians. Very important! If the eye surface is damaged, eg scratching. DO NOT use eye drops! Immediately go to a doctor