Frenchies!

French Bulldogs, to be exact... We love their snorty, plafyul, rolly polly cuteness. In fact, they have recently been voted as America's top dog breed according the American Kennel Club, dethroning the Labrador Retriever after 30 plus years!  However, recent studies have shown that the French Bulldog has a higher risk of 20 common health disorder compared to other breeds of dogs. 

Why is this important to know? Because, the most adorable features can cause significant health concerns for these little guys. Before you adopt or rescue a 'frenchie' make sure you understand their health concerns so you can better prepare yourself for those inevitable challenges.

French Bulldogs are at a higher risk for nasal defects that require surgical repair. Frequently, French Bulldogs have narrowed nostrils that are too small to allow proper oxygen intake. The surgery to repair this defect is a simple procedure, but can get expensive, and there can be complications. According to a newly released study from the Royal Veterinary College in England, French Bulldogs are 42.14 times higher risk for narrowed nostrils than any other dog breed (1).

They are also over 30 times greater risk for Obstructive airway syndrome, 14 times greater risk for ear discharge and 11 times greater risk of skin dermatitis than other dog breeds (2).

Here at 43rd, we see French Bulldogs most often for skin infections from allergies (licking between toe pads, rubbing face on the carpet, itchies around the nose and ears, pink bellies) These skin infections often are not random, but cause by allergies. Allergies can be triggered by genetics, food intolerances and environments. Once allergies are triggered, often times you can not eliminate the 'trigger' (I too wish that I could remove all the pollen trees in the world and no more bermuda grasses!) so you must support a healthy skin barrier, and maintain proper medications to help keep the itch at bay. 

Those medications are often things like Cytopoint injections or Apqouel tablets. Once pups are put on long term allergy medications, regular blood work ups and exams are required to ensure the dogs are not adversely harmed by these medications.

Because they are at risk for skin infections, it is very important to keep their skin folds on their face dry and clean, and to maintain a regular bath cycle. 

So, in the end, Frenchies are adorable! But expensive, and they can and do have health issues that can make life hard for them. So please make an informed decision when it comes to your next cute baby!

(1, 2) French bulldogs have higher risk of 20 common health disorders (biomedcentral.com)