Archive for the tag 'French Bulldog'

Ask the Veterinarian - scoliosis and kyphosis

lorihuntdvm March 16th, 2008

French Bulldog with scoliosis and kyphosis of the spine

I currently have a French Bulldog girl. I say she was my first baby and she is such and important part of me and my family. She is 2 1/2 years old and she has been diagnosis in having scoliosis and kyphosis of the spine.

I have taken her to a specialist in New Jersey, after a referral from my vet. I have been told that her symptoms and current spine status is not needing surgery at this time, however she experiences pain about every 4-6 months which we treat with a steroid, prednisone. The medication gets her back up an moving within a few days…

My question is, knowing that 80% of bulldog breeds experience this vertebral problem what other options are there for pain relief and prolonging the health for my little girl. Any suggestions or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Dr Lori writes -

Unfortunately, we have all chosen a breed in which spinal instability exists, and I am doubtful there is anyone who owns a frenchie who doesn’t at least know someone who has been through this same situation.

I am sorry to hear of your French Bulldog’s spinal deformities, and I do believe that steroid treatment for short bursts of time a few times a year is not a bad thing for her, and helps relieve the inflammation which is being caused by her spinal abnormalities, which in turn prevents it from progressing.

It is quite important that you have her examined and initiate treatment for her as soon as you see the first signs of a relapse. The longer the nerves are compressed, the more damage which can be done and the risk that it may be irreversible.

As far as treating this medically, without surgery, you could also try muscle relaxers as well non-steroidal anti-inflamatories, such as Rimadyl or Metacam.

Another option would be adding omega fatty acids to her daily regimen as they are a natural anti-inflammatory and can help relieve the day to day inflammation on her spine, without constantly medicating her. Surgery is a final option but carries its own set of risks, but if her signs worsen, it may become necessary.

I do hope your French Bulldog girl lives a long and healthy life and that her back troubles are short lived and infrequent.

Good Luck!

Please note that advice from any of our experts is not intended to replace a proper examination by a Veterinarian. When in doubt or in case of an emergency, please take your dog to see a veterinarian for a hands on examination. Click here to locate an experience Brachycephalic Veterinarian in your area.

Tags: , , , , ,

Ask the Web Geek - Kennel Blindness?

bullmarketfrogs March 15th, 2008

Kennel Blindness

Hi I’m curious as to what people mean when they say someone is “Kennel Blinded”. I am buying my first show dog after owning a French Bulldog pet for almost four years. When I started calling breeders about a show dog they would ask me where I got my dog from. Someone said to me that the breeder of my pet Frenchie is “Kennel Blind”, and I was too embarassed to ask what this means. I know it wasn’t a compliment by the way she said it! I got the impression she didn’t want to sell me a show dog just because of who I got my pet from.

Why is that, and is kennel blindness so bad that it will make it impossible for me to get a showdog from anyone?

Carol writes -

No one you contact need be afraid that your pet’s breeder has kennel blindness - after all, it’s not catching, although it is quite common among show dog people.

Kennel blindness is a catch all term used to indicate that a breeder is oblivious to the faults of dogs that they themselves have bred - either willfully ignorant, or through sheer inability to separate emotions (I love Suzy, therefore she’s beautiful) from pragmatism (I love Suzy, but you could iron clothes on her back and she moves like she’s on crutches). Oddly enough, some of the most determinedly kennel blind among us can be ruthless critics of other people’s dogs.

It’s natural for us to favour our own offspring, whether two legged or four, but those who choose to breed dogs need to learn that love doesn’t need to be blind, at least not when it comes to show dogs. It’s a lesson that can take time to learn, and you’ll see that some of the best loved pets on a breeder’s couch are often dogs they’d never dream to take in the ring.

I don’t quite understand why anyone you’ve contacted about a show dog should care that your pet Frenchie’s breeder has kennel blindness. Likely, there’s some sort of simmering and long standing resentment there between the two breeders - a situation you’d do best to stay out of, by the way. Feuds between breeders are rarely pretty, and a novice show person doesn’t need to complicate their life any further.

Move on to another breed less resentful of where you got your pet from, and worry about kennel blindness when - and if - you decide to venture into the wild world of breeding.

Carol

Tags: , , , , ,

Ask the Veterinarian - French Bulldog With Horrid Hives

lorihuntdvm March 15th, 2008

French Bulldog With Horrid Hives

My Frenchie China has the most awful hives. Our local vet said to change her food to a more natural kind and give her fish oil. We have done that and we bath her every week, but it’s not helping.

How can we figure out what is giving my baby such terrible hives?
Dr. Lori writes :

I would suggest considering having China allergy tested. This may give you a clue as to what is causing the hives. While it still could be food, it is possible it could be environmental as well. Dust mites, weeds, grasses, pollens, detergents, etc., could cause this sort of reaction, as well as bug bites.

An allergy test will give you a clue as to what causes it and you may be able to eliminate that allergen from her daily grind.

If that is not possible, you would be able to institute immunotherapy in the form of allergy injections, so as to relieve her signs, if not eliminate them.

Lori Hunt, DVM

Tags: , , , , , ,

Ask the Trainer - Frenchie Missing Family

gollygear March 14th, 2008

Frenchie Missing Family

Hello, I am hoping you may be able to help me out.  We have a two year old Frenchie, Floyd, who has been having problems while we are away at work.  To give you a bit of background, we had previously lived in a more suburban area with Floyd, our roommate, and his dog, Dora.  Floyd and Dora are brother and sister and have lived together their whole lives up until about five months ago.  At that time, we were married and moved to the city to be closer to work and not have to commute for an hour. 

The transition has been fairly remarkable with Floyd as I think it helps that he sees us more than two to three hours at night.  We also walk him twice a day, I take him for a short walk in the morning (about 3-4 hours after we left) and my husband does the same in the afternoon.  He also goes to doggy daycare on Wednesdays to get some time with other dogs.  He is very happy when we are home but gets very upset when we are leaving, and he always trying to dart out the door and sometimes even sits there visibly shaking.  We received a note today from someone that lives in the apartment building that he has been barking all day, everyday.  Neither Floyd nor Dora have ever barked much, so I was fairly surprised and was a bit skeptical but my husband heard Floyd barking when he approached the door.  There is a terrier four or five apartments down that barks, so I’m not sure if Floyd is reacting to that dog or it is because he is left alone. 

With the exception of increasing his days at doggie daycare, I’m not sure what to try next.  I am hoping, with your experience, that you may have suggestions or ideas.  I have also considered starting to crate him again, which he was used to and comfortable with as a puppy.  But I have not been able to find much information about crating older puppies/adult dogs when you are gone.  At most he would be crated for four hours then have a 15-20 minute walk then back in the crate for four hours then after the afternoon walk probably three hours.  Do you think this is too long?

I appreciate any thoughts you can provide.  Thank you so much!

Hope writes -

Your instincts about Floyd are right on target. Your boy is suffering from separation anxiety and crating him should help tremendously.

Think about the situation from Floyd’s point of view. He’s in a new, unfamiliar place, and almost half of his family disappeared and hasn’t come back! He’s probably terrified that you and your husband are leaving forever, too!

Get a crate right away. Leave it open, with a bed or mat inside. If he’s happy to go inside and investigate, let him. Don’t close the door when you’re home, let him have access to the crate. If he’s resistant, I’d put his food in the back of the crate so he has to go in to get his breakfast and dinner. Again, don’t close the door until he’s comfortable and at ease in the crate.

Get a “Kong” or other toy with a hollow center. Spread a little bit of peanut butter or soft cheese in the center, so that he has to work to get it out. Generally speaking, if dogs stay occupied for the first 10 minutes in the crate, they will relax and take a nap.

When you’re introducing Floyd to the crate again, make the first stay very short. Put the toy in the crate, say “Kennel up!” or some other phrase, put him in the crate, close the door and walk out. You can say “Be good!” but your departure should be as matter-of-fact as possible.

Walk around the block and come back. Your arrival should also be unemotional. Open the crate, say “Hi, Floyd!”, snap on his leash and go for a walk. Gradually increase the time away. If you’re able to leave for 15 to 20 minutes and Floyd is quiet, you may have the problem solved.

You don’t want coming and going to be melodramatic or emotional. As long as Floyd knows you’re coming back, he should look forward to his special “crate treat.” Most even come to enjoy their “off duty” time.

Some dogs like having a radio or television playing during the day. It may help block the noise of the dog barking elsewhere in your building. As far as daycare - it may help until the new routine is established.

Crates can be used for as long as six to eight hours without a problem. If you know you’ll be gone longer than that, they should get a “potty break” at the midpoint. Floyd’s schedule seems ideal - he just has to learn that “Mom” and “Dad” will always come home.

Hope Saidel

Tags: , , , ,

Neutering Your Frenchie - What Age is Best?

drpatty December 8th, 2007

 Neutering Your Frenchie - What Age is Best?

Hello I have a question for the Frenchie veterinarian. Is it true that
we should wait until our dog is a year old to get him neutered?

Our breeder said we should get him neutered at 6 months old, but I read
that if we do he won’t get very big. We asked the breeder if this is
true and she said that neutering him early can prevent some training
issues. We don’t want to ruin our dog but we don’t want him to be
under sized either.

We called our vet but the receptionist said it’s just up to us.

What do you suggest?

 

Dr. Patty Writes:

Welcome to my world. It’s true their heads and shoulders tend to be wider if you wait longer to neuter (after a year or two)–but it doesn’t always make a very big difference. As to overall size, it matters not much at all.

In any case, a smaller Frenchie generally has fewer orthopedic issues to manage as they get older. Weight gain (pudginess) can be an issue as the loss of testosterone means a slower metabolism, but that’s no reason not to neuter as long as you feed appropriately.

If there’s any inkling that your Frenchie has a bit of a Napoleon complex (dominance, aggression, etc.) I would not hesitate to neuter at six months on the dot.

Tags: , ,

« Prev