Ask the French Bulldog Experts

lorihuntdvm August 14th, 2008

I have just spent one of the worst weekends of my life.  On Friday morning I took my apparently energetic and healthy little 4.5 month old girl to be spayed.  About an hour after I dropped her off I received the call that she was dead.  What I was told is that they didn’t even get her under - that the pre-anethesia medication was all that she had been given.  The pre-anethesia included morphine.  I was told that when they came to get her she was blue.

My questions:
1.  Do most vets monitor small dogs after they have been given meds like morphine to make sure that there is no adverse reaction?

2.  If so - could anything have been done?
3.  Is giving morphine as a pre-anethesia a common practice when spaying?

I dropped off what seemed to be a perfectly healthy little dog for what I understand to be a very routine surgery.  I had planned to pamper her this weekend after the spaying - cleared all activities.  Instead I ended up mourning her death.

When I first found this vet I had talked to three others and discussed their familiarity with the breed.  I went with him because I was assured that he had 4-5 current frenchies and that he was very familiar with the breed.  I live in the Phoenix area and will be getting another frenchie - I really fell in love with the breed.

I didn’t see any recommended vets listed for out here - how do I make sure I am getting quality care for my beautiful little pups?

Tags: altering, anesthesia, French Bulldog Veterinary, spaying, surgery, veterinarian

• French Bulldog Veterinary , anesthesia , spay neuter alter
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lorihuntdvm March 26th, 2008

When to Spay My French Bulldog?

I’m getting conflicting information on when to spay my pup. I’ve heard in French Bulldogs it’s better to wait until after her first or even second heat so as not to stunt her growth allowing her bones and spine to fully develop.

But the information on spaying before her first heat for cancer prevention is so compelling! Sharing your thoughts would be very helpful while I ponder what I should do!

Thank you for your time.

Dr. Lori writes -

There is some recent evidence suggesting that waiting until after puberty (one heat) allows a bit more development of the urinary tract and actually allows the bones to grow at a normal rate. In addition, some research has been presented in large breed dogs that early spay/neuter (3 months) can actually increase the length of the long bones, and make the dog taller than genetically it should have been.

But we are not talking about a large breed (ha! Just try and tell a frenchie it isn’t a BIG dog!)… And you are right in your research findings about cancer.

If a female is spayed before her first season, she has less than 0.5% chance of getting mammary cancer in her lifetime. After 1 season it increases to 8% and after 2 or more it increases to 25%. Also, in my experience as a veterinarian, I feel that puppies recover almost uneventfully from a spay, whereas older girls experience more pain and a longer recovery.

If she were mine and I had no plans of breeding her, I would opt for spaying her somewhere between 6 and 8 months.

Good Luck to you and your baby girl!

Tags: age to spay, altering, French Bull Dog, French Bulldog, Frenchie, spaying, when to spay

• French Bulldog Veterinary
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gollygear March 11th, 2008

Food Fighting Frenchies

HI, I have two adult females that have grown up together from puppies but occasionally will get into fights, and they are hurting each other. It is always when we are around though, especially my husband, and the attention seems to be one trigger. Food is another and we feed in separate rooms and do not give treats when they are together. They can fight and then lick each other lovingly later. One female is more aggressive than the other and, yes - it is worse when one is near heat.

We are breeding them so, I do not want to neuter. What advice can you give?

Hope writes -

I don’t think you’re going to be happy with the advice I have for you -

Spay. Crate. Separate.

Firstly: I would recommend that you spay your dogs. Aggression is not a trait that should be perpetuated, or tolerated.

Secondly: how are you reacting when “the girls” start spatting? The correct response is to slam a heavy book or unbreakable object on the ground, yell “no,” and run in the other direction. When they’ve broken off their battle to see what the heck you’re up to - both should be crated for a “time out.”

If attention is the trigger - give the dog not getting direct attention something else to do, gnaw on a chew toy, fetch a toy, tug etc. Even practise obedience behaviors - “Down, Stay” is excellent.

Feed them in their crates - no interaction, no guarding, no battles. Remove their bowls in 10 minutes, if they haven’t finished, they’ll learn to be faster next time.

It sounds like your dogs are setting the rules in your house instead of obeying them. Everyone is happier when the humans are in charge. If you aren’t confident in your ability to train your dogs, do get some help. Get recommendations from friends, family, local veterinarians. Observe training classes, if you can, before signing up. Frenchies are best trained by positive reinforcement methods.

Separation may be your last remaining option. I know an excellent trainer who had to keep her intact females separated throughout their lives. When one was with the family, the other was crated. Keeping your girls intact may mean a lifetime of “crate juggling” for you and your family.

-Hope

Tags: agressive French Bulldogs, dog agression, fighting French Bulldogs, spay, spaying

• French Bulldog Breeding , French Bulldog Training
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