Ask the French Bulldog Veterinarian
Dr. Patty Khuly is a 1995 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She lives in Miami, Florida with her son, Max, and her French Bulldog, Sophie Sue. Dr. Khuly writes the popular veterinary blog, Dolittler, and is a columnist for the Miami Herald newspaper. She welcomes your questions on veterinary related issues and French Bulldogs.
Current Questions and Answers - December 5, 2007
Dealing with Tear Stains
Hi there. We got our dog last year and she is GREAT! She's the best
Frenchy, and everyone always says how cute she is. She has a problem
though and it is tear stain marks on her face. She has a white face
and a cream colored body, and under her eyes are these really bad
bright red stains.
We tried vinegar in her water, and we tried baby cream and powder in
her face wrinkels, and we tried wiping her face with hydrogen peroxide
(the weak kind). Nothing works.
Can you suggest something we can try?
Thanks and we love your blog and were happy to see you are writing for
French Bulldog Z!
Dr. Patty writes:
It's a heck of a lot easier to prevent tear stains than to have to get rid of them. I recommend using a lubricating salve in the eyes before ever using any product. Then I tend to try a cornstarch and dilute peroxide (10 water:1 peroxide) paste. I let it sit for a bit if they don't mind it (about ten minutes) then I rinse thoroughly. Try it for ten days in a row and see if it helps. Goopy eyes is the only side effect of this method. Wiping the eyes three times a day of all tears helps prevent the stains in the first place.
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.
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