Tips

As the owner of the bulldog, you will want for your dog the best care, so choosing a good veterinarian is crucial. At the same time, it is especially important to recognize and treat health problems before they get worse. Permanent preoccupation and prompt response are normal attitudes that any pet owner must adopt, irrespective of race.

The breed standard, which exists with some changes over 100 years, describes in the case of a bulldog a healthy and strong dog, able to move in a unrestrained, free and vigorous way. The bulldog is arbitrarily arbitrary in terms of conformation and health, highlighted while walking, and could not compete successfully if he had poor health.

Regarding daily care, the bulldog should receive the same attention that other breeds receive. Additionally, the unusual physical features that make it so attractive can create specific problems. This is an extremely specialized, man-made breed that would have difficulty surviving in the wild. That’s why I do not live in the wild! They live with us and they depend on us to provide their care. It is important to discuss health issues with your veterinarian to decide on appropriate treatment for any illness. As you learn more, you can recognize the problems and their severity. The more you learn about race, the more you will have more confidence in your ability to solve minor problems yourself. You will also be able to decide when to call your veterinarian. But be objective in assessing your knowledge. Even if you are evaluating a minor risk situation, the veterinarian may have a different opinion, so it is important to consult with him / her. Our advice is also to maintain a good relationship with the breeder. Situations encountered over time may be the basis for recommendations, but authority must remain the responsibility of the experienced and knowledgeable veterinarian of the breed.

Choose your vet and according to his experience in treating bulldog specimens – the more, the better. It is worth traveling for a longer distance to schedule a veterinarian who consults many bulldogs – he can diagnose and treat better than a veterinarian who is less familiar with the breed. This is important for day-to-day care and can be a key factor in certain situations. For example, bulldogs experience more special anesthesia than other breeds, due to the unique configuration of their respiratory system. A more experienced veterinarian will identify situations where anesthesia can be avoided, and when required, you will know how much to use.

The breeder will vaccinate your puppy according to the vaccination schedule recommended by the veterinarian against common communicable diseases. The first vaccines should be taken from the age of 5-6 weeks.

Vaccines are usually given in a combination of two, at 2 weeks, and provide combined protection against contagious diseases in a particular geographical area: parvovirosis, leptospirosis, rabies, canine cough, etc.

It is possible that if you buy a bulldog from abroad, the dog has made vaccines specific to the area’s disease and is not immunized against diseases in our country. Consult your veterinary surgeon about immunization by vaccinating specimens from abroad.

The breeder must give you the health certificate for the bulldog you purchase (passport for those arriving from abroad), a document that must include all the vaccines made to your dog. All of these are the dates when you are going to do the next vaccine. If you take these minimum precautions, your dog probably will never contact one of the diseases against which he was vaccinated.

Overheating – Many bulldogs are relatively tolerant to heat. They are intelligent animals that will generally temper their level of activity according to weather conditions. There are frequent cases when bulldogs choose to stand out at 30 degrees without problems, preferring outdoor space to the detriment of the indoor air conditioner. However, their care is your responsibility, so you have to be vigilant when your dogs are out in heat and make sure they do not overheat.

If your dog is overheated and / or over-excited, it is essential to calm him, because in these situations the body temperature can increase as if he fever. You should make sure that your throat is free of mucous membranes and minimize tissue inflammation caused by heat. Rapid action is essential, and generally, you will not have a real problem if you act quickly, leaving no problem getting worse. You will not endanger your life if you operate with cold water, ice, cold wet towels, etc. But if you do not act in these situations, overheating can be debilitating and even killing any animal, be it a bulldog or any other race.

If your dog has a problem, you can remove the mucosities that block his respiratory tract with his finger in the dog’s neck. A few drops of lemon will thin the mucous membranes by allowing air to circulate. There are dogs that tolerate the taste of lemon; but they will dislike them. Then, give him ice cubes and keep his mouth closed to make him chew if necessary. Take it to a place where he can stay relaxed, away from heat, in well ventilated areas – shade, sandstone, air conditioning, etc.

Do not leave the dog out in the sun without supervision. By no means do you keep him tied to a short leash without access to water in the sun. Never leave your dog in a car stopped during the summer – cars turn very easily into ovens, the temperature inside can reach a fatal level for your bulldog.

You should already be familiar with the sound and rhythm of your bulldog’s normal breathing. If he is over-excited, excited, his breathing will be abnormally fast and heavy. If the dog enters hyperventilation, his tongue will have a blue color instead of normal pink and will take it excessively out of the mouth. His stomachs will be heavy, noisy and may have a cloudy look. To treat it, you should use some or all of the following remedies: water, ice, lemon juice and suppositories (again, talk to your veterinarian early in the summer, what you can do to stabilize it in these cases).

You can place it immediately in a cold (but not ice) bathtub or in a cold shower. If you are out, sprinkle it with water – directly from a garden hose, if possible. Maybe he does not like it, but it’s important to lower his temperature. It is important to moisten it to the skin so that water evaporation can accelerate body cooling. Then place it in the shade. You can drop lemon juice on the tongue. Give her ice cubes and hold a compress of ice cubes on her chest, genitals, belly and / or chest. If its temperature is high (the normal temperature of a dog is about 38.3 – 38.5 degrees), give it a suppository according to the advice of the veterinarian.

Breathing problems can begin from the place where air is introduced into the body – in the nostrils. The standard of the breed imposes some conditions related to this: broad nipples to maximize airflow, and a grown bulldog responsible must have large and well open nostrils. However, bulldog natures can have a variety of sizes, and narrow nostrils can cause problems. In this case, nasal cartilage can restrict the flow of air.

The next potential point for blocking the airflow is the soft palate. The front of the mouth of the mouth is the tall palace, and the back to the trachee is the soft palate. When the soft palate is elongated, as is the case with brachicidal dogs, it can partially block the airways when the animal breathes. Treatment will depend on the amount of tissue, its location, and the temperament of the dog. A calm dog, with a soft stretch of the soft palate, will need only extra attention during high temperatures (when the tissues in the throat tend to swell).

This is because an excited animal will breathe and gasp harder, which will cause swelling of the throat, which is already partially blocked by the soft palate.

Fifteen years ago, it would have been difficult to have a conversation near the show ring at a dog show due to the noise of dog breathing. Today, the incidence of palace problems has been reduced by breeders who pay special attention to this issue in the copies they reproduce. This is another good reason to buy a chicken from a responsible breeder with a good reputation.

A premium, balanced, balanced diet is ideal for the health of your bulldog. The source of protein should be predominantly from an animal source. Cultivated small quantities of food and frequency in the form of certain fresh fruit and vegetables from safe, unprocessed sources are also allowed; remember to avoid onions and grapes (raisins) and check the lists of food premises – some can cause excessive bloating and discomfort to your dog, others poisoning, for others their digestive construction does not allow processing, etc. When allergy to food is suspected, a hypoallergenic nutrition process of at least 8 weeks is recommended.

Many owners associate food allergy with higher-grain foods or the protein source of meat. For bulldogs, the source of chicken protein is harder to tolerate, so it is preferable to avoid it. Also, on the frequent list of allergens are corn, soy, wheat and milk.

Eye problems are potentially serious. Minor issues can become important if they are not addressed. Consult your veterinarian if the problem does not correct yourself or treat yourself at home within one day.

Eyelashes

Some bulldogs develop a congenital condition when some genes grow back and rub against the ocular surface. Irritation may range from imperceptible to very severe, with excessive lacrimation. Genes can be removed by snatching – it’s not as difficult as it may seem, and dogs can get used to this “treatment.” This condition can improve over time, so treatment is no longer needed.

Entropion and Ectropion

In the normal eye structure, the limb must be positioned in the immediate vicinity of the eyeball, following its shape. The language should not be inward or outward. The breed standard considers these situations to be non-compliant for the exhibits.

Entropion is the condition in which the eyelid rotates inwards, causing irritation to the eye. It is more common among races than on other breeds, such as shar-pei, bulldogs, both French and English, etc. If it is caused by a spasm or mechanical irritation, it can be corrected by medication. If it is structural, the condition can be corrected by a simple operation. Lack of action to treat this condition can lead to corneal ulceration and loss of vision.

Ectropion is a condition in which the limb of the eye is positioned outward, which makes the third eyelid visible. Due to its exposure and possible irritation caused by foreign bodies that may enter the eye, this condition should not be present in the specimens present in canine exhibitions.

Cherry Eye – Inflammation of the third eyelid

This condition is caused by the enlarged and prolapsed lacrimal gland on the inner surface of the third eyelid, generally caused by an infection. It looks like an inflamed red tissue that comes out of the corner of the eye. It usually occurs in chickens and young dogs. It is quite common among bulldogs compared to other breeds. There is the possibility of treatment with solutions containing antibiotic, mechanical intervention by massage and tissue repositioning. Surgery should be taken into account in more serious situations. This can be done by removing the lacrimal gland under general anesthesia. The choice of procedures and alternatives should be discussed with the farmer and the veterinarian.

Dry eyes

This is a typical disease of the older dog, which results from inappropriate tear production, sometimes as a side effect of the Cherry Eye operation.