Frenchie Health Issues
The FBDCA tries
- to identify health problems common in our breed
- to help breeders avoid producing them, and
- to help owners understand and deal with them.
Our Health and Genetics Committee has conducted two major health surveys, one in 1999 and the other in 2009. You can read the results of those surveys here.
1999 Health Survey Results. Click here.
2009 Health Survey Results. Click on each highlighted word.
- Disorders reported by body system; includes information about who diagnosed it (owner, breeder, own vet, vet specialist).
- Disorders that were entered as “other” in the systems list.
- Disorders that respondents felt were most important in our breed, plus respondents’ estimates of the average lifespan for Frenchies.
- Comments offered by respondents.
French Bulldog Spine Database, initiated by Constance Parker, is maintained by The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA, www.offa.org). You can read about the incidence of vertebral malformations in our breed. Also, a recent interview with Dr. George Keller, the veterinary radiologist who has been conducting this pilot project, can be found Here.
Skin problems can afflict Frenchies, like other breeds, and are often caused by allergies to inhaled substance (atopy) or to food. Here is what you need to know about that. Skin Disorders
Brachycephalic Syndrome The French Bulldog’s famous flat face has some drawbacks and carries a number of health implications. some of which are quite serious, sometimes deadly. Others can negatively impact a dog’s quality of life. Frenchie owners should know about and be alert to these possibilities.
You and your dog may be able to help improve the health of our breed. For information about this, go to main menu page Helping Frenchies and click on How Your DOG Can Help Frenchies.
The Value of a Necropsy. If a previously healthy Frenchie should die suddenly and unexpectedly, and you don’t know why, you should have a post-mortem exam, or necropsy, done to try to determine the cause.
