| IS A BULLDOG THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU?? A lot of people ask me what health issues we have encountered in the past. On average our bulldogs have been extremely healthy but we have had a few issues. We do strive to breed our dogs for health and temperament. Any breeder that tells you that they have not had any health issues in their lines, is not telling you the truth. I believe in total honesty. When these issues arise I try to be very supportive. You need to purchase vet insurance for your dog....don't cry once you have an issue because you didn't bother with insurance. Health issues we have encountered: 1. Cherry Eye-Often with ice and massage they have gone back in. Do not get them cut out even if your vet recommends it. There are lots of other methods to deal with them. One puppy has smaller eyeballs and some other eye problems. The mother is now spayed 2. Entropian-We have had a couple with this condition. This is where the eyelids turn in and the eyelids scratch the eyes. 3. Mange-I did have one puppy in the beginning that had a severe case of mange. I fixed the parents. We had one more recently and the mother is now spayed. 4. I have only had two puppies with a grade 1 heart murmur who are living a healthy life. 5. We got caught in the dog food issue with contaminated food and some puppies had issues due to that. One has kidney problems and will not live a long life. 6. I have had two puppies with a luxating patella. Mother's are no longer in our breeding program and the father of one is no longer in user. 7. We have had one puppy that suffers from allergies as well. Mother is spayed. 8. One puppy had too many wrinkles(girl) and the pee gets caught in the folds on the way out causing her to have urinary infections.(this one was a surprise)..She had surgery to fix it 9. We had one puppy that has breathing difficulties due to the extreme bulldog look... Now the problem has been fixed. One puppy had her nares done and her pallette and is good. 10. I have had one puppy with a Portal System Shunt--mother is fixed and in a pet home/father is no longer in our breeding program.. 11. One puppy reportedly had bad hips when x-rayed randomly upon neutering. I did receive a copy of the x-rays and sent them to experienced breeders and vets who said for bull dogs, they were not bad hips. Remember that bulldog are generally held together by their muscular system. This puppy has no symptoms. I have had one dog that had bad hips. 12. I had one puppy where the tube by-passed the kidney that had to be connected with surgery. Our specialist feels it was due to the mother being on medication for a bladder infection during her pregnancy. 13. We have had one dog with a Vascular Anomoly 14. I had the runt of one litter with defective kidneys. This is the puppy from the bad dog food I spoke of above. 15. I had one puppy with a few issues. He has problems with his trachea which is narrow, hips, elongated pallette. This puppy reportedly has grown into his body and is now fine. We have been very fortunate with our puppies and have experienced very few problems but it certainly does happen. I have had different people purchasing puppies from me that have purchased bulldogs from others and they have not been healthy...two have died. In both cases they were not compensated. Also a few who purchased puppies and they had major defects that are life-threatening, breeders will not answer their calls. I will always try to help you solve the problem, but I will not pay your vet bills. There are a lot of good breeders out there. Ask them for a reference from someone that had a problem with their puppy and how it was handled. Do your research. Everyone will need to have health insurance in case any issues arise as it can be very expensive to fix and often people are not prepared financially... For a nominal fee every month, your life is worry free if something does go wrong. Is the bulldog right for you? 1. If you or your family members work full time and there is no one at home for hours at a time, a bulldog is not right for you. A bulldog loves to chew and even though they can be lazy at times, they are bored easily and get very lonely. They could destroy many things in a day. They are also not meant to be locked in a cage for eight hours a day while you work.A cat or fish is probably a better choice. 2. If you don't like to smell dog farts, a bulldog is not for you. I have not yet met a bulldog that can't clear a room. 3. If snoring irritates you, a bulldog is not for you. Most of them snore worse than a man that has been drinking all night. 4. If you are the type of person that wants your dog to do exactly what you say right this minute, a bulldog is probably not the dog for you. A bulldog is very intelligent but if they decide that they are not going to do something, guess what??? 5. If you are allergic to dogs, a bulldog is not right for you. A bulldog sheds and they are not hypo-allergenic 6. If you are looking for a fun-loving pet that will bring you and your family hours of enjoyment, a bulldog is the right pet for you. A bulldog thinks that they are a lap dog and just love to be with you. They are very intelligent and knowing. A bulldog is generally good with children but there are exceptions to every rule. You must teach your children to be respectful of your dog and never to hit or abuse them. 7. If you are looking for a companion on your family trips, they are generally very good to ride in the car and rarely get sick(again you could get the exception.) They also love to go to the beach(watch the heat), to the park and generally wherever you go. If after all this you still feel that a bulldog is right for you, contact me and I am sure that I will have the right puppy for you.... |
Is an English Bulldog Right For You?
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This is for your information and is by no means to take over for veterinarian care. A vet must be consulted when necessary.
1) An important aspect to keeping your bulldog healthy is the right amount of exercise. It is a myth that they need to stay on the
couch all day. They can quickly become out of shape and over weight. Too much exercise and in hot weather is not good for them
either. You need to control your puppy as well and not let them bolt and run all over when they are young. It can strain the joints
and injuries can easily occur that can permanately affect them!!!!!!!
Start your puppy off on small walks and then build up to a comfortable distance for them. Some bulldogs are more energetic than
others. Making sure that they are in good shape also helps their breathing.
2) Proper nutrition. I can not stress this enough. If you are going to go to the grocery store and buy cheap garbage food, you will
need to buy shares in your local veterinarian practice. Also important to feed 2 or 3 small meals instead of 1 big meal.
***never free feed your bulldog and do not let them become overweight. A fat puppy might be cute but it is not healthy...It increases
the incidence of hip-dysplasia and shortens their life. This is hard on their joints and their overall health...
3) Heat Stroke-It is a very real threat for your bulldog. Be extremely cautious and never leave them unattended in your car even for a
minute. Always travel with an abundance of water and ice in the extreme summer months.
Do not leave them unattended in the yard on hot days and do not run your lawn mower around them as they will follow along
behind you and could drop dead before you even notice them. Bulldogs do love to sunbathe quietly outside and when supervised
are generally fine. They will usually get up and walk to the shade if things are too hot.
Signs of heatstroke are generally a purple tongue, excessive heavy panting, red ears, white frothing at the mouth, peculiar throat
noises, will not drink....Lemon juice squirted down the dog’s throat and ice-cubes stuffed around inside his mouth, between the
teeth is a good place to start. Also reach into his mouth and scoop out the loose phlegm. If you don’t have lemon juice quickly find a
lemon based soda and pour some into it’s mouth trying to get it to vomit. If it is possible to get the dog into a cold bath
DO IT! If not, look for an outdoor hose and hose the dog down also inside the mouth but be careful not to get it in the lungs, usually
just his mouth and teeth.
Place ice cubes on your dogs head or put one in his rectum if he has lost or is losing consciousness. This can quickly progress to
where your dog is struggling to breath. You are now at the critical period and you need to react quickly.
****prevention is the key****Once the dog is recovering place it is a cool dry place to recuperate and give small amounts of cold
water. Then take them to the vet to have them checked out for shock.....
4) Worms and parasites. It is important to keep on top of this issue. Worms steal nutrition from your puppy and can make them
very sick. I recommend that you put your bully on Advantage Multi monthly. It takes care of parasites including heart worm and fleas
and you will be worry free-talk to your vet about this.
5) Cherry Eye-unfortunately this is very common in the breed. It is when the inner tear gland surface of the third eyelid enlarges
outward, exposing a cherry-like growth at the nasal corner of the eye. It is not as horrible as it appears to be but the sooner it is
treated, the better. If left, it can cause an ulcer on the eye. It generally has to be fixed surgically. I recommend the pocket method
instead of removal.
6) Facial acne or eczema. A bulldog often has its head where it is not supposed to be. They can end up with topical, bacteria
infections. Most can be cleaned up by washing and rubbing on an anti-biotic ointment or you can try peroxide. If problem persists
see your vet.
7) Fungus or hot spots. They are generally not weepy and can be cleared up with an anti-fungal cream. Be sure to clear away all of
the scabby material and apply Panalog, Keflex or any anti-fungal ointment.
8) Interdigital Cysts This is another problem that no one seems to be sure what the cause is but it appears to be an infection. But
you'll know one when you see an angry red swelling pop up between the dog's toes. First examine the paw carefully, especially the
underside between the pads to be sure there is no foreign matter (a thorn or such). If there is, take it out. Clean the area.
Remedies include: (I) Soaking the paw in warm water and Epsom Salts, dry and rub in Panalog. (start application at the first sign,
this solution will prevent the cyst from developing. It's best to continue the treatment for two to three days after the cyst is gone.
9) Bulldog Hips. Bulldogs have naturally very shallow joints and are prone to early arthritic changes especially if they have grown
rapidly, are over weight or have had too much exercise during this time. The breed has naturally shallow hip and elbow joints and
young bulldogs hips are very loose as the adult bulldog relies heavily on the muscle to hold the joints in place.
Surgical intervention should never be considered until the growth phase is over and the arthritic changes generally caused by rapid
growth most often than not it can be managed with drug therapy.
***Start your bulldog on Glucosamine and Msn when you get them home and leave them on it for the rest of their life as a
preventative.
10) Head Tremors-these are like a fit but only affect the head. I call it the head bobble. It only affects the dogs head and they are
very alert and aware of what is going on. It appears to be caused by stress or low blood sugar. We have given a calcium pill with
honey and they have gone away. Also if you distract the dog they will often quit. Most vets have not seen them or do not know what
they are and they are often misdiagnosed as epilepsy. If you can not think of a stressful situation that the dog has been in or a
recent period of over excitement get your vet to check over your dog because sometimes they are associated with pain as well. This
is a breed specific behaviour so make sure they are not misdiagnosed.
11) Entropian- The eyelashes turn inwards and rub against the eye. It needs to be corrected with surgery. If left it can cause
permanent eye damage, even blindness. If you notice your bulldog squinting and blinking all of the time, get it checked out.
Sometimes eyelashes just go astray and can be plucked out with tweezers.
12) Cornea Ulcers-This can be caused by an injury and if left untreated loss of the eye may occur. Check your bulldogs eyes for
scratches or blue, hazy areas.
13) Dry Nose-bulldogs are prone to having a dry nose that will crust and crack. If you put Vaseline on your dogs nose at least once
per week it will prevent this. If this happens put Vaseline on their nose four to five times a day to correct it. It will come back to it’s
natural state rather quickly.
14) Elongated soft palate. It can be common in the breed and will generally just cause snoring. In severe cases may cause
difficulties with breathing and must be corrected surgically. Some vets jump to do this surgery when the dog does not need it done.
Contact breeder before doing any of this. Never let a vet without a lot of experience perform this surgery and never jump into it.
15) Stenotic Nares-Means that they have small, pinched nostrils. In extreme cases must be surgically corrected.
16) Make sure that you keep your dogs vaccinated regularly and if your dog will be out in public make sure to keep up to date with
kennel cough vaccine. Make sure that you do not use the nasal vaccination. We have seen some pretty bad reactions in bulldogs.
Set up a vaccination schedule with your vet.
17) Spaying and Neutering-This is extremely important and should be done around six months of age. An intact female could
develop a deadly condition called pyrometra which is a severe infection of the uterus and can actually kill your dog. A male could
develop testicular cancer.
1) An important aspect to keeping your bulldog healthy is the right amount of exercise. It is a myth that they need to stay on the
couch all day. They can quickly become out of shape and over weight. Too much exercise and in hot weather is not good for them
either. You need to control your puppy as well and not let them bolt and run all over when they are young. It can strain the joints
and injuries can easily occur that can permanately affect them!!!!!!!
Start your puppy off on small walks and then build up to a comfortable distance for them. Some bulldogs are more energetic than
others. Making sure that they are in good shape also helps their breathing.
2) Proper nutrition. I can not stress this enough. If you are going to go to the grocery store and buy cheap garbage food, you will
need to buy shares in your local veterinarian practice. Also important to feed 2 or 3 small meals instead of 1 big meal.
***never free feed your bulldog and do not let them become overweight. A fat puppy might be cute but it is not healthy...It increases
the incidence of hip-dysplasia and shortens their life. This is hard on their joints and their overall health...
3) Heat Stroke-It is a very real threat for your bulldog. Be extremely cautious and never leave them unattended in your car even for a
minute. Always travel with an abundance of water and ice in the extreme summer months.
Do not leave them unattended in the yard on hot days and do not run your lawn mower around them as they will follow along
behind you and could drop dead before you even notice them. Bulldogs do love to sunbathe quietly outside and when supervised
are generally fine. They will usually get up and walk to the shade if things are too hot.
Signs of heatstroke are generally a purple tongue, excessive heavy panting, red ears, white frothing at the mouth, peculiar throat
noises, will not drink....Lemon juice squirted down the dog’s throat and ice-cubes stuffed around inside his mouth, between the
teeth is a good place to start. Also reach into his mouth and scoop out the loose phlegm. If you don’t have lemon juice quickly find a
lemon based soda and pour some into it’s mouth trying to get it to vomit. If it is possible to get the dog into a cold bath
DO IT! If not, look for an outdoor hose and hose the dog down also inside the mouth but be careful not to get it in the lungs, usually
just his mouth and teeth.
Place ice cubes on your dogs head or put one in his rectum if he has lost or is losing consciousness. This can quickly progress to
where your dog is struggling to breath. You are now at the critical period and you need to react quickly.
****prevention is the key****Once the dog is recovering place it is a cool dry place to recuperate and give small amounts of cold
water. Then take them to the vet to have them checked out for shock.....
4) Worms and parasites. It is important to keep on top of this issue. Worms steal nutrition from your puppy and can make them
very sick. I recommend that you put your bully on Advantage Multi monthly. It takes care of parasites including heart worm and fleas
and you will be worry free-talk to your vet about this.
5) Cherry Eye-unfortunately this is very common in the breed. It is when the inner tear gland surface of the third eyelid enlarges
outward, exposing a cherry-like growth at the nasal corner of the eye. It is not as horrible as it appears to be but the sooner it is
treated, the better. If left, it can cause an ulcer on the eye. It generally has to be fixed surgically. I recommend the pocket method
instead of removal.
6) Facial acne or eczema. A bulldog often has its head where it is not supposed to be. They can end up with topical, bacteria
infections. Most can be cleaned up by washing and rubbing on an anti-biotic ointment or you can try peroxide. If problem persists
see your vet.
7) Fungus or hot spots. They are generally not weepy and can be cleared up with an anti-fungal cream. Be sure to clear away all of
the scabby material and apply Panalog, Keflex or any anti-fungal ointment.
8) Interdigital Cysts This is another problem that no one seems to be sure what the cause is but it appears to be an infection. But
you'll know one when you see an angry red swelling pop up between the dog's toes. First examine the paw carefully, especially the
underside between the pads to be sure there is no foreign matter (a thorn or such). If there is, take it out. Clean the area.
Remedies include: (I) Soaking the paw in warm water and Epsom Salts, dry and rub in Panalog. (start application at the first sign,
this solution will prevent the cyst from developing. It's best to continue the treatment for two to three days after the cyst is gone.
9) Bulldog Hips. Bulldogs have naturally very shallow joints and are prone to early arthritic changes especially if they have grown
rapidly, are over weight or have had too much exercise during this time. The breed has naturally shallow hip and elbow joints and
young bulldogs hips are very loose as the adult bulldog relies heavily on the muscle to hold the joints in place.
Surgical intervention should never be considered until the growth phase is over and the arthritic changes generally caused by rapid
growth most often than not it can be managed with drug therapy.
***Start your bulldog on Glucosamine and Msn when you get them home and leave them on it for the rest of their life as a
preventative.
10) Head Tremors-these are like a fit but only affect the head. I call it the head bobble. It only affects the dogs head and they are
very alert and aware of what is going on. It appears to be caused by stress or low blood sugar. We have given a calcium pill with
honey and they have gone away. Also if you distract the dog they will often quit. Most vets have not seen them or do not know what
they are and they are often misdiagnosed as epilepsy. If you can not think of a stressful situation that the dog has been in or a
recent period of over excitement get your vet to check over your dog because sometimes they are associated with pain as well. This
is a breed specific behaviour so make sure they are not misdiagnosed.
11) Entropian- The eyelashes turn inwards and rub against the eye. It needs to be corrected with surgery. If left it can cause
permanent eye damage, even blindness. If you notice your bulldog squinting and blinking all of the time, get it checked out.
Sometimes eyelashes just go astray and can be plucked out with tweezers.
12) Cornea Ulcers-This can be caused by an injury and if left untreated loss of the eye may occur. Check your bulldogs eyes for
scratches or blue, hazy areas.
13) Dry Nose-bulldogs are prone to having a dry nose that will crust and crack. If you put Vaseline on your dogs nose at least once
per week it will prevent this. If this happens put Vaseline on their nose four to five times a day to correct it. It will come back to it’s
natural state rather quickly.
14) Elongated soft palate. It can be common in the breed and will generally just cause snoring. In severe cases may cause
difficulties with breathing and must be corrected surgically. Some vets jump to do this surgery when the dog does not need it done.
Contact breeder before doing any of this. Never let a vet without a lot of experience perform this surgery and never jump into it.
15) Stenotic Nares-Means that they have small, pinched nostrils. In extreme cases must be surgically corrected.
16) Make sure that you keep your dogs vaccinated regularly and if your dog will be out in public make sure to keep up to date with
kennel cough vaccine. Make sure that you do not use the nasal vaccination. We have seen some pretty bad reactions in bulldogs.
Set up a vaccination schedule with your vet.
17) Spaying and Neutering-This is extremely important and should be done around six months of age. An intact female could
develop a deadly condition called pyrometra which is a severe infection of the uterus and can actually kill your dog. A male could
develop testicular cancer.
English Bulldog Puppies for Sale.
Home of your new best friend
Home of your new best friend