Nytestok

Common problems associated with Boston Terriers and French Bulldog breeds

• BOAS = Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (breathing difficulties)– dogs who have been bred to have short muzzles and noses and frequently have undersized or flattened throat and breathing passages. Brachycephalic Syndrome refers to the combination of Elongated soft palate, Stenotic nares, and Everted laryngeal saccules, all of which are commonly seen in these breeds. In NB, Mountain Road Animal Hospital will perform soft palate resection, stenotic nare correction and spay/neuter surgery at the same time with a surgical laser (less healing time, cut and cauterizes at the same time) for $1100-$1300 CAD (*call Mountain Road Animal Hospital in Moncon for exact pricing). If you or your vet suspect these issues, get a referral and get all three surgeries done at once (it is less expensive to get all three surgeries at once).
  • Elongated Soft Palate (the soft part of the roof of the mouth that is too long for the length of the mouth); the excess length partially blocks the entrance to the trachea (windpipe) at the back of the throat which causes snorts and difficulty breathing. I try to refrain from using these dogs in my breeding program and will retire dogs from my because of this issue. The smooshier the dog’s face, the higher probability for this issue. If your pet shows gagging, coughing, exercise intolerance, or difficulty breathing, resection of the excess soft palate may be necessary.
  • Pinched nares/Stenotic nares/Collapsed nostrils — malformed nostrils can be pinched or collapsed inward during inhalation, making it difficult for the dog to breathe easily through it’s nose. (can be easily opened up during spay/neuter) but is something I look at when pairing two breeding dogs together.
  • Everted laryngeal saccules— Laryngeal saccules are air sacs located between the vocal folds and laryngeal wall; evert means stick out. Increased respiratory effort and pressure suck the air sacs that are in front of the vocal cords into the trachea (windpipe) and partially obstructs airflow (like breathing through a straw). Severely affected dogs may overheat, cough, gag, vomit or regurgitate. While these symptoms may point to this issue, a definitive diagnosis of both elongated soft palate and everted laryngeal saccules can only be made with the dog under anesthesia.
• Tracheal hypoplasia (narrow trachea) is one of the primary anatomic components of Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. This is a condition I try to avoid by using breeding dogs with a bit of a snout proportional to their skull, but unfortunately is a common issue to be aware of in flat-nosed breeds.
• Snoring (especially when overweight), may be indicative of elongated soft palate.
• Overheating/heat stroke (especially when overweight) due to airway issues common with the breed. Keep your Boston out of the humid, sunny weather and always have a way to cool your dog in summertime.
• Stool eating (yes, some dogs do this)- common of many dogs. There is a product called Forbid that will help with this and some will out grow it.
• Entropion (in-turned eyelids) or Ectropion (turned out/loose droopy eyelids)
• Bulging eyes. When you take a dog and smoosh their faces, where else would the eye go but a little off to the sides of the face with a shallow eye socket. Be aware that corneal ulcers and eye injuries can result from injury. Make sure that none of your dog’s toys have sharp edges and be mindful about how you arrange the furniture in your house so your dog doesn’t bump into it. Always keep an eye out for signs of eye infections take your dog to the vet at the first sign of trouble.
• Cherry Eye (connective tissue of the third eye gland — which protects a dog’s eye from wind, dust and debris, and lubricates the eye —is too relaxed and pops out as a red, round swelling in the corner of the inner eye nearest the nose). It isn’t known or proven if the condition is inherited, therefore there is NO preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of cherry eye in Bostons/Frenchies.
• Inverted vulvas (may lead to more frequent UTI’s) and you will want to keep the folds clean with a baby wipe.
• Luxating patellas/Hip & Elbow Dysplasia/Spine issues of Environmental cause (Environmental means that through repeated trauma to the undeveloped joints through rough play, too much exercise, too much jumping, bouncing, sliding, jumping on and off furniture and decks, slippery surfaces causing your dog to loose it’s footing during play, etc. It is the owner’s responsibility to protect their puppy until growth plates close at around 18 months).Glucosamine and chondroitin for dogs are known as one of the best supplements for improving the cartilage in the dog’s joints. They are completely safe for use because we find them naturally in our bodies. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements help in easing pains caused by spinal disc injuries, hip dysplasia,arthritis, and other conditions=NuJoint Plus is a great supplement to feed to prevent joint issues.
• Splayed feet (this is often caused by long nails)- It is recommended to trim your dog’s nails every 3 weeks
• Mild Pectus carinatum (pigeon breast) and mild Pectus Excavatum (flat or inverted chest) can both be common in brachycephalic breeds but not necessarily be of concern.
• Hemivertebrae (malformation of the bones of the spine) and mild Kyphosis (Thoracic spine deformities) is common in brachycephalic breeds with screw tails.
• Screw tails, Kinked, crooked, or inverted tails (some require surgical removal if it digs into skin). Boston’s and Frenchies are born with their tails naturally short, they are not docked, and breeder has no control over how long or short or how the puppy’s tails are formed in utero.
• Tail pockets – normally found on the dogs with an extremely short, fused, screw tail (one the dog cannot move or wag due to length). It is recommended to use baby wipes to clean under your dogs tail to avoid inflammation and infection in this area.
• Hot spots (bulldogs are particularly prone to these) or skin fungus
• Demodex Mange – A common ailment seen in Frenchies is chronic allergies. If a puppy’s immune system is challenged (eg. by illness or stress), the extra strain weakens immune function, the mite population grows and skin irritation and hair loss start to develop.
• Atopic Dermatitis (more common in dogs with many skin folds) and Yeast Infections- Frenchies have a high predisposition to this. This breed has one of the highest genetic and environmental predispositions to developing canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). So far none of my breeding dogs need to be on special food for allergies.
• Ear infections due to yeast or allergies (it is important to check your dogs ears daily and clean when necessary to avoid exacerbating issues. You can disinfect your dog’s ears with either a store bought solution or with Witchhazel and large cotton balls. Use as many cotton balls as it takes to remove all the debris from the ears at each cleaning. Q-tips are great for cleaning the visible outward folds in your dog’s ears, but Do not put Q-tips down into the canals of your dog’s ears!
• Wry jaw, overbite, underbite, excessive (too many teeth or retained puppy teeth) or Crooked teeth
• Excessive shedding (More common in French Bulldogs) – it is essential to frequently brush your dog’s coat to keep it healthy and free of dander and pollen. Hand gloves with silicone peaks are the best to use for this breed.
• Inhalant Allergies – due to their flat muzzle, flat-nosed breeds are more prone to dust, mites, pollen grains and mould when inhaling, therefore may need medications to help.
• Skin issues such as dry flaky skin (in most cases this can be fixed with a change in diet and adding supplements like NuVet or coconut oil to their diet)
• Food intolerance’s and Allergies (in most cases allergies are related to certain foods and can be alleviated with a change in diet and some are environmental. It is not uncommon to have seasonal grass, weed, and pollen allergies)
• IVDD (Intervertebral Disk Disease)is a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst (herniate) into the spinal cord space. These discs then press on the nerves running through the spinal cord causing pain, nerve damage, and even paralysis.Intervertebral Disc Disease can be caused by trauma, age, or simply from the physical jolt that occurs when a dog jumps off a sofa. Prevent IVDD and other joint issues by keeping your puppy lean, use a harness, limit jumping, use ramps, healthy diet, supplement with Vitamin C, E, B1, B6, Fish Oils, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate
• Erect ears —Petting and fondling the ears breaks down cartilage, leaving it soft and pliable instead of firm enough to support a standing ear. Add a teaspoon of yogurt or cottage cheese to your pup’s food to give him a little extra calcium, and give him raw bones for chewing under supervision. The chewing action also builds muscles at the base of the ear, helping your dog’s ears to stand.
• Final adult weight – Cannot be determined simply by looking at the puppy’s parents. There are generations of dog sizes that influence how big your puppy will get. However, the general rule of thumb is: Take your puppy’s weight at 16 weeks and double it- Add a pound for a boy. This is a general ballpark number as to what they will weigh as an adult.
• Hernias— Umbilical hernias are the most common-(belly button) normally occur during delivery, the mother dog may pull too much on the placenta sac and cause a protruding belly button. If your puppy has one, keep massaging it back into the tummy and it may self-repair, otherwise the vet can tack it during spay/neuter.
• Deafness – Even though 2 adult dogs can have perfect hearing, they can still produce puppy’s who are deaf. In Boston’s deafness can be more common in pups that have more white present on the face and head, and/or blue eyes (but this is NOT always the case). If there are any suspected issues of deafness, we will go to a specialist for BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) testing.
• Cancer – Much like in humans, Cancer does not discriminate on who it affects. Most types of cancers occur spontaneously, due either to mistakes in the constantly dividing cells of the body or to mutations triggered by environmental forces (such as radiation, toxins, and viruses). Canine genome mapping and genetic testing is continuing to study correlations for inheritance.
• Age-related cataracts and age-related illnesses – Just as people age and have age-related illnesses due to body systems getting weak, so do dogs. This is typical and natural progression of getting older. Currently there is nothing proven to stop the aging process.
• Undescended & retained testicles— Cryptorchidism is a condition in which the male dog’s testicles have not completely descended to the scrotum. This can be unilateral (one) or bilateral (both). While this can be more common with brachycephalic breeds, currently, there is no genetic diagnostic test to predict the risk of this disease in a dog or the pups they produce. The best course of action is sterilization (neutering) to prevent testicular tumors in the retained testes.
• Occasional heart murmurs of grade 1-3— Innocent heart murmurs are typically classed as grade 3 or less. Often found in younger puppies, a Veterinarian can hear a disturbance in blood flow distinguishable from a regular heartbeat using a stethoscope. They are often not serious, have no underlying cause or deformity, and typically resolve with time.
• Patella luxation grade 1-2— Luxation means out of place or dislocation, patella is kneecap. Dogs that are bow-legged such as the French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers are more predisposed to having this issue. The precise cause of patellar luxation is multifactoral, therefore cannot be conclusively deemed genetic only. Nutrition, activity, exercise, weight control, ramps and even vaccinations have an effect on the function of the knee and it’s probability to luxate.
• Mild/Moderate hip and elbow dysplasia— Bulldog and French bulldog hip dysplasia are multifactorial and polygenetic, thus, the disease’s outcome and severity depend on the interaction between your bulldog’s genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental stressors.