Congratulations
- you have a new puppy!
You’ve anticipated the new arrival by ‘puppy proofing’ your
home and had lots of fun choosing the crate, bed, blanket, toys and other
supplies your Frenchie needs. This frisky little creature is sure to bring
you much joy. In return, you can make a major contribution to your Frenchies
longevity, happiness and quality of life by providing him or her with good
nutrition, loving attention in a safe, sanitary environment and regular checkups
at your veterinarian’s.
All
around the house
Don’t let young Frenchies out on balconies, upper porches or high decks.
Many house plants, including dieffenbachia, elephant ear, spider plants and
more are poisonous if eaten. Remove them or put them out of reach in hanging
baskets.
Frenchies love to chew when they’re teething, so unplug, remove or cover
electrical cords.
Don’t leave a room unattended where a fire is lit or a space heater
is being used.
Plastic bags may be fun to play with, but they can suffocate.
Dangerous household chemicals such as bleach and ammonia should be stored
out of your Frenchies reach.
Medicines, shampoo, suntan lotions and other personal care items can kill
your Frenchie. Make sure he can’t get hold of them.
Out
in the yard
Some outdoor plants, like ivy and oleander, can be poisonous to your Frenchie.
Keep Frenchie away from lawns and gardens treated with chemicals.
Store garden tools and chemicals securely. Keep garden sheds locked.
Cover swimming pools and hot tubs - your Frenchie might fall in and not be
able to get out.
Your
pet counts on you for protection
With major advances in treating serious infectious and other pet diseases,
oral disease –most importantly periodontal or gum disease caused by
the build-up of plaque and tartar– has become the number-one health
problem for dogs. It’s estimated that without proper dental care 80%
of dogs will show signs of oral disease by age three. With your help, your
Frenchie can have healthy teeth and gums throughout it’s live.
You simply need to provide them with a few things:
Chew treats, including hard meat-protein biscuits and rawhide chews for dogs,
can help remove plaque, and provide stimulation for the gums.
Good
dental health begins with the proper diet
The wrong kinds of food can cause dental distress in pets. Feeding your dog
a dry food rather than a moist, canned one will, through its mild abrasive
action on the teeth, help remove the bacterial plaque that can harden into
tartar. Dry food also provides adequate chewing exercise and gum stimulation.
Avoid giving your pet sweets and table scraps as they may also increase plaque
and tartar formation. Your vet may recommend the use of special dry foods
designed to reduce plaque and tartar build up, especially if your pet is prone
to dental problems due to his breed or individual genetic history.
Breathing
Problems
The French Bulldog is a Brach cephalic breed as it has such a short muzzle,
in other words that beautiful flat face that you love so much. This does cause
problems at times for most Frenchies either through normal activity or from
genetic or health problems. Because dogs do a lot of their cooling down by
panting and breathing cool air the French Bulldog is unable to do so because
of their constricted airway. It is constricted because although they have
all the same nasal parts as any other dog it is all pushed in with the flat
face. There is a price to pay for being cute. In the summer you must be very
careful with Frenchies. And you have to really keep an eye on them and react
quickly if they overheat and get them cooled down. A normal Frenchie should
breath almost as easily as any other dog when relaxed in a cool environment
and should have no problem with normal activity in spring-like temperatures.
Be very careful though in hot or humid weather and remember it is a lot hotter
close to that sidewalk where your dog is walking.
Back
Troubles
Because the French Bulldog is a dwarf breed from the larger English Bulldog
they can and often do have back troubles. Responsible breeders x-ray their
dogs and have the radiographs read by a radiologist to try to eliminate this
from our breed but it still crops up and is fairly common.
This does not mean the dog will have trouble as most back defects are not
problematic.
Eyes
A healthy dog’s eyes should be clear, bright and free from dirt, discharge
and inflammation.
Never red or inflamed eyes or inner eyelids.
matter ‘stuck’ on the surface or in the corners of the eye.
Ears
A dog's ear canals are longer than ours and typically produce more wax. They
tend to get infected more often. To reduce the chance of ear infection beginning
clean them on a regular basis with the cleansing agent prescribed by the vet.
Warning: Do not use Q-Tips in the canal as you may pack debris into the canal
and damage the ear drum. Q-Tips may be used to clean the folds of the ear
flap.
My opinion on
how to keep your Frenchie well is, it has to do mainly with their upkeep.
I want my dogs to look and feel their best so I have always tried feeding
the best and providing the best Veterinarian care.