HEALTH
DOGS WITH SPECIAL FACES
Most people are not familiar with the term "Brachycephalic," but
if you own a breed with "pushed in" faces, you should become
familiar with this word. The word comes from Greek roots
"Brachy," meaning short and "cephalic," meaning head.
French BulldogS and BostonS are breeds with brachycephalic syndrome. their famous flat faces are very short compared to the length of the cranium, This carries a number of health implications, some of which are quite serious, sometimes deadly. Others can negatively impact a dog's quality of life.
First, the facial bones and tissues of a brachycephalic dog
are so compressed that its airway is often impaired by several
related defects (stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, excess
tissue in the throat, toocrowded nasal cavities; and secondary
changes in the larynx that these primary defects can produce
over time). These are collectively called the Brachycephalic
Syndrome. The only visible part of the airway are the openings
to the outside, the nares. These should be open rather than
pinched, and their openings should not have been surgically
enlarged. Though you can't see a dog's palate, throat, nasal
cavities, or larynx, you can usually tell whether it has airway
problems by watching and listening to it.
EYE PROBLEMS
Having a big head and a lot nasal bones compacted,
brachycephalic dogs tend to have trouble with the way their eyes
seat in their heads. Their boney eye sockets are very shallow
and don't take much for a minor injury cause an eye to pop from
its socket. This can happen also with too much pulling against
the leash if the pet is wearing a collar, you may wish to
consider a harness for your pet.
Their eyes are so prominent that very often the lids cannot
close all the way over their eyes. This could lead to irritation
and drying of the center of the eye unless surgical correction
is performed.
On both breeds, their eyes openings should be round, with no white showing when the dog is looking forward, and located on the front of the skull rather than on the sides (where they are situated on long-faced breeds). Bostons and Frenchies occasionally have cherry eye (enlarged and prolapsed gland of the nictitating membrane), entropion, a visible haw (nictitating membrane), dermoid cysts (rapidly enlarging growths usually found on the margin of an eyelid or on the cornea), and juvenile cataracts. These conditions are not considered desirable, and may be inheritable.
COAT
The coat should be
smooth, and shiny, and the skin soft and loose, forming wrinkles
at the head and throat. However, many Frenchies and Bostons have
one or more skin problems.
The deep wrinkles of the face should be kept clean and dry, as should the areas between the toes, to prevent infections from developing in these dark, moist areas. Good grooming, proper nutrition, good veterinary care, and an attempt to avoid breeding animals with known immune-mediated disorders are necessary to minimize the skin disorders.
THE FRENCH BULLDOG PHYSICAL HEALTH AND CONFORMATION
French Bulldogs are also classified as a brachycephalic
and chondrodystrophic breed, that results in a shortening of the
vertebrae and of the long bones of the limbs. The
chondrodystrophic and brachycephalic skeleton is, though
characteristic of the breed, structurally abnormal, with the
potential to cause some inherent physical problems.
The spine of a chondrodystrophic breed is also shortened by
its abnormal type of development. Although the breed standard
calls for a short and compact body, it should not be too short
as the standard also calls for good proportion. Frenchies have a
high incidence of vertebral malformations, and also of premature
degeneration of the intervertebral discs. The shorter the back,
the more extreme the degree of malformation of the vertebrae. As
the spine is excessively shortened the size of the chest cavity
is reduced, which restricts the lung capacity and compromises an
already marginal respiratory system.
Excessive shortening can also affect gait, particularly if the
dog is so close coupled that its gait is crabbed as it tries to
prevent its hind feet overtaking its front feet. Though a
Frenchie's movement is not weighted as heavily in the standard
as that of many breeds, its movement should be "unrestrained,
free and vigorous." If the spine is so short that there is not
enough length of neck, the reach of the forelimbs will be
reduced, as the neck muscles that move the forelimbs forward
will be unable to shorten sufficiently to produce a good forward
motion at the shoulder.
Adapted from:
MarVista Med. Center,
French Bulldog club of America