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Home About Us Stud Dog Stud dog 2 Females Mating Mating Cradle Puppies Bullie Info Health Announcements Fun Page Gallery Remembrance Links To Let Guestbook
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Home About Us Stud Dog Stud dog 2 Females Mating Mating Cradle Puppies Bullie Info Health Announcements Fun Page Gallery Remembrance Links To Let Guestbook
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Health Common Problems
Hot Spots These are red, weepy, itchy spots that appear and no one seems to know what causes them. they could be caused by fleas, food, allergies, stress, etc. Clean the area thoroughly with mild soap, rinse and dry. Trim some of the hair in the affected area. Apply a medication such as Panalog. If you don't see improvement by the second day take the dog to your vet for an antibiotic regimen.
Fungus Spots Somewhat familiar to Hot Spots, but they are not weepy. Clean away all of the scabby material. Wash the area and treat with any good antifungal ointment. You may also use a sulphur based soap for washing.
Interdigital Cysts Another problem that no one seems sure of what the cause is. Red angry swelling appears between the dog's digits. Examine the paw carefully, especially the underside between the pads to insure that there is no foreign matter such as a thorn embedded. Clean the area and try this remedy. Soak the paw in warm water with Epsom salts. Dry and apply Panalog ointment. Treatment should be continued for at least three days after the cyst is no longer visible.
Screw Tail. Some bulldogs have their tail set in a pocket. If yours does, you will need to make a special effort to keep that pocket clean and dry. Wipe out the debris frequently. You may need to use the cotton balls and your finger rather than a wash cloth if the 'screw' is tight. Be sure to dry carefully and use an ointment such as Panalog or a drying powder.
Cherry Eye The gland which normally resides under the lower eye. The inside corner of the eye will sometimes 'pop' out. It looks worse than it really is, and most times does not require emergency treatment. It does require professional treatment so take your dog to a vet who has experience and knowledge on how to surgically treat this ailment. The sooner the better the chance will be for successful treatment. 1. Suture the gland back in position, this option can be very expensive and not guaranteed to re occur, but will not produce dry eye. 2. To remove part of the gland or the whole gland, this procedure. the vet can do with local anaesthetic, it can produce 'dry' eye but in our years within the breed we have never experienced this. It is the most common and successful method. Before experiencing either method, do some research on cherry eye.
Insect Bites If your bulldog is stung by a bee or insect, apply ice to the effected area. If hives appear or if he seems to have difficulty in breathing rush him to the vet. This is no time to dally, your dog's life might depend on your quick response for treatment.
Facial Acne, or Eczema. Bulldogs are forever putting their faces in very strange places, and some are susceptible to topical bacterial infections. The dog may get pimples on his face or chin. Usually you can clear them up by washing with a good soap and applying an antibiotic ointment.
Fleas As tiny wingless insects about the size of a pin head they have slender compressed bodies, strong saw tooth jaws, powerful legs, sucking mouths. They can leap one hundred times their own size & they thrive on dogs blood. The fleas are attracted to your dogs warm moist body, your dog makes the perfect home for them! Fleas usually gather on the dogs belly or on his back near the tail. If the infestation is high they may be seen visibly on the dogs face and ears appearing as tiny black spots. They will emerge at the first sign of warm temperature. The best way to curtail fleas that are making your dogs life miserable is to focus on treating all of the dog's environment, your home, etc....... not just to treat your infected bulldog.
There are to methods to cure fleas.
Modern cure ; A liquid called 'Advantage', a spray called 'Frontline', a pill called 'Program'. Contact your vet before using any method!!!
Tradition way ; Using flea killers, treat everything thoroughly, groom the dog with a fine toothed comb, wash the dogs bed every week in hot water and detergent. Vacuum your home meticulously, sprinkle flea powder in the vacuum bag. Use caution!!
Tear Stains Tear staining can be traced to health and diet, as well as genetics. Most vets agree that staining results from excessive tearing. In this case, the damp face hair is a breeding ground for bacterial and yeast growth. The most common is 'Red Yeast' which is usually associated with reddish brown facial stains, and which may emit a moderate to noticeably strong odour. Tear ducts may become infected and result in excess tearing and noticeable staining. Diet can play a significant key role in tear staining. I find that feeding a dry kibble that is natural with no additives, preservatives or food colour in it seems to aid in maintaining white stain free faces. Many commercial foods contain beet pulp which can cause staining of the face.
Mange Skin Disease The mange disease, sarcoptic, and demodectic mange, crop up from time to time. Demodex is something quite special and can occur anytime of the year but sarcoptes turns up when the number of foxes in the area rises and again infestation can be picked up from favoured spots where foxes be. Good treatment now exists for sarcoptic mange so this does no carry quite the dread it used to. However the treatment is not always successful particularly with demodes where a defective immune response has a part to play. Sarcoptic mange is a highly infectious disease, where as demodectic mange is not. It is generally passed from the dam to her puppies in the nest and yet may never produce disease in the infected dog. The defective immunity which allows the disease to develop, may result in just small local spots which may self cure or, more seriously, extensive gross lesions affecting large areas of the body . Treatment may be successful but if immunity remains compromised then the condition can break out anew.
Entropion This is a condition which occurs when the eyelids turn in and the lashes irritate the eye, causing considerable discomfort. You will find that your dog has a continuous discharge from the eye, which is almost impossible to cure with eye drops or creams, and usually requires surgery.
Soft Pallet This is a major problem within the breed, it can be detected at birth, as the pup matures the problem gets worse especially in the summer months. This can sound like a chest infection, and the amount of times we've heard that the vet gives the dog antibiotics........Unnecessary!! The solution is an operation, but it is a high risk. Soft pallet causes stress within the dog, stress causes other health problems and could lead to a heart attack!
Pinched Nostrils This is a common fault within some lines within the breed, but if you do your research regarding the bulldog standard, you will see this fault plainly. Pinched nostrils causes breathing problems, breathing problems causes stress, which leads to a heart attack.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia almost exclusively occurs in the
larger breeds of dogs weighing over 35 pounds, and is the most common
cause of rear-end lameness.
What the cause of
Hip dysplasia is, is the structure of the hip joint. Normally, there
is, in the healthy dog, a broad pelvis with a rounded cup into which
the ball of the femur fits solidly. The ligaments and good
musculature hold the ball in place while allowing free motion of the
femur. Genetics play the largest role in whether or not a dog will
develop hip dysplasia. Other factors include environmental (including
weight and nutrition) and under what conditions the puppy is raised,
also training methods and rearing practices. In all the years that we
have been involved in the bulldog breed, only a couple of these cases
we have heard of. The kennel club would be able to inform you of the
number of hip scored bulldogs register. Also advice should be taken
from your vet, and it would be wise to do some research regarding the
bulldog.
Kennel Cough
One of the ongoing risks for our
dogs is exposure to kennel cough, otherwise known as 'infectious
tracheobronchitis'. This exposure is in part due to the fact that
frequently when we train or trial our dogs they are exposed to a
number of other dogs. This exposure greatly enhances the opportunity
for transmission of this respiratory disease.
A dog that has
contracted one or more of these organisms will develop a very
significant infection and inflammation of the trachea and the bronchi.
The onset of symptoms can be in as little as four to five days or as
long as two weeks after exposure, however, the broad majority of dogs
will become symptomatic in seven to ten days post exposure. The most
common symptom is typically a deep honking type cough that develops
abruptly. In many cases the cough is non-productive and it will appear
that the dog is retching. These dogs will usually have paroxysms of
coughing followed by intervals of minimal coughing. The coughing can
be exacerbated by drinking water, activity increases, or when exposed
to temperature differentials (e.g. going from a warm environment into
a cool or cold environment or vice versa). Most dogs with kennel cough
will act normally (except for the coughing) and will have a normal
appetite. Occasionally a mild to moderate temperature elevation will
occur (up to 105 degrees F) and there may be a nasal discharge as well
as a decrease in appetite.
Pyometra In its simplest terms, pyometra is an infection in the uterus. However, most cases of pyometra are much more difficult to manage than a routine infection.Infection in the lining of the uterus is established as a result of hormonal changes. Following estrus ("heat"), progesterone levels remain elevated for 8-10 weeks and thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur for several estrus cycles, the lining continues to increase in thickness until cysts form within it. The thickened, cystic lining secretes fluids that create an ideal environment in which bacteria can grow. Additionally, high progesterone levels inhibit the ability of the muscles in the wall of the uterus to contract. Dogs that are seen early in the disease may have a slight vaginal discharge and show no other signs of illness. However, most dogs with pyometra are not seen until later in the illness. A very ill female dog that is drinking an increased amount of water and has not been spayed is always suspected of having pyometra. This is especially true if there is a vaginal discharge or an enlarged abdomen. The preferred treatment is to surgically remove the uterus and ovaries. This is called an ovariohysterectomy ("spay"). Dogs diagnosed in the early stage of the disease are very good surgical candidates. The surgery is only slightly more complicated than a routine spay. However, most dogs are diagnosed when they are quite ill so the surgery is not as routine as the same surgery in a healthy dog. Intravenous fluids are often needed before and after surgery. Antibiotics are given for 1-2 weeks
Heart Failure
Heart failure is a condition caused by
an abnormality in the structure or the function of the heart. The
failing heart is unable to pump normal quantities of blood to the
tissues of the body. Often heart failure leads to fluid retention in the
lung and the body cavities leading to the condition called “congestive
heart failure.”
Some of the symptoms of heart failure,
and the progression of heart failure in a pet, are related to increased
activity of the nervous system and to increased concentrations of
circulating hormones (and related chemicals).
Our advice to the novice of the breed is to do your research, buy a book i.e. Bulldogs Today written by Chris Thomas, a known bulldog breeder with plenty of experience regarding the breed. Some faults and health problems are difficult to detect in pups, but a little knowledge regarding the breed will help you a long way to detect some of the major faults that are obvious.
We believe Strongly in line breeding, this is completely different to inbreeding, genetics and blood lines produce quality.
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