Get a GRIHP! on French Bulldogs

Table of Contents

Breed Overview - In a Nutshell

This small intelligent, personable companion breed is a popular dog throughout the world. Typically, healthy dogs live from 10 - 14 years. Those with an interest in acquiring a dog are encouraged by the UK's Brachycephalic Working Group to: “Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog”. Essential are breeder and buyer awareness of the special conformation of this breed (shortened skull and overly short bridge of nose as well as underdeveloped tail) which may cause health problems. Breathing problems, an excessively short muzzle, pinched nostrils, protruding eyes which increase the risk of eye injuries, exaggerated proportions and construction that reflects an excessively short neck and/or back,  insufficient angulation in fore and hindquarters can cause dogs considerable discomfort - surgical intervention to correct conformation defects occurs. Allergies and skin fold problems are not uncommon.

Key Health Concerns of this breed

• BOAS (breathing difficulties - a complex issue involving upper airway obstruction)
• Spinal issues (hemivertebrae, neurological issues [myelopathies, encephalopathies... )
• Luxated patellas (knees)
• Allergies

What do caretakers of Frenchies need to know?

• Body condition matters: overweight dogs are subject to osteoarthritis, dysplasia, carpal hyper-extension and shortness of breath
• Overheating/heat stroke - thermo-regulation issues related to brachycephalic construct
• Due to how this breed is made (particularly, but not limited to those dogs with faulty or exaggerated traits) French Bulldogs have been shown to be predisposed to develop orthopedic (spinal and knee), ocular, respiratory, ear, neurological and dermatological health issues requiring acute or long-term medical management or surgical intervention in severe cases.
• Female dogs may have problems giving birth
• Frenchies are not good swimmers - do not leave dogs unattended around bodies of water (pools/lakes...)
• Health insurance is advised, but may have reservations - insurance will likely not cover deformed palate, constriction and malformations of the throat and upper respiratory channels.
• Research has shown that owners of French Bulldogs have extremely high attachment to their dogs and the breed; often do not recognize health and welfare issues in their dog or excuse them as being 'normal' for the breed;  misinterpret them as 'lazy' and therefore not needing exercise; and are often unprepared for the frequency, severity and cost of health care.

 Population statistics for French Bulldogs - the trends

The dramatic increase in numbers of French Bulldogs – a favourite with celebrities and advertisers – is due to people choosing the breed because of how it looks and because it is considered to be a fashionable choice, rather than because it is the most suitable breed for their lifestyle. Registered FBDs account for only a percentage of dogs - estimates of the percentage of dogs produced/sold/owned outside of KC's umbrella vary by country (KC/BC reach runs from <15% to 30% up to 70%). The actions of kennel and breed clubs to manage populations or establish health management strategies is limited by the existence of a production sector that is beyond the control of the canine organisations. Recent legislation in the Netherlands stands as an example of a national government stepping in to regulate production of 12 short-faced purebred dog breeds due to growing concerns over brachycephalic breed's welfare.

Health Statistics

Agria - Swedish Breed Profiles

For many years, Agria Animal Insurance, Sweden (Agria Djurförsäkring, Stockholm, Sweden) has supported veterinary research and provided  statistics on diagnoses for health and life claims to Swedish breed clubs.  The current Agria Breed Health Profiles 20011-2016 include reflects over 1.8 million dog-years at risk for All Breeds, and for French Bulldogs, between 15,00-25,000 dog-years-at-risk.

Overall and specific causes - relative risks for all dogs - morbidity (veterinary care visits) and mortality (life claims):

Other statistics from the Swedish Insurance Data:

Spinal problems:

It is clear that French Bulldogs in Sweden have a high risk for spinal problems - for veterinary care and as a cause of death.

Spinal problems of hemi-vertebrae and other malformations are common in other populations of French Bulldogs, as well.

It may be helpful to view issues in the context of other breeds, as well:

The table above shows the rate, below the relative risk for eyes for veterinary care visits..

UK French Bulldogs - demography, longevity and common disorders

See the paper: Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013

French Bulldog - Breed-Specific Health Strategies

• Sweden: RAS: English Summary
• Club du Bouledogue Français - CBF ACTION FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE FRENCH BULLDOG
• The Kennel Club: French Bulldog Breed Health and Conservation Plan 2020
• OFA: French Bulldog Health Tests for CHIC

Health conditions commonly mentioned in Kennel & Breed Club Health Strategy documents are:

• Respiratory (pinched nostrils, elongated soft pallet, tracheal hypoplasia, abnormalities of upper respiratory tissue)
• Skin (allergies)
• Spines (degenerative disc disease, hemivertebrae - screw tail )
• Patellas (knees)
• Eye condition/disease (entropion, distichiasis, cherry eye)
• Heart
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Seizures/epilepsy
• Deafness
• Coat-color association with disease i.e. white, merle and harlequin

A Word on Crossbred and 'exotic' French Bulldogs

With the rise in popularity of designer hybrid breeds, the French Bulldog is combined with other dog breeds. The internet is a publicity hub with numerous sites promoting Rare and exotic Frenchie mixes (French Bullweiler, Frenchton, Froodle , Frengle, etc...) It is important to recognize that the unique characteristics of purebred dog breeds have been set by generations of selective breeding. Each purebred dog breed carries phenotypic and genotypic traits (character, body style and predispositions to develop health conditions).  While designer breed dogs are often promoted as healthier and possessing the 'best' characteristics of both breeds, the truth is prices for 'rare' designer dogs may be very high and breeder commitment to understanding underlying genetics of health conditions and necessary health screening of the parents and families of dogs used in the crossbreeding with the aim to to minimize risks is often lacking.  Exotic colours indicate either rare mutations, breeding for a specific aesthetic (vs. for health), and may even be associated with health risks. Congenital deafness is linked to the merle gene. The Piebald gene is responsible for spotted or multicolored coats on dogs. It’s known that the Piebald gene can cause deafness. The Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) testing is an electro-diagnostic test used to evaluate the hearing of dogs (BAER testing in FBD puppies can be done as young as six weeks old). 

Other HOT TOPICS! related to French Bulldogs

Regulatory issues for Brachycephalic breeds including the French Bulldog 

• Challenges for Pedigree Dogs: Regulatory Enforcement of Brachycephalic Dogs in the Netherlands

• Finnish report: An investigation would curb problems with dog breeding through monitoring criteria and ethical delegation (brachycephalic health matters are addressed)

• Facial morphology of brachycephalic breeds: evolution since the end of the XIXth century and current perspectives

Articles, Blogs and Videos on attitudes to dog ownership and perpetuating suffering

• BLOG: Why do people choose the dogs they do - and what is the impact on dog health and welfare?
• How Beliefs and Attitudes about Dog Health and Welfare Limit Behaviour Change
  • VIDEO Presentation: How Beliefs and Attitudes about Dog Health and Welfare Limit Behaviour Change
• Owner attitudes and misconceptions: Research: 
  • Packer RMA, O'Neill DG, Fletcher F, Farnworth MJ. Great expectations, inconvenient truths, and the paradoxes of the dog-owner relationship for owners of brachycephalic dogs. PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219918. Published 2019 Jul 19. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219918 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219918 
  • Packer RMA, O'Neill DG, Fletcher F, Farnworth MJ. Come for the looks, stay for the personality? A mixed methods investigation of reacquisition and owner recommendation of Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs. PLoS One. 2020;15(8):e0237276. Published 2020 Aug 26 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237276 
  • Sandøe P, Kondrup SV, Bennett PC, et al. Why do people buy dogs with potential welfare problems related to extreme conformation and inherited disease? A representative study of Danish owners of four small dog breeds. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0172091 

References and Resources

DogWellNet Resources

• French Bulldog DWN's DB page
• HGTD French Bulldog

• Agria Breed Profiles for French Bulldogs
  • 2006-2011 
  • 2011-2016   
• Blogs and articles, French Bulldog 
  • More on French Bulldogs: UK Breed Health and Conservation Plan
  • Concern about genetic testing Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) in French Bulldogs
  • IKFB - Interview - German International Club for French Bulldogs
  • French Bulldog Health Seminar October 2018
  • • FBDCA SEMINAR VIDEO: French Bull Dog Club of America (FBDCA) Health Seminar (speaker, Brenda Bonnett)
      •  "The presentation, following discussions with the committee, reflected various issues impacting the breed - and I complement the FBDCA on their interest in health and welfare of  *their breed and in both a national and international perspective. French Bulldogs are challenged by issues including alarming increase in numbers, health concerns related to the brachycephalic condition and scrutiny by veterinary and regulatory groups throughout the world."    
• Brachycephalic Resources - Hot Topics
• Extremes of Conformation | Brachycephalics
• Curated Brachycephalic Videos

Brachycephalic Resources - External Articles, KC programs, Research and Links

• Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge Veterinary School BOAS Resources
• Brachycephalic Working Group

• Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013
• Brachycephalic Working Group & VetCompass - Research and Infographics
• Available - Brachycephalic Working Group Research Posters
  • Conformational risk factors of BOAS (poster)
  • Conformational risk factors of BOAS (Illustrations)
  • Nostril grading for pugs, French bulldogs, and Bulldogs
    Descriptions can be found in: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0181928
• Swedish Kennel Club (BSI) - Making assessments of dog's respiration
  • BSI, FCI Group 9 - http://www.skk.se/Global/Dokument/Utstallning/special-breed-specific-instructions-A8.pdf
• The Finnish Kennel Club's Walk Test for short-muzzled breeds
• Germany IKFB - French Bulldog Club (Germany) Walk Test
• Club du Bouledogue Français - CBF ACTION FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE FRENCH BULLDOG
• The Kennel Club: French Bulldog Breed Health and Conservation Plan 2020

IPFD and The World Small Animal Veterinary Association

See our series of Meet the Breed articles in the WSAVA Bulletin and associated Get a GRIHP! Articles on DogWellNet.com:

1. Welsh Corgi
2. Dachshund
3. French Bulldog
4. Australian Shepherd
5. Saluki
6. Golden Retriever
7. Bernese Mountain Dog
8. Black Russian Terrier
9. Pug
10. Finnish Spitz
11. Rhodesian Ridgeback
12. Rottweiler
13. Whippet
14. Belgian Shepherd
15. English Bulldog
16. Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
17. Dalmatian
18. Border Terrier
19. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
20. Siberian Husky
21. Dobermann
22. Shih Tzu
23. English Setter
24. Beagle
25. Chihuahua