Frenchie Health

Cherry Eye

We have been fortunate enough to NOT have encountered this genetic defect.

I have been aware of the defect through taking in rescue Frenchies that either had cherry eye surgery or were victims of their owners not getting it fixed. This type of issue requires immediate attention, so neglect is NOT a good idea thinking it will correct itself – it will not!

There are videos online on how to pop back in cherry eye and DIY ideas on the subject. This is very bad advice considering this is the eye area. The tissue around this eye is soft tissue and should not to be done by anyone other than a veterinarian.

Cherry eye is a genetic defect or an injury to the eye that causes the third eyelid to pop out. Once the eyelid pops out it can be massaged back in but then it can pop back out again. French Bulldog Puppies are prone to rough housing and at times causing the eye to get inflamed which can be a sign of the eyelid having inflammation. If you are a breeder keep the puppies nails cut down and clean so that if they do scratch another puppy it is not going to cause the French Bulldog puppy to get infected.

Breeding Practices

As far as any breeder breeding a sire or dam that has had cherry eye is poor breeding practice. This type of genetic weakness is typically not good because both parents do not need to have the cherry eye defect to pass it on to the offspring like other genetic defects such as DM where both parents attribute to the passing on of the defect.

To make sure the defect is bred out of a pedigree lines of the Frenchie, the families need to make sure before adopting a puppy that the parents are free and clear of all eye problems. Eye health is one of those top priority standards in the French Bulldog community. Any breeder following this practice shows integrity and high standards. In other words – do not support low quality breeders by feeling sorry for a puppy with cherry eye unless they are willing to give you the puppy for a small rescue adoption fee. Depending on the severity you may want to call your vet to find out the cost associated with the repair.

DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY

Dogs diagnosed with DM are usually walking or wobbling before 5 years of age. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a slowly progressive spinal cord disorder that resembles Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in people. The inevitable result for dogs with DM is paraplegia, either hind-end paralysis or both front and hind-end paralysis. If you want to purchase a puppy without this debilitating disorder finding a good breeder is key to eliminating this risk.

Most puppy mills will not do testing on their dogs even though they sell their French Bulldogs for over $2500. Testing the parents is a very small cost to eliminate the problems associated with poor breeding practices. Most quality breeders will have testing from parents and will give you a good guarantee with DM included in their agreement.

Symptoms of Degenerative Myelopathy

DM symptoms progress slowly over the course of months to years.  They can start showing signs as early as 1 year and as late as 8 years old. From beginning to end, DM affected dogs typically remain alert and animated. The symptoms typically progress as follows:

Initial

• Loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind legs
• Dragging the hind feet causing wearing down of the toenails.
• Hind-end weakness (difficulty climbing stairs, jumping up into the car, going for walks)

Intermediate

• Knuckling of hind feet (weight bearing on the tops of the feet rather than their undersides)
• Difficulty supporting weight with hind legs
• Inability to walk without support
• Urinary and/or fecal incontinence

Advanced

• Paraplegia (paralysis of hind legs).
• Weakness in front legs.

Although this degenerative process is not painful, affected dogs can develop discomfort because of overuse of other body parts attempting to compensate for the hind-end weakness. The difference between DM in physical pain vs. Arthritis pain is that the Frenchie is feeling pain in the areas of where the arthritis is present. In DM location there is just paralysis.

Cause of Degenerative Myelopathy

DM causes degenerative changes within spinal cord axons, structures that transmit information back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body. These degenerative changes begin in the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord, the portion that lines up with the end of the rib cage. This explains why the hind limbs are more severely affected. Given enough time, the disease progresses toward the head end of the body, causing loss of front leg function as well.

DM is an inherited disease

The researchers discovered that DM has a recessive mode of inheritance. In order for a dog to be affected, the mutation must be inherited from both dam and sire. What remains unknown is why some dogs who have this “double mutation” never develop symptoms of DM. These dogs should never be used for a breeding program but can go 10 to 13 years of a quality of life without any signs or symptoms.

Genetic testing for Degenerative Myelopathy

Testing is available to determine an individual dog’s SOD1 mutation status. UC Davis veterinary genetics is where I have my testing done on my parents. I also will test every puppy before approving a breeder to my lines.

This DNA test identifies dogs that are normal (have two normal copies of the gene), those who are carriers (have one normal copy of the gene and one mutated copy), and those who are at risk for development of DM (have two mutated copies of the gene). It is important to remember that DNA testing does not diagnose DM. This is because not all dogs with two mutated copies of the gene go on to develop DM.

Responsible breeders utilize DNA testing for DM to help assess whether or not a particular dog is suitable for breeding purposes. Some puppy mills or back yard breeders do not test their breeding dogs and mating two dogs that have this gene will increase the risk of their offspring developing such issues.

Making the diagnosis of Degenerative Myelopathy

DM is a “rule out diagnosis”. What this means is that a presumptive diagnosis of DM can only be made by ruling out other causes of spinal cord disease (e.g., herniated intervertebral disk, tumor, infection, trauma). The only way to definitively diagnose DM is via a spinal cord biopsy collected through an autopsy (post-mortem) examination.

The diagnostics performed to rule out other causes of spinal cord disease often include:

• A thorough physical/neurological examination
• Blood and urine testing
• Advanced imaging (CT or MRI scan)
• Spinal fluid collection and analysis

Treatment of Degenerative Myelopathy

In veterinary research there is no known treatment capable of significantly altering the course of DM. When searching the Internet, one might find a number of approaches that have been tried or are recommended. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that supports them. Many proactive preventive therapies for a dog that maybe susceptible to have the disease are the following:

1. Daily exercise at least 30 mins daily of walking or playing
2. Supplements for joints and skin
3. Good nutrition program
4. Therapeutic bed
5. Massage

Prognosis of Degenerative Myelopathy

The quality of life for affected dogs can be enhanced through diligent nursing care, prevention of pressure sores, rehabilitation therapies such walking, swimming and stretching exercises, massage, acupuncture, and the use of specialized equipment such as booties, slings, harnesses, and wheelchairs to assist with mobility. These tools can help extend the dogs quality of life, however, DM progression does not stop the degenerative loss as the dog ages. The most common age of prognosis is around 5-7 years old. In some cases, it can be confused with arthritis or injury from jumping.

If there is any issue with immobility its best to have your vet eliminate health problems and come up with a plan for longevity of life with quality living as most important to your dog.

Source: “Genetics of ALS.” – The ALS Association. ALS Association, n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2015.
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DEMODEX

French Bulldog and demodex mange is rare and not typically common. French Bulldogs have a very strong immune system and typically considered a semi-hardy breed that rarely acquire demodex.

Demodectic Mange is caused by microscopic mites that live in the hair follicles of the dog’s fur. Demodex is not contagious to other animals or humans. These mites cause no harm to the dog unless there are other underlying immune system factors, and in fact, all dogs have a few of these mites on their skin. Outbreaks are slightly more common in highly stressed dogs but can be caused by other things as well like the stress of transition to a new family or lack of proper food and nutrition.

The Remedy

There is no one-hit-wonder cure to kill the mites and get rid of the problem. We believe in holistic remedies before giving stronger medicines and pesticides.

PARVO

At Czar, we do our best to eliminate your puppy from being around Parvo from our clean kennel practices to healthy immunity in our female mothers before, during and after their pregnancy, and vaccinations before going to their new families. Every new family will be asked to wear booties before going in the nursery and be asked to wash their hands before holding their puppy. We will go over prevention of this nasty disease before taking your baby Frenchie home.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a nasty, highly contagious illness, spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with feces. That means that your dog can get CPV from either eating an infected dog’s poop or simply sniffing an infected dog’s hindquarters! It can be especially hard on puppies who haven’t yet been vaccinated because their immune systems haven’t yet fully developed.

Symptoms

CPV shows up in two forms: intestinal and, more rarely, cardiac. Symptoms of the intestinal form of CPV include:

• Extreme vomiting
• Severe diarrhea, often containing mucus or blood
• Anorexia
• Lethargy
• High fever or, sometimes, a low body temperature (hypothermia)
• Severe abdominal pain

Because the intestinal form of CPV results in fluid losses and because the affected intestines do not nutrients and proteins properly, he’ll weaken, lose weight and become dehydrated pretty quickly.

The cardiac form of CPV tends to attack very young puppies, causing cardiovascular and respiratory failure and, unfortunately, often leads to death.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Every minute counts when it comes to diagnosis! If your dog is exhibiting one or more of the symptoms listed above, seek emergency veterinary care as soon as possible.

CPV is an aggressive illness and dogs tend to deteriorate soon after becoming infected. If CPV is suspected, your veterinarian will first perform a physical exam and then follow up with other tests to figure out the cause of your pooch’s discomfort. Such tests include:

• A complete blood cell count (CBC) to rule out blood related conditions; a low white blood cell count is usually seen with CPV infection
• Chemistry tests to screen for kidney, liver, and pancreatic disease as well as to check sugar levels
• Fecal test to detect the presence of CPV and rule out intestinal parasites
• Urinalysis
• Abdominal imaging, through x-ray or ultrasound, to look for intestinal obstruction, enlarged lymph nodes, and excess fluids in the intestines

Treatment

CPV’s pretty rough on dogs and pretty much always requires hospitalization for 24-hour care and monitoring. Left untreated, dogs with the virus are likely to die. However, since it’s a viral infection, there’s no cure for CPV. This means that your veterinarian will treat and support your dog and help them weather the infection. Fluids and calorie replacement such as maple syrup can be a good home treatment when the puppy is lethargic and lacking in appetite.

Treatment is aimed towards managing your dog’s dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, and includes:

• IV fluid therapy
• Nutritional therapy
• Medications to control vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea
• In severe cases, blood plasma transfusions.
• Pain medications

In addition, antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent bacterial infections, which can take advantage of your dog’s weakened state and often prove to be fatal. In general, dogs shouldn’t eat or drink until symptoms have subsided, and fluid support is usually needed for several days. Your veterinarian will discuss the best course of action to get your dog back to his normal, happy, healthy self as soon as possible.

Management

CPV can be brutal on dogs, but survival rate is relatively optimistic, though it’s lower for puppies. Puppies with CPV will have a 20 percent chance if left untreated for more than two days, 50% to 90% if treated on the first onset of symptoms.

While recovering from CPV, your dog will have a weakened immune system for awhile and could be at risk for other illnesses. Fortunately, there are ways in which you can boost your dog’s immune system and keep him safe from illness. Options include:

• A healthy and balanced diet that is easily digestible
• Make sure your dog is fully vaccinated against other illnesses

Every dog and every case is different, so your veterinarian will help you formulate an effective management plan to get your furry friend back to strength.

For some time after recovery, your dog will remain contagious and should be kept away from other dogs. You’ll have to isolate your dog from other dogs, even and especially your others dogs in the home. And though recovery from CPV makes dogs mostly immune from getting the virus again, future immunity isn’t guaranteed, and vaccination is generally recommended.

Besides taking care of your dog, you’ll need to spend some time disinfecting your dog’s toys, crates, kennels, and toys. People can carry the virus on their hands and clothes so be sure to wash thoroughly after being around a sick dog. Remember, CPV can live in the environment for at least a year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, so make sure to speak with your veterinarian about vaccination and any lingering danger of infection in your house and yard.

Prevention

The number one way to prevent CPV is vaccination. Puppies should be vaccinated starting at a young age, in our kennel we start at 6 weeks through 14 weeks of age and usually the vaccinations should be applied in a staggered manner as directed by your veterinarian after your puppy adoption. Again, for each dog it’s different. Your veterinarian will provide the best recommendations for keeping your dog safe from the parvo virus.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always call your veterinarian or reach out to your breeder you have adopted your French Bulldog puppy from. Your vet is your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

Frenchie Weight

Many of our new families ask how much to feed and when to feed their precious Frenchie. French Bulldogs come in a variety of different weights, bone structures, and sizes. We realized there was no easily read weight guide for French Bulldogs, so we created this French Bulldog weight guide just for our families. French Bulldog weight and diet go hand-in-hand and the pedigree is also a factor. American Frenchies are typically smaller than the Hungarian lines.  If your Frenchie is overweight, feed slightly less over a short period of time. Make sure your Frenchie doesn’t stay overweight for too long, this can cause a spiral of issues from heart problems to diabetes.

Here are the average healthy weights for Frenchies:

Any Frenchie Dog weighing more than 35 pounds is at risk of joint, heart, and breathing issues. Exercise and good nutrition standards are an important part of the Frenchie’s health.

Use this calculator for your Frenchie’s adult weight.