These are just SOME of the issues that a bulldog MIGHT face. These are traits that are common in bulldogs.
- CHERRY EYE~ This is where the gland from the third eyelid protrudes in the corner of the eye. You will need to take the dog to the vet and have it removed. THIS IS NOT MAJOR SURGERY! You do however need a vet that knows what he or she is doing because if done incorrectly, it could cause a dry eye. After a couple of days of putting ointment in the eye from the vet it will look all normal. This usually costs around about $20 to $30 to have this taken care of.
- DEVELOPEMENT/SKELETAL PROBLEMS~ The bulldog grows very fast. Play and exercise are very important to a puppy. It can also be harmful. Hip Displaysia is a genetic deformity of the hip joint. Bulldogs do have a looser joint structure than many other breeds. Since they are a very HEAVY breed, no jumping off high places. It is also not very safe for them to be on wet or slippery surfaces.
- DIET~ We feed the adults Iams Weight control. Usually comes in a 17lb bag. The puppies are on Bil-Jac frozen food. Bulldogs are known to be a :"windy" breed. Bil-Jac caused SoCo to be VERY windy so we switched him to Iams. There was a tremendous improvement. Lamb and Rice formula is also available and is recommended.
- OVERHEATING~ Bulldogs get overheated VERY easily. This breed is very intolerant of the heat. If you are looking to buy a dog that can stay outside, this is not the breed for you. Ours come both in and outside, but they have a covered, cool area that they can get to if they go outside. When they start panting, they are getting to hot. They must be brought to a cool area immediately. Dozens of bulldogs are lost each year due to being overheated.
- TEAR STAINS~ If your bullie has any white on his face, around his eyes, you may notice that he has a red stain on his face. This is caused from his tears. This could be caused from his food, or in some instants, he will produce red tears his self. It happens on dark faces too, but more noticeable on the white one. Here are a couple remedies you can try and remove them with.
Change his pH~ changing your dogs pH will aid in preventing yeast or infections. TUMS is the best way. Give your bulldog one half (1/2) of the Fruit flavored variety 2 times daily. This should help change the pH of the tears. It changes the environment and can help make it an hostile for the growth of bacteria and yeast. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET BEFORE ANY TREATMENT.
MOM (Milk of Magnesia)~ use equal amounts of MOM (plain) and peroxide. Use cornstarch to make a paste. Put paste on the stain, work well into the area and let dry for at least 4 hours. Wash out and CONDITION WELL. Do this one day and skip one day. Apply a very thin coat of Desitin or any diaper rash ointment after the area is washed and dried. Doing this every other day is the best way I was told to do it. if there is heavy staining I was told that you could do this 3 days in a row, then skip every other day. This is suppose to be the tried and true way.
- WATER~ Bulldogs love to play in the water. However water can be very dangerous to a bulldog. Bulldogs CANNOT swim. Due to 75% of a bulldogs total weight is their head, torso and shoulders. It is hard for a bulldog to keep his LARGE head and SHORT nose above the water. Small kiddie pools are recommened. Fill to just above the tops of your feet and this should be fine.
- WRINKLES~ Bulldogs have deep wrinkles on their faces around their noses. More commonly known as "folds". Just like human babies they develop something that is very similar to "diaper rash". These folds can get raw, sore and sometimes infected. You want to wipe or wash these wrinkles every day. The best way is to use an unscented baby wipe or wet cloth. If they do get red or raw, you can apply diaper rash ointment. Your goal is to keep these "folds" dry.
AND LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANT:
THIEVES!!!
BULLDOGS ARE A VERY LUCRATIVE PREY BECAUSE OF VALUE. NEVER LEAVE YOUR BULLDOG UN-ATTENDED! ALWAYS KEEP A COLLAR WITH NAME TAG AND ALL YOUR INFORMATION.
