Have You Researched About Bulldog Health?
There are a lot of different factors that you should keep in mind when it comes to the bulldog health. Make sure to check off each of these things as you go through your grooming process to ensure you are not missing anything and that your bulldog stays in great health.
Common Bulldog Health Concerns
The bulldog is susceptible to many health issues if you don’t give them the proper help that they need. Some of the most common bulldog health concerns that you should watch out for include:
Vomiting
If your puppy is dealing with this just because of a light upset stomach, give them some Pepto Bismol and dose based on their weight.
If the vomiting continues for over 24 hours, take them into the vet. If the issue is diarrhea, most of the time you can use diarrhea Kaopectate to help.
Hot Spots
These will be itchy spots that are irritated and red. There are several reasons that they can show up including flea allergies, insect bites, and allergies.
You should clean the area well using some shampoo and rinse it well before drying. You can also use some options like aloe and lanolin to clear out the area.
Interdigital Cysts
This will look like a red swelling that will appear between the toes of the dog. You will need to examine the paws of the dog to find this. Check to see if there are any foreign objects in the way, such as a thorn and then clean out the area. There are a variety of cures available.
You may use a warm bath with some Epsom salts, as long as you keep it dry afterwards or even Preparation H does well.
Fungus Spots
These will be like hot spots, but without the weepy. You should clean all the scabby material away and then wash the area. Treat with some kind of anti-fungal ointment as well.
Facial Acne
Bulldogs are known for putting their faces into lots of strange places, making it easier to get pimples all over. You can use benzoil peroxide to help out or you may need to choose an antibiotic medication that is taken orally. You can get this from your vet.
Cherry Eye
This one looks much worse than it is. The lower part of the lid is going to look like it is popping eye. Once you see this, take the dog into the vet right away.
If you get them in right away, they can often get the issue fixed without having to make permanent changes, such as surgery to take out the glands.
Insect Bites
Bulldogs are susceptible to getting insect bites. If they are stung by any insect, Benadryl will often work out well. You should also watch them closely for at least 30 minutes.
You can also use an ice pack to the area to keep it from swelling and make sure the stinger is removed if the sting came from a bee.
Heat Sensitivity
One issue that you will need to watch out for with your bulldog is heat sensitivity. These dogs can quickly deal with heatstroke and you need to be careful to watch them to ensure that they are not getting overheated. Any time the weather is hot, make sure they are taken care of.
Choose to go on an early morning or later at night walk. Give them lots of water and make sure they don’t stay outside for too long. If you start to notice that their tongue is turning blue, they are panting heavily, and they aren’t moving much, you should get them inside right away and help them to get some water.
Watch out for any signs of vomiting in your bulldog; sometimes the vomit can get stuck in their throats and can become a choking hazard. It is always best to keep your bulldog inside if it’s going to get too hot or limit their exposure to the outside heat as much as possible to keep them safe.
Bulldog Paw Problems
Just like with any dog, your bulldog can have some issues with their paws. They put a lot of pressure on these paws, supporting their weight most of the day while they are running around and being active.
It is important that you take the time to keep these paws in good working order and work on healing any issues that come up. Some common issues that can come up with your bulldog’s paws include:
• Yeast on the paw—this is a common thing if your puppy likes to lick, bite, or chew on their paws. They are more likely to develop this yeast during the humid and hot months and it can become really itchy for the dog. Make sure to bathe the dog each week in an anti-fungal shampoo and use this same shampoo to wash the paws each day. Add in some probiotics to your puppy’s diet as well.
• Cuts on pads—this can happen just by walking around your home. Once this occurs, the weight and pressure from the puppy walking is likely to reopen all the wounds that are on the pad. If this happens to your puppy, clean the area and use some antiseptic cream. Wrap them in a pad that will provide some support so the puppy is still able to walk around without reopening the wounds.
• Grass seeds in the pad—barley seed is usually the biggest issue in dogs. Make sure that you are keeping the fur on your dog pretty short so that you are able to see the grass seeds easily and get them removed.
• Other issues—any time you see a cut, bruise, any oozing, or other things that just don’t look normal in your dog, take care of it right away. This could turn into something much worse and could cause a lot of harm to the puppy.
The best way to make sure that the condition does not get worse for your puppy is to check the paws often. You can do this during your regular grooming sessions each week.
Any time the puppy does harm their paws, take the time to provide the proper care to avoid the situation getting worse.
The Bulldog Tail
The bulldog tail is known to be tight or in a corkscrew kind of pattern. This can make them really stiff and hard to move.
But you do still need to take the time to clean this area to avoid infections and other problems. When you are giving your bulldog their bath, take some time to work on this area as well.
You may have to be gentle and give it a bit of extra time, but you can get it done pretty quickly.
Cleaning the Bulldog Ear
The ear needs some special attention when it comes to your bulldog. This is an area that is often missed when you are grooming, but this can lead to an ear infection that your puppy is not going to be happy with.
So when you are giving a bath or doing your regular grooming procedures, make sure that you get to the ears. To start, make sure to get a good cleanser for the ears; your vet will be able to help out with this so you can get the ear really clean without causing any damage.
Then rub their ears just a bit to let them get comfortable with the motions. Put some of the cleaner onto a paper towel and then start massaging at the base of the ear and moving into the other parts to get it all cleaned out.
Some dogs may be fidgety when you are doing this, but give them some time and keep working at it.
How to Clean Bulldog Folds and Wrinkles
Bulldogs are wrinkly creatures and the older they get, the more the wrinkles are going to appear all over them. When you are providing cleaning for your puppy, you need to make sure that you are also cleaning out the wrinkles.
It is easy for these areas to get a lot of food, dirt, and grime over just a few days, and ignoring this important area can make your dog get a bad infection.
So make sure that you work on just the wrinkles at least a few times each week, although if the issue gets really bad, you may need to do it each day.
The process of cleaning does not have to be difficult. Take a damp cloth that is soft and wipe it through each of the wrinkles to get rid of the grime.
You can also do this when you are giving the puppy a bath, using some quality shampoo, just make sure that you completely rinse out the chemical so this doesn’t get stuck in the wrinkles as well.
For a quick wash when you are on the go, using Baby wipes that have aloe and lanolin can work well.
How to Clear Up Dog Tear Stains
Tear stains can leave some bad looking marks right below the eyes of your puppy. As a dog owner, you are probably interested in getting these taken care of as soon as possible.
One method that you can use to get rid of this is a probiotic that you can get from the vet.
These will usually clear the issue right up as long as you give your puppy the right dosage. There are also a few home remedies that you can choose that will help to combat the issue and prevent it from occurring again.
Take some cotton balls and soak them in some contact lens solution, picking some that is meant for sensitive eyes.
You can also use a mixture of corn starch, lemon juice, and milk of magnesia and make it into a paste that you can apply directly to the eyes until you see an improvement.
Ways to Help the Bulldog Breathe Easier
One common issue that often comes up with bulldogs is that they have trouble with breathing. Their big necks can make it really hard for them to get the oxygen they need and you may find that there are times that they will gasp for air after lying down.
But what are you able to do in order to help your dog to breathe a big easier?
First, look to see if allergies are a problem. Your puppy could be allergic to the perfume that you are wearing, some of the scented products that you use to keep the house smelling nice or to clean it, or some of the other scents in your home.
The first thing you should do is to start eliminating one at a time to see if this is the issue. If all of these scents are gone and the puppy is still having an issue, move on to the next item. Illness can sometimes be a factor to why your puppy is having trouble breathing. Some of these include:
• Heart disease—your vet will need to do a test in order to tell if there is a heart murmur that could be causing the breathing issue. Look for changes in behavior or loss of appetite in your puppy if this is an issue.
• Parainfluenza—this is like the flu in humans and can make breathing just as difficult for your puppy. Check for sneezing and a dry cough.
• Kennel cough—before boarding your dog, make sure that you get them vaccinated. This will help to avoid breathing issues from kennel cough.
Medical disorders in some bulldogs can make them have trouble with breathing. Issues with the pharynx not working properly or some other reason can often have this effect on your puppy.
The best treatment is to visit your vet.
They will be able to do an exam on your puppy and figure out why they are having trouble with breathing. Often the cause is nothing too big and you can just provide a few simple steps to get them breathing again.
If there is a serious issue, such as a medical disorder, you will be able to get that taken care of with the help of your vet as well.
This bulldog health guide has spent some time focusing on the best ways that you can take care of your puppy so they feel their very best and live a very healthy life. Just like with any puppy, it is important to give your bulldog the proper care to keep their health in good shape.
Originally posted 2021-05-28 12:09:51.
