We cannot stress enough the importance of having a good vet that knows all about English Bulldog Health! If a vet does not know the breed well, it is common for unfortunate misdiagnosis to occur (costing you money) and also, errors in feeding instructions that could result in poor nutrition!

It is completely acceptable to ask questions when choosing a vet! #1 Are they familiar with the English Bulldog breed in general, do they understand the breathing issues presented commonly with this breed? The last thing you need is a vet that is out to make a bunch of money with unnecessary "tests" because your English Bulldog puppy breathes loud when excited or hot! This is a common English Bulldog trait! This is to be expected! More English Bulldogs than not are known to have smaller (or narrowing) tracheas and soft elongated palate also.... This is why they snore, and also why they need to be kept cool in the summer....However, it may be, that, at some time, (not likely, but possible)  when your bulldog is older he may need  some type of intervention. **When purchasing an English bulldog, you should be aware that the unique physical appearance invites different characteristics that some veterinarians are not familiar with** Some vets will look at the way they walk, or even limp a bit during their growing stage and immediately think there is a problem, but this is not so! Many bulldogs go through the teenage years much like humans do....and even look a little "gangly!" A bulldog's head may take 2-3 years to completely grow...they first grow tall, and then they "fill out." Bulldogs tend to be over-weight when they get older, we do not want this to happen....extra weight is not good on their' joints. We are happy with the 26% protein level in the Life's Abundance "All Life Stages" food, and our dog's coats look great, we also use the NuVet Plus supplements every day.  Many common canine ailments are caused by poor nutrition and environmental factors! The following conditions are common, although we personally don't see it in our dogs about 99 % of the time, and that is why we insist on the food and supplements we use, they work, and they are not too expensive, Prevention with nutrition is the key! The common ailments are shedding, allergies, tear staining, cysts in the toes, and possibly head tremors... I have had so many bulldog owners and breeders ask me what to do about these ailments, and I always recommend the food and supplements and I can't count how many times people have reported back to me that they have  successfully solved the problem!

Many vets will mistakenly recommend that people use a certain "puppy food" for their' bulldog puppy, this can actually have dire consequences, as puppy food contains too much protein for bulldogs and they can suffer a long list of ailments because of this! We know from personal experience that Life's Abundance "All Life Stages" is an excellent choice!

We have also found that many vets are not yet familiar with the NuVet Plus supplements we use, this should not deter you from using this product! We have found that when we use NuVet Plus for our dogs, they have less shedding, tear-staining, skin, eye, energy problems, etc. etc. Plus, our dogs LOVE THEM, and we also have started using the powder, which is quite convenient for pouring right over the food in the dish too....some of our dogs actually prefer the powder, (Bruce being one of them!)

Although it is not very common, there are some other non life-threatening conditions that could occur with your puppy...one of the conditions is what we call a "cherry eye" these are sometimes temporary, (depending on the severity) and many people find that with ophthalmic ointment, they can actually be massaged gently back in...If it needs to be fixed, there are two options, one is to have it removed completely, (our preferred method) or a method where the vet will surgically "tuck" it back in, this is more invasive and we opt for the removal, as the "tucking" method is not a guarantee that it will stay "tucked" and it is also more costly.

Although not life-threatening, we recommend having these repaired without waiting too long, as it can be irritating to the surface of the eye.

Demedex Mange is another ailment that is not necessarily common, but can occur with English Bulldogs, but it is not normally Life Threatening, (However, it is our belief that if left untreated it can be fatal) This is a terrible condition, It's very important that if your English Bulldog shows signs of spotting hair loss that your vet do a scrape to see if mange is present, because if it is treated right away, it gets cleared up very fast, and you don't have to worry about it and your puppy can have relief.

Something else that could occur, although it is not necessarily common, is a condition called "entropion" this is something that you usually cannot see until an English Bulldog is older. This is where the eye lid (usually lower) folds inward, thus causing the lashes to rub against the eye. This is a terribly uncomfortable and annoying thing for any animal. It would be apparent by blinking, watery eyes, red eyes, possibly even swelling. Thankfully, this can be corrected by your veterinarian, but should not be delayed.

Because of the short noses on English Bulldogs, they can over-heat in the summertime, so we recommend getting a kiddie pool, (the turtle sandbox works great!) try to get him/her used to it, it can save his/her life someday....If your bully ever is out playing and shows signs of labored breathing (called roaring) you will need to get cool water and a fan blowing on him immediately, even getting him under a garden hose, or in the bathtub immediately, this can be a life or death situation.

Heart murmurs- If your vet tells you your puppy has a heart murmur, it is very scary...but don't panic, All of our puppies are checked thoroughly prior to puppy pick-up....If your puppy develops a murmur, it can be caused by something as simple as dehydration, or anemia....Occasionally if I puppy is overly excited, their little hearts will beat so fast, and the vet will say they have a murmur, usually murmurs grade 1 or 2 will be grown out of by the time a puppy reaches 18 weeks of age.

Hip dysplasia- In the past, hip dysplasia was automatically considered genetic, But now it is understood that several different things may contribute to this terrible condition.. Rapid weight gain and obesity, Nutritional factors, Pelvic muscle mass, and also genetic susceptibility. We stress that you keep your puppy fit, not over-weight, let them get plenty of exercise... these are things which help prevent physical problems.... but there are those very small percentage of puppies that their parents have no hip problems at all, nor do their siblings, their owners do everything right, they feed them right, give them supplements, the best food, exercise regularly, and yet their puppy somehow gets hip dysplasia.... This is not something understood completely, although there are amazing new advances in canine health care, it can get expensive, so we stress to our customers to consider pet insurance, this can save you a lot of money throughout the life of your English bulldog puppy

We are always available if you have any questions after you purchase your puppy!! Call or email us anytime!

   

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