Oh, dear... where to start!

Our beloved frenchies have an unusual body shape. Much of what we find so endearing about them is also the cause of some major health issues. French Bulldogs are quite literally a big dog in a small package. They are not a toy breed. They are dwarves. The technical term for this condition is Chondrodystrophic. Chondrodystophic breeds sometimes do not receive an adequate blood supply in their prenatal development to produce healthy cartilage. This results in a predisposure to Degenerative Disc Disease. DDD will cause the intervertebral discs in the spine to deteriorate faster than in a normal dog. As the discs deteriorate, the spinal cord becomes pinched causing the brains instructions to the body to be blocked. Think about a kink in your garden hose... Unfortunately, DDD has no cure. It is a condition that also occurs in humans and other animals. French Bulldog bones are thick and wide at their ends. This is what gives them their stout builds. It is what we breed enthusiasts strive for in our breeding programs. Unfortunately it can come at a price.

Degenerative Disc Disease is not the only issue of concern for the bulldog spine. All you have to do is look at that cute little zig-zag tail to have an appreciation for what can go wrong with the frenchie skeleton. Their kinked tails are not docked. They are a specially selected for trait. A screw tail, as it is officially called, is made up of malformed vertebrae called hemivertebrae. Hemivertebrae are triangular in shape compared to a normal rectangular vertebrae. Imagine building a tower with building blocks and having to fit a triangular block in the middle of your tower. It creates an unstable place in the spine. When the hemi is found in the thoracic region of the spine it rarely causes a problem because of the attachment of the ribs to those vertebrae and the strong bands of muscle that hold the ribs in position. Hemis in the lower back and neck are greater cause for concern because of their vulnerability to movement.

How the body reacts to this unstable spot can affect the outcome also. If the body tries to stabilize the spot by building calcium around the hemi the result is bridging spondylosis. This may cause paralysis. French Bulldogs are nortorious for having hemivertebrae.

So...what does all this mean?

Along with meeting the criteria listed in the breed standard, breeding stock and all offspring should be xrayed for these malformations. A dog with a clear spine, with no malformations may still be affected by DDD. They are separate issues. Skeletal abnormalities are present at birth and xrays at 10-12 weeks old will reveal them. An xray should also be done at 3 years old to check for calcified discs. My Rico's orthopaedic surgeon told me that more than 5 calcified discs at 3 years old is a cause for concern.

Even a dog with zero calcified discs and zero hemivertebrae can have neurological problems. I should know...I have one of them. My Rico had disc fenestration surgery at 3.5 years old when he lost the use of all four limbs. To this day I really don't know what happened to him. Fortunately his surgery repaired the problem and he is now back to his old self. It was an ordeal that I hope to never have to endure again.

An increasing number of frenchies are becoming affected by allergies. Or perhaps they are auto-immune conditions...there are too many variables to tell. Maybe it is a result of overvaccinating? Or simply a reflection of the condition of our environment and the pollutants that we live with? I do not have the answers to those questions.

Fortunately there are many tools available to breeders to help them produce healthy dogs. There are tests that could eliminate juvenile cataracts in our breed, xrays to help us determine which dogs to keep and what matings are not compatible. It is an exciting time to be a breeder.