French bulldogs face such severe health problems that the breed can no longer be considered as a ‘typical dog’ from a medical perspective.
This is the stark warning of researchers from the Royal Veterinary College, who analysed the health records of 24,631 canines — including 2,781 French bulldogs.
They found that the flat-faced breed is at a significantly higher risk from 20 common disorders — including narrowed nostrils and obstructive airways syndrome.
The findings, the team said, highlight the need to shift the breed towards more moderate characteristics to reduce the risk of breathing disorders.
French bulldogs (pictured) face such severe health problems that the breed can no longer be considered as a ‘typical dog’ from a medical perspective. This is the stark warning of experts from the Royal Veterinary College, who analysed the health records of 24,631 canines
‘Achieving meaningful changes to the typical look of French Bulldogs over time requires buy in from breeders and kennel clubs who publish breeding standards,’ said paper author Dan O’Neill of the Royal Veterinary College.
‘But the biggest responsibility lies with owners who ultimately can demand dogs with more moderate features.
‘The Kennel Club have recently updated the breed standard for the French Bulldog to move further away from elements of extreme conformation with evidence of health ill-effects,’ the companion animal epidemiologist added.
‘This is a very positive step to prioritise the health of dogs over human desires for how these dogs look and we must now continue this evolution of the breed towards a more moderate conformation.’
In their study, Dr O’Neill and colleagues analysed the medical histories — as recorded by UK veterinary practices from 2016 onwards in the VetCompass database — of 2,781 French bulldogs and 21,850 canines from other breeds.
Specifically, the researchers compared the rates of diagnoses of 43 specific disorders between French bulldogs and other breeds.
The team found that French bulldogs are at a significantly greater risk from 20 of the disorders studied.
These included the narrowed nostrils that can cause breathing difficulties (42 times higher), obstructive airways syndrome (31 times), ear discharge (14 times), skin fold dermatitis (11 times) and difficulty giving birth (9 times).
‘There is no doubting that many humans love the feeling of owning their special French Bulldog. But sadly, this study helps us to grasp the full extent of the serious health issues affecting these dogs,’ said Dr O’Neill.
‘Especially in the lead-up to Christmas, we should give dogs a special present by putting the needs of the dog before the desires of the human — stop and think before buying a flat-face dog.’
The team found that French bulldogs (pictured) are at a significantly greater risk from 20 disorders — including narrowed nostrils (42 times higher), obstructive airways syndrome (31 times), ear discharge (14 times) and dermatitis (11 times)
The team did note that a greater percentage of the French bulldogs in the study had been diagnosed with one or more disorders as compared to the other dog breeds, at 63 versus 66 per cent.
This could indicate that French bulldogs have slightly lower odds of being diagnosed with a disorder in general, they explained — or it could be that owners are better at identifying health issues when they arise in other breeds.
Despite being at a much greater risk from 20 of the disorders, the team found French bulldogs had lower odds than other dogs of developing 11 of the 43 common disorders investigated, including lameness, obesity and undesirable behaviour.
This, they said, highlights how the breed still has the potential to move towards a more healthier profile by selectively breeding out some of the high-risk physical features, like shorter muzzles and skin folds, that are associated with medical issues.
The researchers cautioned that, as their findings are reliant on reports from veterinary practices, they may not indicate how long individual dogs suffer from a given disorder, nor factor in its severity.
Furthermore, the fact that snoring in French bulldogs can be indicative of a breathing disorder is often overlooked by dog owners, meaning that this condition may potentially be under-represented in the study dataset.
‘Social media and celebrity influence have really propelled the popularity of French Bulldogs,’ said British Veterinary Association president Justine Shotton.
‘But sadly their “cute” features can mask a whole host of health issues, which can require costly treatment.
‘There’s growing concern across the veterinary profession that many owners aren’t aware of these problems when they decide to bring a Frenchie into the family.
‘We’d always encourage prospective owners to do a lot of research before taking on a pet, including considering whether certain breeds and crossbreeds may be more prone to certain conditions or require health testing.
‘Vets are happy to offer tailored advice ahead of buying or rescuing a dog, so that people have peace of mind that they’re getting a happy, healthy pet and know how to best cater to its needs.’
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics.