Due to extreme breeding, it leads French Bulldogs to have some health problems either common disease or severe disease. In this case, taking care of a Frenchie at home is neither easy nor difficult, since you should understand what kinds of health problems that your Frenchie may suffer.
Reportedly, male French Bulldogs have a higher percentage of health problems. Why does it happen? So, if you accidentally have a male French Bulldogs at home, you may need to learn more about some health issues and also the percentage of health problems that your Frenchie gets. Okay, let’s check it out!
What Percentage of French Bulldogs Have Health Problems?
We found the explanation about what percentage of your French Bulldogs have health problems from frenchbulldogowner.com. This site also has the data based on a study of 2,218 French Bulldogs that was conducted by Royal Veterinary College in the UK in 2018. The study revealed that about 72.4% of French Bulldogs really have health issues.
Well, the study really found that this high percentage of French Bulldogs has at least one of the health issues listed as common complaints. This study was known as the largest ever conducted on the French Bulldog breed with Dr Dan O’Neil, a senior lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College.
Dr Dan O’Neil stated that French Bulldogs are a relatively new arrival to the list of common United Kingdom breeds. Sure, there has been very little previous research on them. Well, the study provides the dog owners and veterinarians with information on the issues which they would expect and might look out for in Frenchie. Well, it may also help potential new dog owners to determine whether or not this is even the proper breed for them.
Here are the health problems that The French Bulldogs suffer:
- Skin problems (17.9%)
- Ear infections (14%)
- Diarrhea (7,5%)
- Conjunctivitis (3.2%)
According to some sources, there are at least 21 health problems that your Frenchie suffers, here they are:
- Allergies
- Hip Dysplasia
- Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye)
- Deafness
- Cherry Eye
- Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome
- Stenotic Nares
- Tracheal Collapse
- Heat Stress
- Elongated Soft Palate
- Laryngeal Collapse
- Hemivertebrae
- Intervertebral Disc Disease
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Patellar Luxation
- Entropion
- Distichiasis
- Cataracts
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Cleft Palate
- Thyroid issues
Why Do Male French Bulldogs Have a Higher Percentage of Health Problems?
Almost all studies on dog breeds result in an interesting observation based on the genders. According to research conducted in 2018 by Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom, male French Bulldogs have a higher percentage of health problems than female Frenchie.
Male French Bulldogs tended to be more at risk of 8 of the 26 most common health problems. A spokesperson in this research stated that one of the attractive findings from their research is that male Frenchie appear to be less healthy than females.
The study also shows you the table that you can see how the two genders are split with the different health problems. The table is obtained from frenchbulldogowner.com. Here’s it!
| Fine-level disorder | Count | Female prevalence % | Male prevalence % |
| Otitis externa | 312 | 13.7% | 14.4% |
| Diarrhoea | 167 | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| Conjunctivitis | 71 | 2.4% | 3.9% |
| Nails overlong | 69 | 2.6% | 3.6% |
| Skin fold dermatitis | 66 | 2.6% | 3.3% |
| Anal sac impaction | 64 | 3.1% | 2.7% |
| Upper respiratory tract (URT) infection | 61 | 2.1% | 3.3% |
| Pyoderma | 60 | 1.9% | 3.5% |
| Prolapsed nictitans gland | 57 | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Pododermatitis | 55 | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) | 54 | 1.4% | 3.4% |
| Colitis | 53 | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Aggression | 51 | 0.8% | 3.7% |
| Heart murmur | 49 | 1.7% | 2.7% |
| Vomiting | 48 | 1.4% | 2.9% |
| Infectious canine tracheobronchitis | 47 | 2.2% | 2.0% |
| Upper respiratory tract (URT) disorder | 47 | 1.4% | 2.7% |
| Patellar luxation | 46 | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| Ulcerative keratitis | 46 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Claw injury | 44 | 1.3% | 2.6% |
| Atopic dermatitis | 44 | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| Gastroenteritis | 43 | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Ear discharge | 42 | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Alopecia | 41 | 1.9% | 1.8% |
| Demodicosis | 37 | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| Stenotic nares | 37 | 0.9% | 2.4% |
What Percentage of French Bulldogs Have Breathing Problems?
BOAS syndrome is the most common health problem that happens to your French Bulldogs, making it challenging for them to take breath. According to research that was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the research found that a massive 66% of French Bulldogs have breathing problems, with complaints including upper respiratory tract disorders and infections, stenotic nares and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.
If you want to read the detailed result of the study, you can read more about the research on the Wiley Online Library you can access here. The reason a large percentage of French Bulldogs have breathing problems is due to genetics. It is known that French Bulldogs are brachycephalic, meaning they have been bred extremely to have shorter snouts and squashed faces.
Should You Take a Health Test for Your French Bulldog?
Yes, of course! You will need to take a health test for your French Bulldogs, since these dog breeds really have a high percentage of health problems. You can really take the health test to identify some health problems on your French Bulldogs. Here are the types of health tests you can take:
- BOAS respiration: This health test includes grading of the nostrils and will be tested at rest and after exercise.
- Eye testing: This health test is very important for brachycephalic dogs since their shortened snout can cause eye diseases.
- Eye cataracts: This health test is very essential, in particular, a test for hereditary cataracts must annually be performed.
- Hip dysplasia: This health test aims to identify whether or not the hip and thigh bone can become displaced. Of course, the early tests can detect it.
- Cardiologist test: This health test aims to check the heart and can check for heart murmurs as your Frenchie gets older.
- Dental check: This health cheek will get rid of overcrowded teeth due to a Frenchie’s shortened head.
- DNA testing: This health test will indicate a range of health issues and genetic health problems.
- Spine X-ray: This health test will check for back problems and a malformed spine.
