French Bulldogs have significantly higher odds of being diagnosed with 20 common disorders compared to other dog breeds, reports a study published in the journal Canine Medicine... moreFrench Bulldogs have significantly higher odds of being diagnosed with 20 common disorders compared to other dog breeds, reports a study published in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics. To reduce the risks of breathing disorders associated with the typical shorter muzzle and flat head of French Bulldogs, the authors propose a shift to focus breeding towards more moderate characteristics.
Authors from the Royal Veterinary College (Hertfordshire, England) used records from veterinary practices across the UK from 2016 using the VetCompass database, including 2,781 French Bulldogs and 21,850 other dog breeds.
Dan O’Neill and colleagues compared diagnoses for 43 specific disorders between French Bulldogs and other dog breeds. The authors observed that French bulldogs were at significantly greater risk than other dogs for narrowed nostrils (42.14 times greater risk), obstructive airways syndrome (30.89 times greater risk), ear discharge (14.40 times greater risk), and skin dermatitis (11.18 times... less
