Frenchie care

Bulldog care and maintanence are an essential part of your Frenchie’s well being…

Wrinkles

Facial wrinkles need to be cleaned 2-3 times weekly. We use baby wipes for this. Clean out all folds and dry well. This will prevent infections from starting in the wrinkles.

Nails

Learn how to clip toenails or pay someone to do it. Frenchies need their nails trimmed twice a month. They will rarely wear them down on their own. Long nails can cause trouble with walking and can cause pain in their feet. Try very hard not to make your dog bleed. If you do, he may fight you every time you try to trim his nails. If you don’t keep the nails short all the time, the ''quic'' will grow quickly as well. The ''quick'' is the nail bed, it's the living part of the nail. When dog’s nails are neglected, even for a short time, this part rapidly grows out as well. You must then shave slivers off until you get to the point the nail end looks moist, anything after than, you will hit blood. You must continue to do this on a regular schedule (like once every 3 days) to shorten that quick back to where it was. The short nails you see, those which don't click on the floor, are the nails which are to be looked after diligently. Do all you can to prevent your dog from getting hurt while nail clipping. It is important to note that everyone makes mistakes and your dog will not bleed to death. Just use caution. Right away when he comes home, play with this feet, gently, spread his toes etc. Most dogs object to any handling of the foot and must be taught that it is OK to allow a person to do this.

Ears

The ears must be cleaned about twice a month. Use an ear wash formulated for ear cleaning. Soak a cotton ball thoroughly in the ear wash. Squeeze out excess ear wash. Place the cotton ball in your dog’s ear and gently rub up and down. Allow your dog to shake off excess moisture. This is important for preventing ear infections. Soak the tip of a cotton swab in the ear wash and run it along the nooks and crannies of your dog’s ears.

Under tail area

Many Bulldogs have straight tails and this is not a problem with them. For those with curly tails, you may need to assist in hygiene in this area. If the tail cannot be raised, or its tightly coiled, feces can build up under it and cause infections. If you have a dog who has this problem, use baby wipes and make sure you throughly dry the area. You may need to do this every time the dog has a bowel movement. The other alternative is to dock or crop part of the tail off to prevent the feces from coming into contact with it. It's is vital that the skin under the tail is clean and dry. Gold Bond medicated powder can be very helpful on wet, irritated skin. Infections are due to negligence on your part, so keep it clean!

Bathing

Choose a very mild, good shampoo. Canine not Human. Don’t buy cheap here, the cheap ones are very harsh and will strip the dogs skin of any moisture and this can cause serious skin conditions. Bathe only when truly dirty. Be certain you rinse all soap out of coat. Over bathing or using a bad shampoo will cause dry skin. Dry skin is itchy and your dog will scratch himself into a skin infection if you are not careful. NEVER use flea shampoo as your regular shampoo. Flea shampoo will not prevent fleas, it will only kill what is on your pup. It is very harsh and very drying to a dog’s coat when used in place of regular, gentle shampoo! Use extreme caution using a flea shampoo if your dog is already on any flea preventative! Consult a vet before doing it.

Exercise

A nice brisk walk for about 10 minutes 4-7 times per week is good for his heart and muscles.

Chew toys

Choose digestible chew. Dogs can decimate a chew toy in a short time and if your dog ingests a piece of raw hide or vinyl, it can block his intestines, causing death. Hooves, ears, paddy whacks, beef pizzles, Greenies are just a few good ones. Ask someone to help you if you are confused. Tell them you want digestible chews for your pooch. Most of these guys dearly love stuffed animals. Buy those for dogs, no button eyes, and replace if your dog beats the stuffing out of it.

Collars

Rolled leather are best. If your dog has a lot of neck wrinkles, other collars can irritate the skin. The rolled leather slip and slide around a lot better. Many people prefer harnesses for the Bull breed.

Dog Food

Bad diet is the reason for many ailments in canines, just as in people. Ensuring your pups health has a lot to do with the kind of food you are giving it. Here are some suggestions for healthy dog food brands:

- Royal Canin

- Eukanuba