The Boston Terrier, just like the French Bulldogs are also classified as a brachycephalic and chondrodystrophic breed, that results in a shortening of the vertebrae and of the long bones of the limbs. The chondrodystrophic and brachycephalic skeleton is, though characteristic of the breed, structurally abnormal, with the potential to cause some inherent physical problems.The spine of a chondrodystrophic breed is also shortened by its abnormal type of development. Although the breed standard calls for a short and compact body, it should not be too short as the standard also calls for good proportion.
French Bulldogs have a high incidence of vertebral malformations, and also of premature degeneration of the intervertebral discs. The shorter the back, the more extreme the degree of malformation of the vertebrae. As the spine is excessively shortened the size of the chest cavity is reduced, which restricts the lung capacity and compromises an already marginal respiratory system.
Excessive shortening can also affect gait, particularly if the dog is so close coupled that its gait is crabbed as it tries to prevent its hind feet overtaking its front feet. Though a Frenchie's movement is not weighted as heavily in the standard as that of many breeds, its movement should be "unrestrained, free and vigorous." If the spine is so short that there is not enough length of neck, the reach of the forelimbs will be reduced, as the neck muscles that move the forelimbs forward will be unable to shorten sufficiently to produce a good forward motion at the shoulder.
BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS
- Dogs With Special Faces
Most people are not familiar with the term "Brachycephalic," but if you own a breed with "pushed in" faces, you should become familiar with this
word. The word comes from Greek roots "Brachy," meaning short and "cephalic," meaning head.
French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers are breeds with brachycephalic syndrome. Their famous flat faces are very short compared to the length of the
cranium, This carries a number of health implications, some of which are quite serious, sometimes deadly. Others can negatively impact a dog's
quality of life.
First, the facial bones and tissues of a brachycephalic dog are so compressed that its airway is often impaired by several related defects
(stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, excess tissue in the throat, too crowded nasal cavities; and secondary changes in the larynx that these
primary defects can produce over time). These are collectively called the Brachycephalic Syndrome.
The only visible part of the airway are the openings to the outside, the nares. These should be open rather than pinched, and their openings
should not have been surgically enlarged. Though you can't see a dog's palate, throat, nasal cavities, or larynx, you can usually tell whether
it has airway problems by watching and listening to it.
EYES
- One of the most common problems of the breed might be "Cherry Eye". The repositioning of the eyelid is extremely simple and if done quickly avoids an unnecessary surgery.
The eyes of the frenchies and the bostons deserve special attention. Because they are a Brachycephalic Breed (pushed in noses), their eyes are more exposed, and might be targets of eye lesions. Always take care of games that are close to pointy plants and be wary of scratches around the area.
In case of eye ulcer suspicion, avoid treatments with eyedrops that contain corticoids, and immediately look for a vet that is an optometry specialist.
Constant eye tearing might also be a sign of a problem. Talk to your optometrist vet in case you think your Frenchie
/ Boston is producing a large amount of tears. If you have a lighter colored Frenchie, tear stains might happen. Cleaning the area frequently might help to minimize the problem.
Having a big head and a lot nasal bones compacted, brachycephalic dogs tend to have trouble with the way their eyes seat in their heads. Their boney eye sockets are very shallow and don't take much for a minor
injury cause an eye to pop from its socket. This can happen also with too much pulling against the leash if the pet is wearing a collar, you may wish to consider a harness for your pet.
Their eyes are so prominent that very often the lids cannot close all the way over their eyes. This could lead to irritation and drying of the center of the eye unless surgical correction is performed.
On both breeds, their eyes openings should be round, with no white showing when the dog is looking forward, and located on the front of the skull rather than on the sides (where they are situated on long-faced
breeds). Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs occasionally have cherry eye (enlarged and prolapsed gland of the nictitating membrane), entropion, a visible haw (nictitating membrane), dermoid cysts (rapidly
enlarging growths usually found on the margin of an eyelid or on the cornea), and juvenile cataracts. These conditions are not considered desirable, and may be inheritable.
FACE
-The French Bulldog head is covered in wrinkles and folds, especially close to their noses and eyes.
The Boston Terrier head also has some wrinkles around the muzzle.
Clean the area once a week, or whenever you feel it is necessary. We use cotton balls with mineral baby oil or coconut oil. Gently rub on all wrinkles to remove all dirt from these areas. After cleaning, dry them well with a cotton ball and remove all oil. You can use a q-tip to reach difficult areas.
We also like to hydrate their noses with coconut oil or nose butter. For more extreme dry noses or any boo boos, we also use the boo boo butter or natural lanolin ointments (the breastfeeding aiding kinds).
OTHER CONCERNS
-The normal dog has 42 teeth in its mouth. The brachycephalic dog also has 42 teeth but a lot less space to fit them in. This means that the teeth will be crowded and growing in at odd angles which, in turn, traps food debris and leads to periodontal disease at a far younger age than in non-brachycephalics. The earlier you begin using home care dental products, the longer you will be able to postpone full dentistry under general anesthesia.
Skin fold infections are common amid the facial folds of the brachycephalic breeds. Be sure to examine these areas periodically for redness.
The broad headed nature of these breeds makes reproduction a tricky matter as Caesarean section is frequently needed. Difficult labor is common and, as surgical assistance is often necessary, it is important not to breed females with tracheal stenosis (see above). Breeding is best left to the experts.
Altogether, the brachycephalic breeds show plenty of personality and intelligence just as all dogs do but because of their special needs, they require some extra knowledge of their owners. If you have any questions about your brachycephalic dog, please do not hesitate to call your veterinarian if you have further questions.
EARS
-To reduce a chance of an ear infection, we clean our Boston Terrier / French
Bulldog ears at the very least weekly with an ear cleaning solution. We also
protect their ears when we give them baths to prevent water from getting in.
EXERCISING
- Both breed, the French Bulldog andt the Boston Terrier are mainly companion
dogs. The minimal exercise is required to make them happy and healthy. A light
walk early morning or in the evening seems to be more than enough exercise for
them.
Being a brachycephalic breed, keep in mind that their airways and throat are smaller
than most dogs, so over exercising or even playing can result in panting and
possibly choking.
- Be aware of the outside temperature! To recognize signs of when " too much it'stoo much " for your puppy,
please read more about Heatstroke.
Avoid jumping exercises with your Frenchies or Bostons, such as: jumping on and
off beds and couches, jumping off flights of stairs and general hopping around /
jumping exercises in general. These vertical movements might help increase the
pressure on bone marrows and while young, they might cause some sort of
malformation of their members. Also note that they might cause degeneration of
their discs. When in doubt, pick your Boston Terrier / French Bulldog up and never encourage any kind
of jumping behavior. This is very serious.
HEAT
-The French Bulldogs and the Boston Terriers are extremely sensitive to heat and
might overheat in a very short time, being in serious risk of suffering a heat
stroke and dying. In hot days, closely observe your dog. NEVER UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES LEAVE A DOG ALONE INSIDE A CAR and avoid going out
during the hottest days and times. A panting dog with the inner parts of their
ears red are signs of risk of heat stroke. In case of emergencies, wrap your dog
on a wet towel and use a fan to cool it off. You can also offer him ice chips to
suck on. Do not offer them ice cold water, or put them in a tub filled with ice
water!
Read more about Heatstroke.
-We recommend not giving more than one vaccine at a time. We like to delay the Rabies vaccine until our puppies are at least 6 months of age, if possible. Check with your trusted Veterinarian.
We DO NOT recommend vaccines that contain Leptospirosis. Numerous brachycephalics have had severe reactions to those kinds of vaccines. Our puppy vaccine is the DAPPV (Distemper + Adenovirus + Parvovirus + Parainfluenza).
GROOMING
-Try to keep nails always short. You can use a nail clipper if preferred but we like and recommend nail grinders such as dremel, on the lowest/medium speed. Don't forget to get styptic powder for any little accidents. It helps any little bleeding to quickly stop. If you get your puppy used to the dremel from the start, then he will learn to be ok with it.
TRAVELING
- For traveling we use the Large Sturdibag Pet Carrier. They have many colors to choose from and it's by far the most confortable carrier I've ever found for dogs because it's squishable and expands to it's sides.
Don't EVER travel with your dog in cargo, always have your pet with you in cabin.
SPAYING AND NEUTERING
-Anesthesia in all brachycephalics breed are much more risky. These short-faced dogs are sensitive and they can be a real challenge when it comes to being sedated. We recomend you to look to a veterinarian that is experienced with Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs, talk to your veterinarian about the best time to spay or neuter your puppy and please, please follow our Anesthesia Protocol.
Adapted from:
MarVista Med. Center, French Bulldog club of America
-- Read about DISQUALIFIED COLORS
-- Read about HEATSTROKE
-- Read about PARASITES
-- Read about PUPPY CARE
-- Read about GARDENING
-- Read about FIREWORKS