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Welcome to the new page of the Bulldog Breed Council website, Current Topics
We hope to bring you a mixture of advice and information, bought to our attention by our member clubs. Contact us if you have something to share e mail the Website co -ordinator Keep Your Bulldog Cool Heat Stroke Can Kill Reprinted From French Connection by Penny Rankine-Parsons Heat Stroke is an Emergency, it can be life threatening. It is important that Bulldog owners learn to recognise the signs, as the dog will require immediate treatment. Bulldogs as with most short faced breeds do not tolerate high temperatures as well as we humans. Dogs do not sweat; they depend on rapid breathing to keep cool. By exchanging warm air when they breathe out with cooler surrounding air as they breathe in, they manage to regulate their body temperature. It is obvious then, that when the air temperature is close to body temperature cooling by rapid breathing is not an efficient process. Signs of Heat stroke Heat Stroke is evident by the typical appearance of the dog, and it can be confirmed by taking its temperature. Heat stroke begins with rapid, frantic ,noisy breathing .The tongue and the inside of the mouth are bright red. The dogs saliva is thick and hangs in drools or it may appear frothy. The dog frequently vomits .The eyes have a frantic bulbous look . Your bully will be in serious trouble if these signs go unheeded as within a very short time the dogs lips and tongue turn blue and the eyes may glaze over. The dog becomes unsteady and staggers. It may have diarrhoea and it will become progressively weaker. Coma and Death can follow. ALL THIS CAN HAPPEN IN THE SPACE OF A FEW MINUTES Treatment Emergency measures must be taken at once if you suspect that your dog is overheating. Mild cases respond to being moved into cooler surroundings and frequent small amounts of cool water offered. If the dog is showing more serious signs as described above or if you are just unsure he should be cooled down by immersion in of his body in cool water, or by being hosed down with a garden hose. In an emergency an ice cube gently inserted in the rectum also helps. Heat stroke can be accompanied by swelling of the throat, the dog will 'roar' or 'rasp' when breathing ] this aggravates the problem by reducing the airflow causing the dog to panic and get5 even more stressed .This situation requires veterinary treatment immediately, the vet will usually administer a cortisone injection to reduce swelling. He may also administer a cool water enema . Prevention Do not expose your bulldog to prolonged heat Restrict exercise during the heat of the day Provide shade and water for your dog if you are outside, even in the garden. Do not let your Bulldog get over excited or stressed during hot weather . Travelling with your Bulldog NEVER NEVER leave your dog in a car unattended even for a few minutes Do not travel long distances in the car with your Bulldog unless you make adequate provision in case of an emergency; even if you have air conditioning in the car. Take plenty of cool water, make sure he has suitable shade from the sun, and there is a free flow of air through the car.. During very hot weather semi freeze bottles of water [the square plastic bottles are ideal ]as they thaw they will give you a supply of ice cold water .Placed in his cage and covered by a towel will also help keep your dog cool. If you put wet towels in the freezer and then store them in a cool box they make an excellent cool bed for your dog to lie on. The lightweight canvas cages are not reccomended,as they do not allow for adequate airflow. Think carefully if you plan to travel to a show, remember no win or place at a dog show is ever worth the life of your Bully STRESS AND HEAT ARE A LETHAL COMBINATION ********************************************************************************************************************************************8
This article is by kind permission of Miss Susan Jay [Edstrong] Secretary of the London Bulldog Society. Lungworm [Angiostrongylus Infection] In the course of extensive tests carried out at the Royal Veterinary College on my young dog [whose intermittent facial swellings mystified my own vet] it was discovered, almost by chance, that he was harbouring lungworms. If this condition is untreated clinical signs of respiratory distress may develop. Right sided heart failure and pulmonary thromboembolism are also potential consequences of Angiostrongylus infection. In view of this and the fact that earlier symptoms can go unrecognised it is important to warn owners who may be ignorant of the condition. Infection with this parasite is due to eating snails, slugs, frogs and possibly fox faeces ,so anyone who has a dog with a depraved appetite should be on their guard particularly if they live near ponds or marshy areas. Symptoms include coughing- which can be attributed to other maladies- and blood clotting deficiencies- which will go undetected unless the dog is injured or under gone major surgery. It is not easy to protect a dog with bizarre tastes in alfresco dining from the risk of picking up the parasite. Regular worming is a must but ordinary over the counter wormers may not be effective against Angiostrongylus. You need a fenbendazole wormer such as Panacur. It appears that this infection is on the increase, especially in the fox population, and in certain areas such as Surrey. As they say on Crime watch 'don't have nightmares 'but do be aware and watchful and if worried seek veterinary advice. Susan Jay. Warning Post script to this This infection has been found and diagnosed in the Birmingham area during the month 16.2.04 ************************************************************************************************************
Finding Your Bulldog by Vicky Collins Vice Chairman of Blackpool and Fylde Bulldog Club
When you have made your mind up you would like a bulldog you are then faced with the task of finding one , which from the many phone calls we get is difficult .The best and recommended way is to look up on this site the secretary of your local bulldog club ,they may know of a litter belonging to one of their members ,enquire when their next shows are and go to see a show . There are two main types of show where you may meet some breeders, Open shows where the atmosphere is very informal, and Championship Shows where the dogs have serious winning potential and these are very competitive .Once there you can watch the dogs and speak to the many breeders around who may be expecting a litter or have one at home, expect to be quizzed as most caring breeders are very particular as to the homes they sell to .Read all you can about the breed and try to buy from someone you are recommended to ,reputable breeders do not have to advertise so you will not find them in the pages of the local newspaper or bargin rags,you will probably have to travel and you will probably have to wait,but you are purchasing a member of your family hopefully for the next 9 years [average]so a few months wait for the right dog will be worth it.See the puppy with its mother and its litter mates remember that although the sire is a Champion or class winnner at Crufts the mother has still 50% input , and your puppy may look just like her in the future, or be a mixture and look like neither of them Dog Or Bitch ?things to consider before you choose If you are thinking of showing your pet its a wise thing to start with a very good pedigree bitch as there are no guarantees with this breed that at 9 weeks we can pick a future show winner ,a sound healthy bitch can be bred from in the future if she doesn't quite make it as a show dog. Bitches are not so impressive as dogs but if you purchase a dog and he doesn't make it in the show ring you can't move on from him without a further purchase. If however you want a pet bulldog ,a dog can be the most faithful loving companion you could have and his typical bulldog head makes sure no one is in any doubt he's a BULLDOG our national breed .Bitches have seasons and this can be messy and if you have another male dog can mean separating them for 3 weeks twice a year or spaying ,this can be difficult and they carry on having seasons every 6 months for life. This is worth thinking carefully before you decide to buy a puppy. There should be no difference in the price of a dog or bitch unlike some other breeds which generally charge more for bitches . Breeding Terms Some breeders are selling bitches with breeding contracts on them some of these may work out fine but if you agree to this there are proper legal forms from the Kennel Club where the terms and arrangements are laid out and signed for at the time of purchase, do not enter into any agreements not covered by these forms as in 15 months when the breeder will want you to breed your bitch you may have forgotten or disagree the terms . This can be a very stressful time and involve solicitors if you do not have it in writing the original agreement and many enemies are made in the dog world over this matter . Paperwork See the information panel below , the pedigree is just the family tree you need a Kennel Club registered document make sure you see it .Ask if the puppy is being sold on a Breed Council Puppy Contract . VET Check Within 48 hours of purchase take your new puppy to your own vet and have a health check on it and inform the breeder immediately if there are any problems .Its advisable that your new puppy has already received 1 vaccination before it leaves the breeder where it should have been already checked for general health and should have been wormed at regular intervals , instructions on this and the puppies diet sheet should be provided by the breeder at time of collection . Join Your local Bulldog Club you will receive independent help and advice if you run into problems and you will make new friends who share your love of this wonderful breed ....good luck and enjoy your new friend. Vicky Collins
Important Information When you buy a puppy you need to obtain the Kennel Club Registration Document ,It is at present a green document with the Kennel Club insignia on it .The Pedigree on its own is NOT the dogs registration form without this official document you cannot breed or show your dog at KC licensed events ,When you buy your dog you are entitled to this registration as the details of the puppies parents are then verified at the Kennel Club ,as a pet it may not seem important but cross bred puppies are often sold as pedigree, which really is only the 'Family Tree' before you buy a Pedigree pure bred bulldog you need to see its official registration and have the dog signed over to you .
Cherry Eye [Harderian Gland] Survey THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO COMPLETE IT
"Cherry" Eye (Prolapsed gland of the third eyelid. Prolapsed nictitans gland.) What is it? Dogs have a third eyelid, in the third eyelid there is a gland located on the lower outer portion facing the cornea which is a tear producing gland. Under normal circumstances this is not visible as it is held in place by a small ligament. For some reason the gland prolapsed out of its normal position, and can be seen as a cherry red swelling above the lower eyelid. Once the gland prolapses it is exposed to the air and irritants, it may become infected, begins to swell, go red and later becomes hard. In the survey the majority of the prolapses were unilateral and usually occurred under 18 weeks of age. Causes The exact cause is not known but is suspected to be a weakness of the ligament. This may be hereditary. Once the prolapse has occurred it obstructs the flow of tears, the gland begins to swell and secondary infection can ensue. It can occur at any age but mainly in young dogs. Importance Tear production in the dog is mainly supplied by the lachrymal glands, which are located at the upper outer portion of the orbit. Up to 30% of the tear production in dogs may come from the nictitans glands. The amount of tears produced by each gland is variable. (In the Burmese cat the nictitans gland may be the only gland that produces tears) Treatment
This can be done under local anaesthetic or general anaesthesia. The bulldogs are pretty stoical and can easily be held for excision under local anaesthetic. This was the most popular method in our survey. The average cost varied between £8 and £30. General anaesthesia with all its attendant risks costs usually between £60 and £80. Usually you are given an antibiotic ointment to apply for a few days after the procedure is done. It is easier to do after the "cherry" eye has been present for a few days and the gland has become hard. The potential main complication is ‘dry’ eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). This requires lifelong treatment. This occurs because the remaining tear glands do not produce an adequate amount of tears to lubricate the cornea. It can occur naturally due to disease affecting the lachrymal glands. (Further research is needed to find out in the bulldog whether excision of the gland does lead to more dry eyes than would occur naturally.) 2. Replacement of the gland. In this the gland is replaced in a mucous pocket and sutured down. (Should be carried out by a specialist in veterinary ophthalmology. )This necessitates a general anaesthetic. This procedure has a failure rate of about 5%. The operation should be carried out as early as possible after the gland prolapses to try and avoid damage to the gland. In the survey the cost appeared to be about £120 - £130. This lessens the risk of developing dry eye. (More figures are required in the bulldog.) Interestingly we did not have any replies from breeders of puppies that they had their puppies eyes operated upon. Perhaps this was due to the design of the questionnaire. Dr J Nattrass
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