~ Below are some hereditary conditions commonly found in the French Bulldog. ~ The specific disorders listed below can easily be screened for by using a simple swab for DNA markers.
* The purpose of doing these genetic screenings is so that breeders don't unknowingly pair two dogs that are carrying the same unwanted disorder(s). Pairing two dogs that both carry the same disorder can result in 25% affected offspring that may become symptomatic of the condition. * Dogs that carry one copy of an unwanted condition will not be affected or become symptomatic. The goal is to eventually breed out these genetic disorders within the breed without having to remove every dog that carries an unwanted disorder. Removing every dog that carries an unwanted disorder could vastly reduce the overall gene pool within the breed, & eventually could result in extremely inbred dogs with new additional disorders.
We screen ALL of our breeding French Bulldogs for the hereditary conditions listed below. We will not knowingly breed two dogs that carry the same disorder.
* Cystinuria Type 3 (Cy3) * Cystinuria is a hereditary condition in which the kidney is unable to process cystine, an amino acid, correctly, leading to the formation of cystine stones and can cause blockage in the kidney, bladder, or ureter. Symptoms have only been seen in intact males, however both genders can carry this disorder. Cystinuria needs hormones, particularly testosterone to develop stones. Neutering a male cystinuria-positive Bulldog will prevent his body from forming stones. We recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic condition. We use and recommend PennGen Only for this test as they have found the genetic markers and are actively continuing their research within this condition. Click here to be directed to the PennGen website for screening information.
* Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-cord1/crd4) * ~ Progressive retinal Atrophy, cone-Rod dystrophy 4 ~ This is a hereditary condition of the eyes in which can progress to complete blindness. We recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic condition.
* Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1) * This is a hereditary eye condition in which fluid accumulates under the detached retina. This fluid accumulation results in blisters or lesions in the eye, usually seen in puppies ages 11-16 weeks. This is not found to cause blindness, however vision loss is possible. We recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic condition.
* Hyperuricosuria (HUU) * Hyperuricosuria is a hereditary condition that predisposes dogs to stones in the bladder. We recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic condition.
* Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts (JHC) * This hereditary eye condition affects both eyes symmetrically. Cataract formation starts by 1 year of age and progresses to blindness by 2-3 years of age. We recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic condition.
* Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) * This is a hereditary condition that causes fatal spinal cord degeneration in older dogs. Recent studies have stated that even though French Bulldogs can carry the genetic marker for this condition, it will not affect a French Bulldog that carries two copies without an additional gene. Even with these new findings we won't be taking any chances, and still recommend ALL breeding French Bulldogs to be screened for this genetic marker.
* Additionally, we screen our breeding French Bulldogs for the following... *
~ Cardiac Disease ~ All of our French Bulldogs are examined for signs of Cardiac disease (Heart abnormalities). This is done through our Veterinarian or through a Veterinary cardiologist.
~ Patellar Luxation ~ All of our French Bulldogs are checked for any Patellar Luxation (loose knees). This is done through exam by our Veterinarian.
~ Tracheal Hypoplasia ~ All of our French Bulldogs are checked for a narrowing trachea (wind pipe).
~ Hip Dysplasia ~ All of our French Bulldogs are pre-screened for hip dysplasia. * We will not knowingly breed a dog with severe or debilitating hip dysplasia. * (Formation of the bones is genetic however environmental factors can worsen the development of the femoral head & hip socket)
* Spinal Abnormalities * * We have all of our French Bulldog spines X-ray'd and evaluated by our Veterinarian before breeding. * Although spinal abnormalities are considered to be 'normal' for the French Bulldog, knowing how each spine looks can help us in making better breeding decisions.
The screenings mentioned above can only be accurate for the individual dog the test is being preformed on. Even with perfect results, these screenings do not guarantee offspring with perfect results. We do these screenings to ensure we are breeding overall healthy dogs to the best of our knowledge, in hopes of reducing the chances of unhealthy offspring in future generations.
*** Common issues seen in French Bulldogs; *** Brachycephalic Syndrome (breathing difficulties) Elongated Soft Palate (can be corrected with surgery) Pinched Nares / Collapsed Nares / Stenotic Nares (can be corrected with surgery) Snoring (common among brachycephalic breeds) Overheating / Heatstroke (especially when overweight) Respiratory Issues (especially when overweight) Entropion (in-turned eyelids, can be corrected with surgery) Cherry Eye (can be corrected with surgery) Glaucoma Cataracts Corneal Ulcers (due to injury) Inverted Vulvas (can be corrected with surgery or can correct after first heat cycle) Luxating Patellas (can worsen with environment and/or injury) Loose Hips / Mild-Moderate Hip Dysplasia (can worsen with environment) Tail Pockets Kinked Tails, Crooked Tails, Inverted tails (inverted tails require amputation) Wry Jaw / Crooked Teeth Spinal Issues (including hemi-vertebrae (due to shortened back & lack of full tail) Ear Infections (due to yeast or allergies) Allergies / Yeast Infections / Skin issues (mostly diet & environment related)
*** Although we do our best to breed away from these breed specific issues *** we cannot eliminate all the common issues within the breed itself. We do not cover these common issues within the breed.
Realistically there is no such thing as a 'Perfect dog' and although we are always striving for perfection, we do not expect perfection within our dogs. We take the time and money to perform the above mentioned screenings in hopes to produce offspring that are as close to 'Perfect' as we can possibly get within our breed. By learning as much as we can about each one of our breeding dogs, both inside and out, it will help us make better breeding decisions. Before deciding whether a dog will be used for breeding, we weigh all the positives and negatives of that individual. In order to be considered for our breeding program, each dog must have positives that vastly outweigh the negatives.