The English Bulldog Puppy Blog

Beware of unwanted reactions for letting your sick dogs have their dose of vaccination. You are placing your beloved dog into grave danger.

All vaccine labels and inserts indicate that vaccines are intended for use in “healthy dogs only“. It does not, however, provide an explicit definition of “healthy“.

Knowledgeable vet agree that certain animals should not be vaccinated. The only exception to the rule is the urgent need to vaccinate such as inevitable exposure to a life threatening disease. These includes, but aren’t limited to, pets with autoimmune disease; pets undergoing chemotherapy; radiation or surgery including dental cleaning or neutering; pets with autoimmune disease, cancer, severe allergies and skin diseases; pets fighting an illness or parasites; pets stressed from shipment or a move to a new home; malnourished pets; and dying housebound pets. The case of vaccinating already sick dogs and pets is similar to adding fuel to a raging fire.

Vaccination is without a doubt a huge business. Dogs and cats alike need an advocate possessing common sense and firm will to stand up in behalf of their pets, which is you!

“Above All Do No Harm”

Vaccinating a stressed or ill dog violates our Hippocratic oath: Above All Do No Harm. When an animal is going in for surgery or chemo, or has an autoimmune disease or neoplastic condition [a tumor], or even a chronic immune challenge such as allergies or endocrine/metabolic diseases, they are at a high increased risk to an adverse reaction to any vaccine.

Why vaccinating a sick pet is a big no no!

Pets eventually develop adverse reactions when receiving vaccine shots during sickly time. It ranges from fever to seizures to autoimmune disease to anaphylactic shock, and even death.

Shots given to unhealthy animals may fail to render immunity. Furthermore, it gives you a false sense of security that your dog or cat is protected from diseases. Plus, the stress posed on the immune system may be diverted to handle the shot instead of fighting the existing illness.

Vaccine manufacturer Pfizer states, regarding precautions when using their rabies vaccine: “A protective immune response may not be elicited if animals are incubating an infectious disease, are malnourished or parasitized, are stressed due to shipment or environmental conditions, are otherwise immuno-compromised.”

According to the University of Nebraska’s “Understanding Vaccines”: “While it is common to vaccinate stressed animals, these animals are more susceptible to adverse vaccine reactions and frequently do not develop an adequate immune response. Immune stressed animals develop limited protection from vaccination.”

Drugs.com states, regarding the Rabies vaccine precaution, “level of performance may be affected by conditions of use such as stress, weather, nutrition, disease, parasitism, other treatments, individual idiosyncrasies or impaired immunological competency. These factors should be considered by the user when evaluating product performance or freedom from reactions.”

Humans are at risk if a rabies shot fails thus leaving pets infected with rabies. The danger of vaccinating sick and chronically ill pets that most, if not all, state and local health authorities allow a temporary or permanent exemption from rabies vaccination for these pets.

The gap between the last shot of vaccination and onset of adverse reactions develops over a few weeks or months. You may not be able to link the vaccine shot as the cause of the symptom, which can turn into deadly. Your vet probably won’t link it either.

What to do when your sick pet is scheduled for vaccination

Before you make that appointment, read my article 10 tips to get rid of unnecessary shots of your dog.

Your pet may not even need the recommended shots. If your dog needs vaccination for licensing, ask your vet to apply for a temporary or permanent exemption to the rabies shot.

Arm yourself with knowledge about vaccine duration of immunity. Talk openly with your vet about postponing shots until your dog is well. Find another vet if your request could not be granted.

Be bold and stand up for your pet especially when he or she is not feeling well. Just say NO to vaccinations and start researching and titer testing.

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Now that you have learned the causes and symptoms of hip dysplasia. Let’s find out if your dog is predisposed or has risk factors to be a likely candidate of CHD.

Hip dysplasia is caused by the subluxation in the hip joint. Subluxation creates abnormal wear and erosion of the joint, which leads to arthritis and pain. Browse through our list of risk factors for the development of hip dysplasia.

Genetics
Hip dysplasia is known to be a genetics disease. When a parent dog has a hip dysplasia then the offspring are at greater risk for developing the same disease. It is important to know the dog’s lineage. If there are no carriers of hip dysplasia in your dog’s lineage then it will not contract the disease. Selective breeding cannot completely reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia. If you breed two dysplastic dogs, the offspring are much more likely to have the disease but the offspring will not all have the same level of symptoms or even necessarily show any symptoms. The offspring (or next generation) from these dogs will be carriers and hip dysplasia will most likely show up in their offspring in later generations. The challenge therefore is to eliminate the disease from a breed or specific breeding line.

Nutrition
The biggest factor that displaces a dog to be genetically prone to hip dysplasia is the amount of calories your bulldog consumes.

Studies have shown that obesity can increase the severity of the disease in genetically susceptible animals. Excess weight will exacerbate the degeneration of the joints in a dog, including the hip. Dogs, also English bulldogs, are born genetically prone to hip dysplasia and are overweight are at a much higher risk of developing hip dysplasia and eventually osteoarthritis.

The likelihood of hip dysplasia is the rapid growth in puppies during the ages from three to ten months. Experiments shows that the incidence has been increased in genetically susceptible dogs when given free choice of food. A study has Labrador retriever puppies fed free choice for three years. It placed them on a higher incidence of hip dysplasia than their littermates who were fed with the same diet but in an amount 25% less than that fed to the free choice group.

A diet having too much or too little calcium or other minerals can result to a detrimental effect on the development of the joint. However, today’s complete and balanced dog foods solve the problem of inadequate diet. The practice of feeding homemade dog foods is popular with dog owners. These types of diets must be carefully monitored for proper nutritional balance including calcium and all other essential minerals.

Exercise
It shows that dogs that are genetically susceptible to the disease due to over exercise at a young age. At the same time, however, we all know that dogs with large and prominent leg muscle mass are less likely to develop the disease than dogs with small muscle mass. It is advised for dogs to exercise and maintain good muscle mass to decrease the incidence of the disease. Moderate exercise strengthens the gluteal muscles such as running and swimming is highly recommended for English bulldogs to help keep the weight at bay. Be cautious though to only introduce exercises that do not apply a lot of force to the joints such as playing Frisbee.

Diagnosis of hip dysplasia

The diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia is typically made from a combination of clinical signs of arthritis and pain, a complete physical exam, and radiographs (x-rays). If a dog is showing physical signs of arthritis, there are usually easily recognized changes in the joint that can be detected on radiographs. In addition, the veterinarian may even be able to feel looseness in the joint or may be able to elicit pain through extension and flexion of the rear leg. Regardless, the results are straightforward and usually not difficult to interpret.

However, about half of the animals that come in for a determination on the health of their hip joints are not showing physical signs, but are intended to be use for breeding. The breeder wants to ensure that the animal is not at great risk for transmitting the disease to his or her offspring. There are two different testing methods that can be performed. The traditional is OFA testing. The other relatively newer technique is the PennHip method.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)

The method used by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) has been the standard for many years. The OFA was established in 1966, and has become the world’s largest all-breed registry. The OFA maintains a database of hip evaluations for hundreds of thousands of dogs. Radiographs are taken by a local veterinarian using specific guidelines and are then submitted to the OFA for evaluation and certification of the dog’s hip status. Since the accuracy of radiological diagnosis of hip dysplasia using the OFA technique increases after 24 months of age, the OFA requires that the dog be at least two years of age at the time the radiographs are taken. Because some female dogs experience additional hip subluxation when they are in heat, pregnant or nursing the OFA recommends that the evaluation should not be performed during these times.

To get the correct presentation and ensure that the muscles are relaxed, the OFA recommends that the dog be anesthetized for the radiographs. OFA radiologists evaluate the hip joints for congruity, subluxation, the condition of the acetabulum, and the size, shape, and architecture of the femoral head and femoral neck. Three radiologists review the radiographs and a consensus score is assigned based on the animal’s hip conformation relative to other individuals of the same breed and age. The OFA then places the evaluated dogs into one of seven categories. Normal hips are graded as: excellent, good or fair. If the consensus is unclear the dog is graded as borderline dysplastic. And dogs with obvious radiographic signs of hip dysplasia are graded as: mild, moderate, severely dysplastic. Dogs with hips scored as borderline or dysplastic (mild, moderate, severe) are not eligible to receive OFA breeding numbers.

The OFA will also provide preliminary evaluations (performed by one OFA radiologist) of dogs younger than 24 months of age to help breeders choose breeding stock. Reliability of the preliminary evaluation is between 70 and 100% depending on the breed.

Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP)

The diagnostic method used by the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP) uses unique radiographic views of the dog’s hips to more accurately identifies and quantify joint laxity. This program was conceived in 1983 and became a usable system by 1993. To assure quality and repeatability among diagnostic centers using the PennHIP technique, veterinarians must take a special training course to become certified. Radiographs of the hips are taken with the dog under heavy sedation. These radiographs can be taken on a dog as young as 16 weeks. Two views are obtained with the hind limbs in neutral position to maximize joint laxity. These are known as the distraction and compression radiographic views. Weights and an external device are used to help push the head of the femur further into or away from the acetabulum. The amount of femoral head displacement (joint laxity) is quantified using a distraction index or DI. The DI ranges from 0 to 1 and is calculated by measuring the distance the center of the femoral head moves laterally from the center of the acetabulum and dividing it by the radius of the femoral head. A DI of 0 indicates a very tight joint. A DI of 1 indicates complete luxation with little or no coverage of the femoral head. A hip with a distraction index of 0.6 is 60% luxated and is twice as lax as a hip with a DI of 0.3. A third radiographic view is taken using the same positioning as the OFA. The “hip-extended” view is used to obtain additional information regarding the possible presence of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the hip.

When the PennHIP DI was compared to the OFA scores for 65 dogs, all dogs scored as mildly, moderately, or severely dysplastic by the OFA method had a DI above 0.3.

Hip laxity as measured by the DI is strongly correlated with the future development of osteoarthritis. Hips with a DI below 0.3 rarely develop osteoarthritis. Although hips with a DI above 0.3 are considered “degenerative joint disease susceptible,” not all hips with a DI greater than 0.3 will develop osteoarthritis. It is known that some hips with radiographically apparent laxity do not develop osteoarthritis. A means of differentiating lax hips that develop osteoarthritis from those that will not is important in developing a prognosis and making treatment or breeding recommendations. In one study, the DI obtained from dogs at four months of age was a good predictor of later osteoarthritis, though the 6 and 12-month indices were more accurate.

The PennHIP method has gained popularity and more and more veterinarians are becoming certified.

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photo credits to Jon Bradley

The need to lower the cost of vet care is impeccable following the global recession. The cost of vet care for last year (2008) is estimated at $10.9 billion, increased to almost a billion from last year. With thousands of job disappearing, low stock market and depressed economy, most of us are postponing dog care because we can’t afford trips to the vet and dog treatment. It’s high time to cut those unnecessary services and products which many pet owners think are absolutely necessary.

1. FEED QUALITY FOOD. It may sound strange to spend more on high quality dog food but it is your best shot at long term dog health and lower vet bills. Once you start feeding your bulldog wisely, you will notice allergies; intestinal problems, joint pains and other ailments disappear. You may want to switch feeding your dog from grocery store brands to kibble to canned foods. Gradually shift feeding your pet frozen raw or fresh cooked or raw food.

2. STOP THE UNNECESSARY VACCINATION. There is no point of vaccinating your dog against diseases your dog is unlikely to catch and against sickness to which your dog already has developed immunity. Apart from wasting huge waste of time and money, excessive vaccination will result to adverse health consequences that will wreck your dog’s health and cost you a fortune on vet bills.

3. KEEP TRASH, RECYCLING BINS AND TOXIC CHEMICALS AWAY FROM PETS. Dogs love taking a peek in garbage cans in search of food. Bad thing about it is dogs tend to stay this way a lot longer. This habit can lead to food poisoning. Rancid food found in garbage is rich in bacteria that will make your dog sick with diarrhea and vomiting. Better to keep an eye on your dog or place it in a leash when no one is around. By keeping your dog away from garbage cans, you will save any vet trips for cases of food poisoning.

4.  STOP GIVING UNNECESSARY OR DANGEROUS DRUGS TO YOUR DOG . Double check the medicines you give your dogs especially steroids and arthritis medication. Typically allergic reactions from medications will develop after multiple doses of the medication. Signs of allergies include scratching or itching, facial swelling or hives as shown by your pet. When your dog had overdose then it is necessary to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, which is another medical bill for you.

5. FEED YOUR DOG LESS. In a study conducted by Purina which made use of 48 Labrador Retrievers in a 14-year study, “lean-fed” dogs (receiving 25% less food compared to their mates) eventually developed the same health problems as their group mates as they aged, but required treatments for sickness developed 2.1 years later. As a result, treatment began at a mean age of 12 versus age 9.9. A secret to longevity is to feed your bulldog healthy, lean (not too skinny) food eliminating fattening, corn-laden foods. Thus, it is not about feeding a particular brand or letting your dog overeat to keep it healthy. Remember, fat dogs poses health risks needing expensive treatments.

6. WASH YOUR DOG’S FEET (OR PAWS). Ensure the cleanliness of your dog’s feet after a walk on chemically-packed pavements such as city streets and salted roads. Be extra careful of park areas which may have been recently treated with herbicides or other potentially dangerous chemicals. Refrain using toxic chemicals in your home or yard. Once these chemicals stick on your dog’s feet, it won’t be long until it reaches to your dog’s mouth. You may be risking your English bulldog to developing cancer later on.

7. REGULAR BRUSHING OF YOUR DOG’S TEETH. Dental problems often equates to expensive vet bills. One way to avoid dental caries on your dog’s teeth is by feeding them low-carb foods and by brushing its teeth at least three times a week. Use good toothpaste intended for dogs and not humans. You can apply and brush your dogs’ teeth with a super-soft toothbrush or gauze wrapped around your finger as a substitute of a toothbrush.

8. STOP REWARDING YOUR DOG WITH DANGEROUS TREAT. You may not be aware of the risks involved when your dog is given treats of hard to chew food. Treats such as cooked bones, rawhide chews, pig’s feet among other can lodge in tracheas and intestines. Surgery for obstructions and perforations doesn’t come cheap. Surgery can remove these obstructions but may be too late to save your dog’s life.

9. GET YOUR DOG A BLOOD TEST. Dogs age faster than human which makes them more susceptible to diseases. Senior dogs should have a blood test every six months. A thorough blood test is the easiest and only way to detect a disease while it’s still curable and cheaper to treat. Have your dog check for heartworms regardless if taking drugs or not.

10. SEARCH ONLINE. You can save money on flea and tick control, ear care products, vitamins, joint care supplements, and other non-prescription maintenance items sold on online pet supply stores and pharmacies. Check the specials offered and compare prices for low prices with free shipping included on most orders.

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Who wouldn’t want to hug a good-smelling English bulldog? There is one way of showing that you care for your bulldog – treat your dog to a bath on a fairly regular basis. Start your dog’s bathing regimen by learning suggestions here.

(Photo Credits: Dann Tardif/CORBIS)

Like other dog (humans too), English bulldogs will eventually get dirty and must be bathe. This breed can be allergy prone and easily develop dry, itchy skin so it is important to know the correct way to bathe this breed. Proper bathing also helps lessen the amount of hair shed by your bulldog.

Don’t neglect giving your bulldog frequent brushings and rubdowns. It turns out that when your dog receives daily brushings and brushdowns, it does not need frequent bathing. It is most recommended to bathe your dog when it obviously needs a bath, as well as when you plan to exhibit your dog. A show dog in the ring should be a squeaky clean dog in the ring.

Where should you bathe your English bulldog? Well, any place you want to and can! Always ensure you can control bathing your pet which means you can easily control the water supply and where you can rinse the dog thoroughly. You may use a big and deep sink, bath tub, kitchen sink or even on the lawn. If you’re handling a puppy, it’s best to take it outside and let it “do his thing” just before you bathe him.

Here are steps on how to bathe your English bulldog:

1. Gather all necessary things you will need to start. Prepare shampoo, any rinses you plan to use, cotton balls, Q-lips, eye ointment or mineral oil, Vaseline, wash cloth, towels. Opt for a mild and no-tears shampoo such as Johnson & Johnson no Tears or Avon Tearless. Most bulldogs use a dog shampoo such as Lambert Kay or Groom-Rite. Others also use a special whitening shampoo for white dogs (Lambert Kay Snowy-Coat, Bio Groom Super White, etc.). Many use a special shampoo for red dogs (Ring S Burnished Bronze, etc.). You may on occasion need to use a flea shampoo but since these are quite harsh, don’t use one unless you really need to.
2. Apply a couple of drops of mineral oil or a small amount of eye ointment in the eyes. Place a cotton ball securely in each ear before you wet your pet.
3. Slowly wet the dog thoroughly from just behind the ears to the tips of the toes on his hind feel. Wet the underside, too, not just the top and sides.
4. Apply the shampoo starting at his neck and working back. Work the shampoo in to be sure you get all the way through his hair to the skin. Pay extra attention and care when washing the paws (wash between the toes), his tail (clean all around the base), and the genital area. On a female English bulldog, be especially careful to clean the vulva and its folds.
5. Wet the wash cloth and use it to dampen the bulldog’s face and ears. Put some shampoo on the washcloth and wash the dog’s face. Wash the wrinkles over the nose, on the forehead, around the nose and under the eyes. Wash his nose. Wash his ears, inside and out.
6. Now rinse. Don’t stop rinsing until you are sure every area, especially in the wrinkles and tight places, is thoroughly rinsed with no signs of shampoo residue.
7. Apply a good conditioner to keep your dog’s coat soft. You can use a dog conditioner rinse like Oster Creme Rinse, Oster Coat Conditioner or Francodex Oatmeal Creme Rinse. If dog conditioner may be a bit too expensive for you, you may use a regular conditioner (for people) like L’Oreal Creme. For a white dog, you can use a rinse of 4 Tbs. Mrs. Wright’s Bluing, I qt. water, 1/4 cup baking soda. Mix enough bluing into the water to get a darkish blue not black. Pour the bluing mixture over him and work in with your fingertips. Do not rinse. Do not towel dry. Let the dog drip dry. For red dogs, try VOS Henna Conditioner.
8. Dry your English bulldog with towels. By this time, remove the cotton balls out of the dog’s ears. Make sure to clean any wax carefully using a dry Q-Tip or one with a dab of Panalog. Keep your dog’s nose soft by rubbing a dab of Vaseline. Dry your bulldog either by air dry or with the use of a hair dryer to finish the drying. It’s recommended to keep the dog indoor until it is completely dry for about two hours.

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An English Bulldog as a puppy snoring away…

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English Bulldog puppies @ 30 days old.
Finally walking!

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http://www.InternationalKennel.com
These English Bulldog puppies are from International Kennel in East Meadow, NY. I love the wrinkles on these puppies.

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Baxter, our English Bulldog pupply sleeping fish style on the floor.

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