All short-nosed breeds (a.k.a. bradycephalic breeds) like bulldogs and pugs must be carefully managed in extremely hot weather. Most novice pet owners generally are surprised how fast an English bulldog submits to heatstroke.

Contrary to what most people believe, dogs are more vulnerable to heatstroke than man. Dogs overheat more quickly despite of their fur coat worn all year long. Dogs do not sweat off the heat. They cool down either by panting or blowing out heat. This mechanism renders less effective than sweating.

What heat stroke does to your dog’s body?
Heat stroke occurs when heat gain goes beyond the body’s capacity to dissipate heat. High temperatures cause chemical reactions that breakdown body cells resulting to dehydration and blood thickening. These results place enormous strain on the heart causing blood clots and eventual tissue necrosis or death of the tissue. Heat stroke quickly affects the liver, brain, and intestinal cells. The normal body of a dog is about 101 F to 102 F. Thus, if its temperature goes beyond 106 F, it is in danger of brain damage, vital organ failure and death. The temperature of 106 F can be extremely dangerous. A dog can recover from heat stroke but has to deal with organ damage and lifelong health problems.

Signs and symptoms of heat stroke
• Rapid, frantic panting
• Wide eyes
• Thick saliva
• Bright red tongue
• Vomiting
• Staggering
• Diarrhea
• Coma

First aid
Never underestimate heat stroke. Heat stroke is deadly! When your dog suffers from heat stroke, cool your dog in any way you can. Send your dog to a vet for immediate medical intervention. Hose your dog off, immerse it in cool (not in cold water), use fans, take your dog to air conditioning. Sponge the groin area, tummy area, wet its tongue, place rolled up wet towels against its head, neck, tummy, and between its legs. Always check its temperature. Stop cooling your dog once it drops to 104 F or 103 F.

Treatment
If your dog’s temperature remains high by the time you brought it to the vet’s clinic, they may give him a cool water enema, cool water gastric lavage to rinse the stomach, and intravenous (IV) fluids, and draw blood samples. Your dog will be monitored for shock, kidney failure, heart abnormalities, respiratory stress, and blood clotting time. Your vet should give oxygen, dextrose, cortisone, antihistamines, anticoagulants, or antibiotics to stabilize your dog. It is necessary to give follow up treatment after your dog is stabilized.

Prevention of heat stroke

• Do not ever leave your dog (or English bulldog) in a parked car even for a few minutes! A parked car traps heat in a matter of minutes that could be as high as 40 degrees above the outdoor temperature. Let’s say the temperature is 80 F, a parked car can reach 120 F in ten minutes especially on a sunny day. It is not a big help to leave the car windows crack a little open.

• If you have to let your dog stay outdoors, provide shade, ventilation, wading pool, and cool drinking water. Remember that the shade moves as the earth rotates.
• Store enough water in containers large enough to supply water all the time. Secure the water containers so they won’t topple over and spill.
• Make sure that dogs on a leash wouldn’t wind their leash around an object that prevents access to water.
• Clip heavy coated dogs to an inch in length. Leave one inch for heat insulation and protection against sunburn.
• Let your dog get accustom to warm weather and several days to acclimate.
• Don’t exercise your bulldog on hot days.

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You may not be aware of the possible diseases your English bulldog may develop later in its life. Generation to the next generation of English bulldogs pass on genes but there is more to it. A number of inherited and congenital diseases are often inherited and can be quite complicated. An English bulldog can carry a defect without ever becoming physically evident and undoubtedly pass on the defects to its offspring in which may become apparent itself.

Here is your guide to inherited diseases in bulldogs including genetic predisposition to diseases.

Skin Conditions

Acne
A common skin problem of bulldogs is acne. Determine first if the acne is caused by ingrown hairs around the mouth. You may want to switch to a stainless steel bowl when your dog is currently feeding from a plastic bowl. Allow enough time to see if the change of feeding bowls would help clear the acne. IF it fails to do so, it could be a skin disease which requires a quick trip to the vet and a doses of antibiotics. After all, skin diseases are well known in English bulldogs.

Fold Dermatitis
Bulldogs look so irresistible with those folds forming on their faces. The facial skin folds, however, are prone to infection. It can occur due to rubbing of the skin and trapping of moisture in the folds. Fold dermatitis commonly forms on the tail, facial folds and associated pyoderma develops in breed where skin folds in these areas.

Folliculitis
Superficial folliculitis is characterized by reddened pustules in less wide area such as outside thighs and along the back and top of the neck. An obvious thinning of the hair coat is noted on the affected area. A genetic predisposition often plays a primary cause of folliculitis which calls for a possibility of lifelong intermittent antibiotic therapy.

Muzzle pyoderma
It is an infectious disease that occurs on the muzzle of English bulldogs.

Demodicosis or Demodectic mange
A microscopic Demodex canis mites is the culprit of English bulldogs afflicted with Demodectic mange. These mites lives within skin layers and produces an immunodeficiency syndrome. Some dogs are genetically predisposed to it while others do not contract the disease even though exposed to infected animals.

Tail Fold Dermatitis
It is a skin infection causing mild to significant discomfort and itching of your dog. The abnormal tissue folds around your dog’s tail results to a skin infection.

Eye Conditions

A common hereditary problem is the abnormalities of the eyelash. When rubbing against the eyeballs will lead to corneal ulcers. Two types of eyelash abnormalities happens as a predisposition in bulldogs:

Distichiasis
This condition exist when extra eyelashes grow form abnormal follicles located on the inside edge o the eyelid.

Trichiasis
When eyelashes grow from normal sites turned inward. The length of the eyelashes is often abnormally long.

Cataract
Cataract is a change in the structure of the lens of the eye leading to cloudiness and usually to blindness. It is more common in old dogs.

Cherry Eye
Cherry eye is also referred to as prolapse of nictitating membrane. The third eyelid is protruding.

Ectropion
Ectropion is a state in which the eyelids rolls out or drops away from the eye. You should always steer away from adopting English bulldogs displaying excessively prominent eyes and heavy facial folds due to the problems associated with them.

Entropion
Entropion, on the contrary, is the reverse condition of ectropion. The lid is abnormally rolled in resulting a constant irritation to the eye.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)
Dryeye is another term for Keratoconjunctivitis sicca where one or both eyes do not produce normal amount or type of tears. In cases of deficient tear production causes chronic irritation of the cornea and conjunctiva. Corneal ulcers leading to corneal scarring happens as an effect leading to eventual blindness.

Persistent papillary membrane
This abnormality refers to the membrane forming the iris does not form properly.

Mouth and Teeth

Abnormal dentition
It refers to a misaligned or abnormal placement, number and development of teeth.

Cleft Lip
It is also called as “Harelip” as a condition where two halves of the upper lip don’t join together. Cleft palate and cleft lip often are related and seen together.

Cleft Palate
Cleft palate is a state where the roof of the mouth is not closed and the inside of the nose opens into the mouth.

Elongated soft palate
An elongated soft palate is an abnormality that causes breathing disorders.

Bone Structure

Hemivertebra
In this condition, only half of the vertebra structure is formed.

Hip Dysplasia
It is a developmental abnormality or subluxation of the hip joints.

Spina bifida
This condition causes an exposed spinal cord due to developmental abnormality.

Respiratory System

Bradycephalic Upper-Airway Syndrome
A grouping of conditions leads to a decrease tolerance to excitement, exercise , high temperature are caused by compressed and narrowed air passages.  This condition is typical of the bradycephalic breeds of dogs. The signs indicating bradycephalic airway syndrome includes noisy or open-mouth breathing, snoring, panting, exercise intolerance, vomiting and eating difficulty. An exaggerated movement of the abdominal of your bulldog during respiration is evident in more severely affected animals.

Hypoplasia of trachea
It is a condition of trachea that fails to develop fully.

Cardiovascular system and blood conditions

Mitral valve defects
It is signified by a group of abnormalities of the mitral valve of the heart.

Arteriovenous fistula
It is an abnormal connection that links arteries and veins.

Pulmonic stenosis
Pulmonic stenosis is a condition where one of the valves of the heart do not open and function properly.

Von Willebrand’s disease
Von Willebrand’s disease is a type of bleeding disorder due to a defective blood platelet function.

Reproduction

Dystocia
Dystocia is one of the complications of the birth process.

Vaginal hyperplasia
It is an overgrowth of tissues of the vagina.

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