Your Trusted Expert in Breeding and Maintaining Healthy French Bulldogs

The post-impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted Bouboule, French Bulldog of Madame Palmyre, owner of the famous café La Souris.

The Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II had a Frenchie named Ortipo, who may have met the same sad fate as the rest of the Russian imperial family.

American tourists fell in love with the spunky, cute little dog and brought them back across the Atlantic where their popularity grew. Americans founded the first French Bulldog Club, along with writing a breed standard, solidifying the now-iconic “bat” ears.

All dog breeds were created for a purpose, many of which are now anachronistic, leaving those breeds to either languish into obscurity, or hopefully make the transition into the realm of strictly companion animals. The French Bulldog was created for the sole purpose of being a great friend and companion, and that is what it has remained throughout its history to the present time. 

The mission of Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services at Kokopelli Veterinary Center is to fully support responsible breeders in creating the healthiest puppies possible. Part of that mission is advising breeders in health testing and advising potential puppy buyers in what they should be considering when looking at adopting a puppy.

• Patella OFA: Medial patellar luxation is a condition more common in small breed dogs. The patella is the knee cap. Luxation means that it pops out of place. Medial means it pops out to the inside of the leg. The condition may be diagnosed by any veterinarian (no specialty certification required). The vet will examine the gait of the dog and palpate both hind legs, extending and bending the stifle (knee) joint, feeling for laxity in the joint. If any luxation is palpated, the severity is graded from 1 to 4. Grades 1 and 2 are less serious and may not show evident clinical signs until the dog is older and usually involves a skipping gait where the hind leg(s) are held up and touch the ground every few steps. Grades 3 and 4 are more serious and usually present with clinical signs at a younger age, which may include a crouching, bow-legged stance. Pain may be associated with the luxation, but not always. This condition is usually heritable and so breeding affected animals is discouraged. The FBCA recommends all breeding dogs have patella clearances. Patella OFAs are offered by Kokopelli Veterinary Center and only require an appointment at the client’s convenience. Dogs should be at least 12 months before being evaluated for OFA certification. Please call our front desk to make an appointment.
• Hip dysplasia is an orthopedic condition that can be debilitating for dogs by making every step they take painful and difficult. The condition is caused because the bones of the hip joints are not formed and seated appropriately. Eventually they wear away at the cartilage and bone will rub on bone, which is painful. Signs that a dog will eventually become dysplastic can be detected early in life through radiographs (x-rays). Two testing options exist for hip dysplasia for French Bulldogs: Hip dysplasia OFA, and PennHIP, both of which are available by appointment at Kokopelli Veterinary Center. Since the predilection for hip conditions is genetic, breeding affected dogs together increases the risk that the resultant puppies will have bad hips, often necessitating expensive and difficult surgical corrections at some point in their lives. It is recommended that dogs with poor conformation not be bred and dogs with moderate changes be bred to dogs with excellent joints. The FBCA strongly recommends all breeding dogs have hip health clearances. OFA testing for hips can be done in dogs that are 24 months of age. PennHip can be performed in dogs as young as 16 weeks. Sedation is strongly recommended for all OFA testing and required for PennHIP. Please call our front desk to schedule an appointment.

• Cardiac OFA evaluation: This exam must be performed on dogs at least 12 months of age by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. Using doppler ultrasound, the cardiologist thoroughly evaluates the anatomy and function of the heart. Two basic tiers of heart disease clearance are evaluated: congenital and adult-onset diseases. Congenital disorders are present at birth and are detectable anytime the dog is examined. Once a dog has been cleared for congenital disorders, that clearance is good forever. The FBCA strongly recommends all breeding dogs have cardiac health clearances. Cardiac OFA examinations are performed at Kokopelli Veterinary Center a few times every year. Please contact our front desk to make an appointment for your dog.
• Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER): Eye diseases are often progressive and some are not detectable until a dog ages. It is recommended that breeding dogs have annual CAER examinations, which must be performed by a board-certified ophthalmologist.The FBCA requires eye clearances for all breeding dogs. Eye disease OFA clinics are held a few times a year at Kokopelli Veterinary Center. Please call our front desk to schedule your dogs for our next clinic.
• Cystinuria: Another genetic condition found in bulldogs causes the kidneys to ineffectively absorb and filter the amino acid cystine, resulting in it accumulating in the urine and forming into crystals and stones. This condition is also genetic, but with an interesting twist. There are a few types of heritable cystinuria found in different breeds of dogs. Bulldogs are affected by cystinuria type 3. This variant is autosomal recessive, just like HUU, but is also androgen-dependent. Androgens are testosterone-type hormones, and therefore only intact male bulldogs with two abnormal alleles are affected by type 3 cystinuria. Females and neutered males will not be affected, no matter what genes they carry. There is a genetic test offered through a handful of veterinary genetics laboratories. The gene tested is a linked gene (not the actual culprit). If this is confusing, we can help you sort it out. Just give our front desk a call and make an appointment to see us.

• Juvenile hereditary cataracts: Cataracts happen as the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and opaque. At first vision dims, then eventually is completely obstructed, making the animal blind. This particular type of cataract in French Bulldogs begins to form before then are 1 year old and causes blindness between 2 and 3 years of age. Juvenile hereditary caratacts are an autosomal recessive trait. This means that a dog must have two alleles of the affected gene, one from each parent, to exhibit the disease. If a dog has only one copy of the affected gene, they are considered a “carrier” but will not have any signs of the disease. Affected dogs should not be bred. Carrier dogs are OK to breed, so long as they are also bred to a dog that tests as “clear.” Breeding two carriers to each other will result in 25% of the litter affected with juvenile cataracts. All prospective French Bulldog breeders should have genetic testing for juvenile hereditary cataracts performed. The veterinarians at Kokopelli Veterinary Center can help with genetic testing and counselling. Please call our front desk to schedule an appointment.
• OFA Spine Evaluations: The spine database is a pilot study to track prevalence of vertebral anomalies that may have an inherited component. Dogs over 5 months-old can be radiographically evaluated for vertebral anomalies, and breeders can submit them to the OFA for further data collection and study. OFA Spine evaluations are not currently on the list of recommended health tests by the French Bulldog Club of America, however the pilot study is maintained at the request by the FBDCA and is a meaningful way for breeders to participate in studying the often-compromised French bulldog spine.

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