Frank is coming tomorrow. We've never owned a French bulldog before so all help and suggestions are appreciated. Frank is 10 weeks old and is blue and cream in colour
Thank you.
Welcome!
I highly recommend pet insurance(I go thru Petsecure) and that was the best choice I have ever made cause my Frenchie is 3 years old and they have paid over $12,500. This is my first French Bulldog and going forward I will never be without it!
I also highly recommend you starting your Frenchie on a very high quality food when you bring him home. Stay away from brands such as Purina, Hills, Science diet, Royal canin, Eukanuba and any other foods from grocery store foods.
If you start your Frenchie on a really good food when you first bring him home, you will have a healthier dog and less vet visits for Heath issues.
Good commercial kibbles brands are;
Zignature
Acana
Fromm
Orijen
Open farm
Natures logic
Carna4
I do recommend(if you can) go with a store bought gently cooked or frozen raw(best food you can get) and rotate thru the protein options to prevent food allergies and sensitivities.
Try to stay away from grains, as most Frenchies are sensitive to grains and chicken sometimes. Grains and other starch/carbs in dry food(you can’t make dry food without carbs/starch) and that causes inflammation which also causes disease and health issues!
Premade gently cooked options:
-Raised Right human grade lightly cooked pet food(available in beef, pork, Turkey and chicken)-they also have a puppy formula and all their recipes(puppy and adult) are completely balanced.
-open farm gently cooked(also balanced recipes)
-Raw food diets(more of a variety of protein options to choose from)-brands that I know of:
-Vital essentials
-primal raw pet food
-carnivora(available in Canada)
-Darwin’s in USA
-big country raw(Canada)
Raw or gently cooked is best because it’s high in moisture to keep them hydrated and low carb(carbs can cause allergies and inflammation sometimes which causes health issues and disease), and commercial options I listed are balanced.
It’s easier to also rotate protein options to prevent picky eater and food sensitivities and food allergies.
Common health issues in frenchies:
-Allergies(food and environmental allergies)
-Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome(Elongated Soft palate, Closed nostrils, everted largneal saccules, small trachea sometimes)- my vet actually says it’s RARE for them to not need this surgery(my Frenchie had his surgery in November for elongated soft palate, everted saccules, and closed nostrils).
-IVDD(intervertebral Disc Disease)- to try to prevent this terrible disease limit stairs, jumping high. And. Not let them jump on and off furniture.
-cherry eye and other eye issues sometimes
-idiopathic head tremors(my Frenchie had this)-this can be prevented with good diet-which I didn’t know before he had these-they don’t happen anymore cause he is on homemade cooked food(high moisture low carb).
-urine crystals and stones(my Frenchie had this)-this is common with dry diets which my Frenchie had cause he doesn’t drink much water(I have to add water to his homemade cooked food) and since he has been on the food, the urine crystals have not come back!
This is why I highly recommend a premade gently cooked or raw diet(the diets I recommend above in the raw and premade gently cooked list!)
Wrinkle care is usually needed(wipe them clean and dry them)
Walking your Frenchie on a harness instead of a collar is recommended so you don’t pull on the throat and cause other airway issues.
When it’s hot outside in the summer, AC is recommended and don’t walk them in hot temperatures outside. They can overheat in hot weather temperatures and are more prone to overheating cause their airways and not easily able to cool themselves off.
When it’s cold outside(fall, winter) they get cold very easily and need sweaters and jackets to keep them warm, just like us!
Keep us updated on how Frank does with coming home, we would love to see photos of him!
What food is he coming home on??
