Toy Bulldogs

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To understand what we are doing to reduce heritable faults and why we are doing it, follow this link to a good article, HERE  Another good artice to read about Hemivertebrae in dogs is here, and to understand why we do not mind a tail on our Toy Bulldogs you need to read and comprehend why, just click here

Some of the conditions you might expect to see albeit a lot less often in our kennel population are listed below.

Cherry Eye

A dog’s eye has three eyelids: an upper and lower lid, as well as a third eyelid we seldom see. The importance of the third eyelid is to give added protection to the dog’s eyes. It acts like a wipe to help keep the eye clear of dust and debris and has a tear gland that produces around 35% of the moisture to the dog’s eye. Sometimes the gland in the third eyelid, located in the corner of the eye next to the dog’s nose, slips out of place and bulges. We see it as a red or pinkish blob, and this bulge is what’s called cherry eye.

 

Why it slips out of place is not clear, but if it happens in one eye, more than likely it will happen in the other, although it can be months later. What you want to pay attention to in your dog’s eye is any watery or thick discharge, a red or pink blob in the corner of their eye, any redness in the lining of their eyelid or if your dog is pawing at his eye.

For unknown reasons, the connective tissue around the tear gland becomes weak and starts to move around. Movement irritates the gland which leads to swelling that can produce a mucous or clear discharge. It’s possible cherry eye will correct itself within a couple of weeks, but it’s best not to wait. If it doesn’t correct itself, the longer the gland is out of place, the more swelling there is. This makes it harder to reposition it, and there’s a greater chance it will happen again. Left untreated, cherry eye can lead to more serious eye problems later on. You need to have your dog examined by your vet as soon as you notice the out-of-place gland.

 

It’s not understood why some dogs get cherry eye, but it’s thought the cause could be from a parasite, some kind of bacterial infection, dermatitis, possible sun damage, cancer, fungal infection or it could be a result of a problem with the dog’s immune system. Whatever the case, cherry eye is both hereditary and environmental,  it’s best not to breed a dog that has developed this condition.

 

Cherry eye is usually seen in younger dogs between 6 weeks to 2 years and is more commonly found in Newfoundlands, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels, Shar-Peis, Shih Tzu, Beagles, Pekingese, Lhasa apso, Miniature Poodles and Neapolitan Mastiffs. It’s also seen in some breeds of cats. The Persian and Burmese cats are more likely to develop cherry eye than other breeds.

 

Treatment for cherry eye is done under local anesthesia to push the gland back into place. Some vets will elect to remove the third eyelid, but it’s not recommended. There’s nothing wrong with getting a second opinion if it’s needed. Removing the eyelid can adversely affect proper tear production which keeps the eye from becoming dry. Dogs who have had the eyelid removed are at risk of developing a condition called “dry eye” later on. The third eyelid should only be removed as a last resort. If it’s removed, you are compromising your dog’s eye health as they age.

 

I have included a link to a page which also describes how to massage a small one back into place, I myself have also had  success with this method, so it is worth a try.

 Google how to massage cherry eye to see how to get it back in, this is always worth a try.

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Brachycephalic Syndrome

 

Certain breeds of dogs and cats are prone to difficult, obstructive breathing because of the shape of their head, muzzle and throat. The most common dogs affected are the “brachycephalic” breeds. Brachycephalic means “short-headed.” Common examples of brachycephalic dog breeds include the English bulldog, French bulldog, Pug, Pekingese, and Boston terrier. These dogs have been bred to have relatively short muzzles and noses and, because of this, the throat and breathing passages in these dogs are frequently undersized or flattened.

 

The term Brachycephalic Syndrome refers to the combination of elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, and everted laryngeal saccules, all of which are commonly seen in these breeds.

Elongated soft palate  is a condition where the soft palate is too long so that the tip of it protrudes into the airway and interferes with movement of air into the lungs.

Stenotic Nares are malformed nostrils that are narrow or collapse inward during inhalation, making it difficult for the dog to breathe through its nose.

Everted Laryngeal Sacculesis a condition in which tissue within the airway, just in front of the vocal cords, is pulled into the trachea (windpipe) and partially obstructs airflow. 

Some dogs with brachycephalic syndrome may also have a narrow trachea (windpipe), collapse of the larynx (the cartilages that open and close the upper airway), or paralysis of the laryngeal cartilages.

 

Achondroplasia

 

Achondroplasia (dwarfism; short limbs) is an autosomal-recessive genetic disease of dogs characterized by disproportionate dwarfism, macrocephaly, facial hypoplasia and vertebral malformations.

This disease, commonly reported in the German Shepherd, is associated with a failure of the oropharyngeal ectoderm of the cranial pharyngeal duct. Craniopharyngiomas also cause subnormal secretion of growth hormone, which results in dwarfism.

The disease is multifactorial and results in dysregulation of growth of bones at the cartilage growth plates which may be severe or moderate (hypochondroplasia)[2] or mild (pseudoachondroplasia)[3].

Some dog breeds traditionally have been classified as achondroplastic based on their phenotypic appearance, such as the Dachshund, Basset Hound, Irish Setter[4] and Bulldog breeds[5].

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has achondroplastic phenotypic features characterized by chiari-like malformation due to syringomyelia[6].

Achondroplasia has also been reported in association with oculoskeletal dysplasia in the Samoyed and Labrador Retriever.

In typical cases of achondroplasia, affected pups are born with severe anatomical deformities such as dorsoventral flattening of the thoracic cavity, malpositioning of the scapula and enlarged, disproportionate heads[7].

These variable phenotypic malformations invariably lead to osteoarthritis and poor quality of life in severely affected patients.

 

Less affected patients with arthritic changes can be treated with NSAID-based medication such as carprofen, fentanyl, tramadol, meloxicam[8], gabapentin or in severe cases, prednisolone.

 

This white Bulldog (photo off net)  is typical of the type that will have trouble later,her legs are bending outwards already

for her to carry her weight on legs so spread out and bent will cause problems, we have had one mild case so far, no surgery needed, we cannot guarantee other cases will not occur, but at least we are breeding away from the types that  are almost guaranteed TO suffer from the problem.