Major Merle French Bulldog Health Issues You Need to Know

If you are concerned about merle French bulldog health issues, then you have come to the right place. Just like other dogs, merle French bulldog also has several health issues. Reading this article will help you understand those issues, so you can take some steps to give some relief to your dog. Even if you haven’t adopted a merle French bulldog yet, this article will still help you decide whether you should bring this dog to your home or go for another dog.

In this article, we will describe all the major health issues that can occur in merle French bulldog. Let’s discuss them.

The Major Health Problems of Merle French Bulldogs

We all know that the merle Frenchie has a unique genetic condition resulting in several health problems. Breeders may cross breed two merles to produce another merle, which can make these dogs double merle, and it may result in the following health issues.

Deafness

Due to the genetic defect, merle French can be born deaf. Due to it, they may lose partial or complete hearing from one or both ears.

Eye problems in merle a French bulldog

A merle French bulldog can be born blind, and it won’t be able to see anything. Other eye problems include cataracts, coloboma, or a nictitating membrane in one of the eyes.

Even if the dog is not double mere, still there the following health problems can occur.

Intertrigo

This is the condition that causes rashes or inflammation on the skin. French bulldogs have many skin foldings. The rashes occur when skin foldings rub over each other. It appears in the facial area of these dogs. The inflammation condition can be mild to severe.

Brachycephalic Obstructive Syndrome

This condition is common in dogs with short noses, as merle French bulldog is also among the short nose dogs. That’s why it can suffer from this condition. In this condition, a dog faces difficulty while breathing. Why does it happen? Because the dogs who have short noses also have a close-packed skeleton. That’s the reason these dogs will have various malformations in their body parts like the spine, tail, and nasal cavities. However, the number of soft tissues and skin is perfectly normal, which is greater than the skeleton.

The excessive amount of skin on their body causes various skin folds on the face area of merle French bulldogs. Similarly, the greater number of soft tissues present inside the body becomes a hurdle in the airway, causing difficulty while breathing.

Perineal hernia health issue of merle French bulldog

This health issue can occur between the middle to old age of your male merle French bulldog. It usually happens if the dog is non-neutered. If the muscle that makes up the pelvic floor becomes weak, it pushes some of the pelvic content into the perineal area. In this condition, these merle French bulldogs may suffer from swelling on one or both sides of their anus.

Luxating patella

Luxating patella can also occur in merle French bulldogs. In this condition, the kneecap dislocates from its normal position, causing swelling, stiffness, or even joint pain. Your dog may feel lazy, and it will hesitate to jump or play. That’s how it may gain more weight.

The luxating patella is categorized into four grades.

Grade 1

It means the patella can be dislocated or luxated with manual pressure, but it will go back to its normal place in the groove.

Grade 2

if the patella is present loosely in the groove, and it dislocates when the dog flexes its leg. In grade 2, the dog faces difficulty while walking.

Grade 3

In this grade, the patella is dislocated or luxated permanently. However, it can be fixed manually.

Grade 4

In this grade, the patella is also dislocated permanently, but it cannot be fixed manually.

Secondary epilepsy health issue of merle a French bulldog

Merle French bulldogs can also become the victim of secondary epilepsy. It usually occurs in dogs who are younger than six months or older than five years. There can be various causes for this disease. It can be by birth or due to some other reasons like poisoning, tumor, infections, kidney failure, liver disease, brain tumors, or even due to blood vessel abnormalities. However, the exact cause of this disease is still unknown.

Few common causes are:

Liver shunt

It is a by-birth defect. Due to this condition, the blood vessels are not properly laid. That’s why they cannot purify the blood from toxins. If the ammonia is not filtered from the blood, it can cause several health issues. The presence of ammonia is one of the causes of epileptic seizures. This condition can also cause several behavior changes in merle French bulldog, like aggression in behavior.

Low blood sugar level

It is also among the common causes of epilepsy. Insulinoma can occur in these dogs, which causes low blood sugar levels. That’s the reason that the brain receives a low amount of food, which can cause a seizure.

Atopic dermatitis

It is a skin-related problem that can make the lives of merle French bulldogs painful. This condition can make their skin dry, itchy, and flaky. It can occur on several spots like sides, hind end, paws, legs, or face. If you notice your dog scratching or biting on any of these areas, it may likely have an allergy.

Atopic dermatitis can happen due to food allergies or environmental factors. If you want to treat this condition, you should use chemical-free shampoo, especially sulfate-free, and contain additional anti-inflammatory ingredients. Moreover, you need to take a good check on its diet. It’s better to consult with a veterinarian about a good diet plan for your merle French bulldog. Avoid feeding those foods, which are causing allergies.

Final Verdict

Just like other dogs, several health issues are common in merle French bulldogs. Some of them are treatable, while some are untreatable. We have mentioned all those issues that will help you know more about this dog. Knowing such issues will help you taking several steps to heal your dog. It’s best to read the complete article, understand those issues, and better to take the help of a veterinarian so he/she can guide you about the treatment of these health problems.