Pax Romana Quality Bulldog Breeder~~

We have been through several bulldog illnesses in the past of our purchased pups we bought to raise or breed.  Only to have to spay them and find them a home.  We have learned alot of lessons the hard way, and so feel it is best that we pass on our knowledge to you.  It is our desire to try to do our best to raise healthy puppies for our new owners and most of all to EDUCATE you on how to raise a healthy bulldog.  Education is the key, and finding good breeders who care about this breed.  Please note:  We are not veterinarians and anything you decide to try on these pages is at your own risk.

WE HEALTH SCREEN AND TEST!  WHAT IS HEALTH SCREENING?

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CHERRY EYE ::  Many of you have heard me say.  "My dogs don't get cherry eye"..  I don't mean that I have found some heaven sent cure for the very common bulldog trait of cherry eye.  What I am saying is I work very hard raising my dogs to be sure they don't get it. 

In my experience 2 things that are sure to get your new puppy a cherry eye is chihuahuas and grass.  Don't ask me why but if I did a poll these would be the top 2.  So, (although I am not a vet) it seems to me that the cherry eye comes more then quite often due to environment, not just genetics.  Really if we look at genetics, (which we will be reviewing and adding a page on genetics and breeding findings soon!) any dog with saggy, wrinkly facial fold is "genetically" prone to cherry eye because they are wrinkly.  If you don't want to risk the chance of cherry eye, you must find a breed that is not wrinkly.  So, the "genetics" is actually what the breed is bred for, the wrinkles!  Get it?

So, after having dealt with every other eye problem out there in dogs I have purchased and then had to place in homes, (after hours of caring for it and loving it let alone the money to heal it!) I have worked out my program.

I keep 3 things on hand for my dog's eyes.  Hypo tears formula (such as to clean contacts from the drug store), and terramyacin (an ointment found at a feed store)  and baby wipes for sensitive skin.  AGAIN THIS IS MY OPINION I AM NOT A VET.

I do not let me puppies outside until they are 4 months old.  This makes it hard for potty training and I understand not everyone is able to do this, but this is what I do.  Each night before bed I rinse their eyes with drops.  If I have for some reason let them outside, I will rinse their eyes with  hypo tears, as soon as they come in.  This is every day, and then I will wipe all around the eyes and face with a clean babywipe and put them to bed.

This one treatment alone I believe has helped many of our puppy owners in keeping any eye trouble at bay. If you have a just a small bump coming up in the eye, the vet can give you a steroid ointment that will make the bump recede and should be able to cure the problem.

Now, if I notice a scratch in the inside of the eyelid or a red irritation, I use the terramyacin ointment.  It has an antibiotic in it and the last thing I want is an eye infection.  So, I use the ointment as a preventative, usually 3 to 5 days, until I see the eye nice and clear again. 

And this is the protocal I follow until the puppy is 6 months old.  Usually after that their head has grown, they don't make mistakes when playing that will cause eye injury, etc.  But, if I have my dogs playing out in nice weather and see they are playing hard, they all get a "eye squirt" when they come in no matter what age!

Next we will discuss skin issues:

I like to buy products online at www.valleyvet.com and www.revivalanimal.com.

At both of these locations you can find a good skin and coat vitamin.  As well as a good shampoo called Malaseb.  This has been shown to be helpful in skin issues with the bulldog by various breeders.  Again, with my puppies they don't go outside until 4 months old.  I use a good vitamin for their immune system.  Or, just any vitamin drops will do.  So, around 4 months of age, they are ready for the outside world, having completed all of their vaccinations and what have you.

Regarding Hips and Elbows:  The trouble with the joints in the bulldog is the bulldog's unique shape.  Narrow in the back, wide and stocky, with most of their weight sitting in the front.  If you want your bulldog to live long with healthy joints, then you must invest in a really good dog food.  (We use Taste of the Wild, www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com, we mix the fish and fowl in a tub and feed recommended amount on the bag)  Why someone would want to choose a low budget department store feed over an excellent and healthy choice or raw diet, is beyond my understanding.  Most folks have had to save for a while to finally get their "forever dream" of the bulldog.  Why wouldn't you want to give it the best of everything when you finally bring them home?  More then often I have had calls of someone purchasing a bulldog from what they tell me is a "bad breeder" because their bulldog developed hip problems.  When I ask them what they have been feeding it they tell me something like "ol Roy",,, which is a bad word in this household.  So my response is, "maybe the breeder wasn't so bad, but the bulldog cannot nourish it's body and bones on that type of diet".......So please research the diet you will choose for your bulldog, and never sway from giving them the best you can.  Include things like glucosomine for the joints, l- carnitine for the heart, and Omega 3's for good skin and coat and bones. 

Then maybe you want to think twice before calling them to jump up in your bed, or in your car.  Extra stress on the joints will just cause alot of extra rubbing and wear and tear on the joints.  Our dogs have ramps where stairs are, and we pick them up to sit on the couch with us on movie night.  So, please be cautious of this as well.  Then.......you can have a dog that doesn't become crippled.  I mean really, bulldogs just don't live long enough as it is, so let's do what we can to make their time here on earth, happy and healthy.

 

Hearts:  As you have seen on our website we OFA heart certify our dogs.  This can be the fastest thing to kill a bulldog and we never want one of our puppies to suffer this fate!  We will never breed a heart murmur.  We test our dogs hearts BEFORE breeding, ask your breeder if they are doing the same.

Would you like to help with bulldog research and genetic studies?  You can visit www.thebca.org  to find out what research is being done and send information about your own bulldog to help with the studies!  Click on Bulldog Health.

Below is a list of bulldog ailments, you may hear of some of these from your Dr. or friends.  Feel free to do research on them.  As you can see there are many and I will be working on making links to them.  These can be things that effect all dogs, many dogs, or moslty bulldogs.

 Eye Problems             Skin/Wrinkle Problems

Cherry Eye                    Dermatitis
Distichiases                   Allergies
Dry Eye                        Acne
Corneal Ulcer               Demodectic Mange
Conjunctivitis                Hot Spots
                                    Interdigital Cysts
                                    Tear Stains
                                    Yeast Infections

 Heart Problems             

Heart Murmur                              
Enlarged Heart                              
Valve Defects                                              Structural Problems

                                                                   Hip Dysplasia
  Mouth/Jaw                                              Luxating Patella   

Cleft Palate                                                Hemivertebrae
Harelip                                                       Spina Bifida
                                                                  Elbow Dysplasia

Rear/Tail Problems                                 Arthritis/Joint Problems
Tight Tail                         
Inverted Tail                                               Urinary/Reproductive
Impacted Anal Glands                                Urinary Tract Infections
                                                                   Bladder Infection
Respiratory Problems                             Prolasped Urethra
Stenotic Nares                                            Pyometra
Small Trachea               
Hypoplastic Trachea                                   Miscellaneous
 Elongated Soft Palate                               Hypothyroidism
                                                                  Bloat/Gastric Torsion
                                                                  Cancer