View our puppies routine vaccinations and de-wormers given before you recieve them.

As a general rule today’s bulldog is pretty healthy, some do have breathing difficulties due to the shape of their head (ie brachycephalic - short nosed) The shape of his head does make it difficult for some to cope with hot weather, but providing you are sensible and appreciate that this breed is totally unique, problems will be few and far between.

Severely hot weather can be fatal to a bulldog, they don’t even need to be moving about in it to succumb to the heat. Please make sure that any exercise is given early in the morning or late in the evening, don’t be tempted to go for a nice Sunday afternoon stroll when it is very sunny or hot. Also please don’t allow your bulldog to lay out in the sun for long periods, they do not know when they have had enough and it doesn’t take long for their panting to become out of control.

How to recognise when your bulldog is too hot

1. Any exercise will make him pant but watch for when the panting becomes "heaving" this is the earliest sign that he is getting too hot. When the panting has become loud and is becoming a "roar" he has already become too hot and the outcome can be fatal

Stages of overheating:

Your bulldog will begin to "heave" as he pants
Your bulldog will begin to "roar" - best described as sounding like severe asthma
He will begin to look tired and distressed
His tongue will be very floppy and very red in colour
His body temperature will rise
His airway will swell and his throat become full of white foam (caused through the excessive panting)
He will quickly become exhausted and will fighting for breath
He could die

How to prevent overheating:
Do not allow your bulldog to lay out in the day time sunshine
Do not walk your bulldog in hot weather
During hot weather keep your bulldog inside during the hottest part of the day
How to deal with overheating:
Lower his body temperature: Always ensure that you have water on hand during the summer months.
Pour warm water over your dog, especially around his head, If possible stand him in a warm bath and keep going until the breathing is less laboured.
Clear the airway: Squirt some lemon juice (from one of those plastic lemon shaped bottles works well) into the back of his throat, he will hate you for it, but the lemon juice will quickly break up the excess foam and clear the throat. Do not allow him to drink a lot of water as this can cause him to vomit or bloat.
Keep him calm: Once you have reduced his panic keep him in a quiet place and keep a close eye on him. If this doesn’t work then you need to get to a vet as quickly as possible - put a damp towel under him for the journey

Bulldogs overheat quickly because of the shape of their throats, their soft palates are almost always too long and when they get very hot they cannot pant sufficiently to keep their body temperature down, their attempts to pant quickly cause the production of foam which in turn blocks the throat and causes laboured breathing and eventually they will begin to roar as they try to breath through the blockage.

Summer Check list:
Plenty water
Lemon Juice
If you need to go out take water and some towels along with you so that you can drench them with water. In an emergency you can substitute 7UP for the lemon. Find a horse trough, stream, river or pond to stand your dog in or knock on the nearest house and ask for help. Remember this can happen at any time, even if up until now he has coped perfectly OK with the heat. Prevention is much better than cure.

Note: Stress can often bring on the same symptoms and should be treated in the same way as described above.

Owning a Bulldog is something that should never be taken lightly, they are a high maintenance breed, so before purchasing that cute little puppy read as much about the breed so you can prepare yourself.

Please try to find a vet that understands the bulldog, this breed is a hard breed to anaesthetise so be sure that the vet you have chosen is aware of this fact at least, try to only have your bulldog put under when absolutely necessary.

Almost every Bulldog will have a slightly elongated soft palate which is why they snore, this is because of the shape of their heads and because the entire throat is being stuffed into a space that is too small in comparison to other breeds, in sever cases it will restrict your bulldogs ability to breathe and will need surgery, but if your dog is comfortable then it’s best to leave it be, so be aware of your options and always get a second opinion before taking action. It is recommended you talk with the breeder on their experiences also.

Bulldogs with severe soft palate problems will overheat easily, find it very difficult to cope with any form of exercise and may regurgitate their food. If there are other bulldog owners in your area ask them who they go to and at least ask your vet what his bulldog experience is.

I have found this resource online that is a referral of Veterianarians by real people like you and me. Bulldog Veterinarian

The material presented in this section is merely for educational purposes ... to assist you in understanding your dog's problems or conditions. Please consult your Veterinarian with any questions you may have.