Face, Eyes & Cose Cleaning

All dog breeds with wrinkled skin may have different kinds of issues with their facial folds. That happens because their wrinkles are moist and dark, so they produce the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. If you regularly clean your French Bulldog’s folds, you’ll also keep his eyes free from debris and bacteria. By checking often, you’ll also avoid some serious skin issues and infection.

Brachycephalic (flat faced) dogs tend to have shallow eye sockets, which can cause their eyes to bulge, so sometimes the eyelids can’t fully close, leaving eyes susceptible to irritants and dryness.

They can also have ingrown eyelashes, or Entropion (a medical condition in which the eyelids fall inward), which can cause “tear stains” — dark brown or reddish marks beneath the eyes. Such stains can be accompanied by discharge, but not always. They are typically more visible in dogs that have white or light colored fur.

The reddish stains appear when porphyrins, a pigment found in tears, accumulate under the eye. Stains that are brownish or rust colored may be the result of a yeast infection on the skin under the eyes that is able to thrive because of the constant moisture from tars building up on the skin.

You can use a tear stain remover or a simple alcohol-free baby wipe or moist rag. After cleaning your dog’s face, always make sure that you have removed all the moisture, since that may lead to an infection.

On the other hand, if you left your Frenchie’s folds too dry, it may cause serious irritation and rashes. In that case, you can put some Vaseline inside those folds after you previously washed them well.

We use Arava pet eye wipes, Eye Envy, and wrinkle paste. Once again, make sure the products you use are chemical-free, and avoid tear stain products that contain bleach.

Some suggest cleaning the fur with colloidal silver, which is safer near the eyes. Others suggest that switching to filtered tap water can help, as well as adding apple cider vinegar to your dog’s food.

Nasal hyperkeratosis is one of the most common problems that affect French Bulldogs. That is an idiopathic condition where a Frenchie’s body produces too much keratin, creating a crusty, dry-looking nose.

Besides this known fact, the main root of suffering from this kind of condition is still not completely known. It’s necessary to mention, though, that most veterinarians consider this issue as being only cosmetic. However, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered threatening. Crusts creating on a Frenchie’s nose may seriously impede his sniffing ability. 

The best way to deal with your Frenchie’s dry nose it to apply moisturizer whenever needed. We love Snout Magic as well as Blissful Dog Bulldog Butter and Snout Soother. 

Nail Trimming

Trimming your Frenchie’s nails should become a part of your grooming routine.

The first consequence of long toenails are painful feet. When dog’s toenails contact hard ground, the hard surface pushes the nail back up into the nail bed. This either puts pressure on all the toe joints or forces the toe to twist to the side. Either way, those toes become very sore, even arthritic.

The second consequence of long toenails are more serious. All animals rely upon information from nerves in their feet to move through the world and process gravity accurately. For millions of years, wild dogs have run long distances while hunting, so their toenails were kept short as a result of their active lifestyles. The only time their toenails would touch the ground was when climbing a hill.

So, a dog’s brain is evolutionarily programmed to associate toenail contact with being on a hill so dogs will shift their entire body postures accordingly by leaning forward over their forelimbs. Since the hill is not real, secondary hind-limb compensation is necessary to avoid falling. This abnormal stance causes the dog to overuse their muscles especially in their hind limbs.

If you have never trimmed dog nails before, we suggest you ask your vet to show you how. We’ve discovered that, due to their body structures, French Bulldogs wear down their nails unevenly when walking, so you might have to trim some of their nails and not others.

You will need to purchase nail clippers. There are two types: guillotine type and scissor type. We prefer the scissor type since we find guillotine clippers can crack and squeeze nails. You will also need styptic powder in case you cut the quick (the vein that runs through the nail).

• Step 1
Handle your dog’s paw often and introduce the clippers (without cutting).

• Step 2
Hold your dog’s paw firmly but gently. While holding the clipper at a 45 degree angle, place the nail in always making sure you clip a little bit of the nail at the time. Better having to cut the same nail several times than cut the quick.

• Step 3
Trim only until you see the white inside the nail with a small dot of black in the center. If you don’t see the white, you can cut a little bit closer. If you accidentally cut the quick do not panic. Apply pressure with a cloth or a paper towel and then use the styptic powder. Be aware that the styptic powder causes an initial sting and your dog might react a bit.

If you do not feel comfortable trimming your dogs nails, make sure you make regular appointments with a groomer.

Ear Taping

Like their personalities, French Bulldogs’ ears are stubborn and goofy. Frenchies are born with floppy ears, but at about four weeks of age (although not always) they will stand up. Sometimes one may stand up while the other one flops, or both will refuse to stand up, or they’ll stand but later flop, and so on.

So, what to do? NOTHING. They will eventually stand up on their own. Ok, if this is not an option for you, the only thing we recommend is taping them.

Some people believe that if you add calcium to the diet, their ears will more readily stand up. Pet owners will use a calcium supplement or give their Frenchie dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

The truth is that adding calcium to a puppy’s diet can be more harmful than helpful. While adult dogs can regulate their absorption of calcium, retaining what they need and excreting the rest, puppies — and particularly young puppies — can’t do this. Let’s start with the simple fact that some dogs are lactose intolerant, and dairy products can cause intestinal issues.

Moreover, calcium competes with other minerals such as magnesium and zinc, causing them to become depleted. If prone to bladder stones, it is also possible that excessive calcium may increase the risk of oxalate stones in the urinary tract. Also, too much calcium can cause other bone-related issues.

1. Purchase dog ear tape or 1-inch first aid tape.

2. Clean the ears front and back with cotton or rag and ear cleaner. Let them dry.

3. Make sure the ear is kept flat while taping to avoid a crinkled looking ear base.

4. Orient ears to the top where they would normally stand erect.

5. Once in the erect positions of 11 and 1 o’clock, take a piece of tape and wrap it around the base of the ear.

6. Next take another piece of tape and place it vertically from base of the ear to tip. Do this to the front and back of ear.

7. Take the last piece of tape and place it at the base of the ear like the previous step, but just a bit higher.

8. Leave tape in place for between four to five days, unless you see some skin irritation.

NOTE: Some people prefer to tape the ears together at the base by going across the base of the puppy’s head.