Soft Palate

Elongated Soft Palate and other airway disorders

Every bulldog has a elongated soft palate, this is because of the shape of their heads brachycephalic - short nosed breed some examples of this can be seen in Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and occasionally other breeds, even in dogs with normal shaped heads.

If you explore the roof of your mouth with your tongue, you will discover that at the front the roof is hard (the Hard palate), but towards the rear it is soft. This is termed simply the 'soft palate'.

In most cases this causes nothing more than snoring, but in some dogs, this soft palate protrudes too far to the rear and can cause breathing problems. A 'snorting' breathing results. Surgical correction is the only permanently effective treatment for an overlong soft palate. Normally this problem is picked up as a puppy and corrected at an early age.

Signs to look for

• If the dog is producing large amounts of white foam
• If the dog appears to have trouble breathing and sounding very noisy after exercise
• If the dog appears to have trouble breathing or eating
  

Rolled in Eyes

In this condition (called entropion) the eyelid rolls in so that the lashes and hair on the eyelid rub on the front of the eyeball (the cornea).

Most entropion is inherited, and although any breed can be effected, it is know in Chow Chows, St Bernards, Bulldogs, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Cocker Spaniels etc.

Correction is fairly simply 'plastic surgery' operation and is usually very effective. We do not recommend anything be done with the eyes until there head has stopped developing as eyes will change with growth.

Signs to look for

• Constant rubbing of the eye or squinting or Continuous tearing more then usual
• Mucus from the eye which means there is an irritation.
  

Cherry Eye

This is where the gland under the third eyelid protrudes and looks rather like a cherry in the corner of the eye. Your vet will need to remove the gland or stitch it back down. 

Demodex (Mange)

One form of Demodex can be quite common in this breed it is a mite that usually becomes active due to stress or puberty. It will require your vet to treat with ivomec, demodex wash and should resolve itself with the correct treatment quickly. Some may require a antibiotic if there is a secondary infection which can occur if gone unnoticed.

Signs to look for

Tail Problems

Ideally a bulldog should have a straight tail that will look after itself. It should be moderate in length as they are not a docked breed and lift away from the body.

However screw tails in bulldogs are not uncommon and do need taking care of. You should always keep a tight tail clean and dry as possible if it proves to be a problem or the tail becomes inverted where the tail is growing back into the dogs body it will require surgery and removal for the dogs heath. You will need to consult with your vet.