Meet Bacon, the inspiration behind my breeding (and rescue) program. He is a sweet and handsome little man that came in with a bladder stone blocking his penis making home unable to urinate. This was not his first blockage and not his first bladder stone. This is a fatal condition and requires an emergency surgery to remove the stone in his penis and to be neutered. His owners, fellow Frenchie Breeders, decided that they no longer wanted him if he was not going to be able to be used as a breeding stud. He was surrendered to me and I performed his surgery and found him a home.
I have taken on the almost impossible task of breeding a perfect line of French bulldogs. Or at least as close as I can get.
These bladder stones are genetic as are many other conditions that affect French Bulldogs. Many Frenchy breeders seem like they are just out to make money. Frenchies, like many other dogs, need to be tested for genetic and physical problems before they are chosen to be in a breeding program. Unfortunately that done with all Frenchie Breeders. Let’s do a little math.
The cost of a Frenchy is a minimum of $4000
Health testing:
Genetic testing : $150- $600.
OFA hips x-rays and registration:
OFA heart:
OFA Patellas:
General Health costs:
Vaccines:
Microchip:
Heartworm and flea prevention:
Breeding costs:
Stud fee:
Artificial insemination:
C-section:
Then you can finally breed them and they may not get pregnant or they typically will have a small litter of 2 to 4 puppies. This is one of the many reasons why a puppy is so expensive. Some people will charge a lot of money and not do all the testing and they have no right to charge that much for a dog that is going to have problems.
I have a separate page of questions to ask your breeder when you are looking for a puppy.
When purchasing french bulldogs and studs for my breeding program. I always ask the breeder if they have done any health testing. Many of them have not. I have even offered to pay for the testing so they can be tested before I spend the money on purchasing them and flying out to pick them up and the breeder will refuse. It is getting harder and harder to find quality breeders. At first I would buy a puppy, do all the testing only to find that is has problems and shouldn't be used for breeding. I can't afford to keep doing that.
Bacon
Meet Bacon!
The dog who inspired it all!
What testing should a French Bulldog have?
Unfortunately, the biggest and most common problem that I see in frenchies are allergies with secondary skin and ear infections. It is very frustrating as a veterinarian to see my patients and their owners suffer with this chronic incurable condition. There is no quick genetic test for allergies and sometimes they don't show up until the dog is over 2 years old. The best way to check for the possibility of allergies is to meet the parents of the puppy you plan to purchase. Here is some of the recommended testing for french bulldogs and places where they can be done.
More about his condition
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Bacon carries both copies of Cystinuria III. He has had 3 bladder stone removal surgeries, was neutered and had a scrotal urethrostomy. He is monitored very closely for urinary issues and gets a urinalysis every 6 months. He is currently very happy and comfortable in his adoptive home.