Hi Jan,

First off, thank you again for your extensive knowledge that you pass on to us other bulldog owners!

Well I have 2 questions, the first; My wife and I have noticed our little guy, Travis, who’s 8 months occasionally limps when he runs hard or plays rough; the leg that is affected is the back left leg. Due to some excitement, he slipped on our tile and he started to limp again. I put him on his back as if i was going to rub his belly to inspect his leg. I stretched it out and it sounded/felt like I “pop-ed” it back in place. What can you recommend? He walks fine, but when he starts playing again, he starts to limp?

my last question is, he currently has those dreaded tear stains, which in turn became infected. I clean off the area 2-3 times a day and rub some triple antibiotic and its starting to dry out and heal fine. Can I start to use the over the counter tear stain removal pads even though the open wound hasn’t healed yet?

Thank you again for you time and generosity!

Cheers,

Anthony and Shelley

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Hi Anthony & Shelly,

It sounds like your bulldog Travis has two common bulldog conditions that I write about in my book The Healthy Bulldog, both of which will need vet attention to remedy.

The limping and popping of Travis’s leg is an orthopedic condition found commonly in bulldogs where the knee socket is malformed.  It is a genetic problem and bulldogs with this should not be bred.  It requires reconstructive surgery to correct.

There is a chance that it could resolve itself as he reaches maturity but ususally it does not.  You should consult an orthopedic specialist to find out exactly what it is.

Your description of Travis’s tear stains sound like he has one of the bulldog eyelash conditions which are quite common.  If his eyes run constantly they are probably being irritated by errant eyelashes.  If so, you need an opthamologist specialist to look at him.  They usually permanently remove the eyelashes.  This will stop the tearing and therefore stop the tear stains and infections.

Triple anti-biotic will not work on tear stains and you must be careful not to get it in his eyes as this can cause eye damage.

Unfortunately our bulldogs can require expensive procedures at times, especially when they have these genetic conditions.  That said, both are ‘fixable’ and Travis should live a full healthy life if you have them properly cared for.

Your Bulldog Pal,

Jan