Ways to Increase the Lifespan of a French Bulldog

The significance of proper oral care can’t be ignored as far as increasing the lifespan of your French bulldog is concerned. The teeth of your Frenchie have to be clean. Are you feeding your baby the ideal diet, such as raw bones with plenty of meat?

In that case, oral hygiene should never be a problem for them. However, when feeding them something else, such as kibble, it is essential to brush their teeth at least once a week, if not every day. Dental hygiene is an absolute must. Now you may be wondering why this is so important for your baby.

Well, if your dog is three years or older, they have an 85% chance of getting some gum disease or the other. It happens because bacteria build up in their teeth over the years and can cause diseases such as gingivitis in their oral cavities.

Also, if their gums are bleeding, harmful toxins such as bacteria would enter their bodies and affect other organs. It is especially true for the Frenchies who are getting on in years. With proper oral care, you can easily add a couple of years to their usual lifespan.

Getting them on a diet of raw food

You must never feed them processed dog food sold commercially. Most of such food – referred to as kibble – is far inferior protein sources. These proteins are just fillers. So, always look at the list of ingredients used to make the product.

If you see a lot of corn, soy, wheat, or white rice, it is time you switched to food more appropriate for canines. You can do a little test if you want to.

Just take the food you are feeding your dog and soak it in a bowl that contains water. Let it be in such a condition for around 15 to 20 minutes. If you see it becoming spongy and blowing up, you can be sure that there is no meat in your dog’s diet. It is just cereal.

Experts recommend that you feed raw meat to your French bulldog or any other raw food diet. The first preference, in this case, is always bones and protein of the highest quality. If you are not at ease with preparing raw food on your own, you can get raw food that is available commercially.

Avoiding anything that contains corn or sunflower

Studies show sunflower oil can increase the risk of cancer in dogs by as much as 69%. Then you may consider why so many dog food brands still use it as an ingredient.

Corn is also a problematic food as far as dogs are concerned. It is just not a good ingredient for them, primarily because of how hard it is to digest.

So, if a dog is fed corn, its system works extra hard to digest it. As a result, it can lead to age prematurely. The reason is when dogs ingest corn, essentially an inferior form of protein, their livers have to work harder than they do for other food so they get the protein they can use from such food.

When their body breaks down corn, it also produces a lot of nitrates. It puts a lot of strain on the kidney as they have to filter out the toxins in this case.

Read Also: French Bulldog Vs. Boston Terrier

Helping them with joint support

If your pet’s joints are wasting away, it can be much more painful. We, humans, experience a lot of stress when we suffer from chronic pain, and the situation is no different in the case of dogs as well. It weakens their immune system.

Hence, it means your Frenchie is now vulnerable to more health issues. This species is particularly susceptible to hip dysplasia. However, that should not reduce their lifespan. A significant part of joint support is making sure they are on the leaner side.

Using organic household products 

We use a lot of products in our households for performing various chores, such as the following:

• cleaning floors
• cleaning kitchen surfaces
• cleaning windows
• freshening the air
• washing laundry

Now ask yourself if they contain any proven carcinogens or not – do these products cause health issues for you? If they do, think of the effect they can have on these babies.

The thing with French Bulldogs is that they love relaxing on the floors and are notorious for chewing and licking stuff, which means there is a risk they may end up ingesting toxins.

Getting them checked regularly by a vet      

Never wait till it is too late for you. Always find professionals honest, trustworthy, and have your Frenchie’s best interest at heart. Check their blood at least once a year to ensure nothing is abnormal.

It is especially true for the older Frenchies. Ensure they are updated on their vaccine schedule but do not go overboard with things in this case.

Read Also: What Do French Bulldog Puppies Cost In The US?

Teaching them to use doggie stairs 

French bulldogs tend to suffer from IVDD or intervertebral disk disease, which is known as herniated or slipped disk. It is a condition where they suffer from pain and neurological problems that arise due to the degeneration of one intervertebral disk or several of them.

You can stop this by simply training your Frenchie to use doggie stairs. It will ensure they are not jumping off or on high surfaces such as beds, couches, and other stairs. Many young French bulldogs end up paralyzed because the effects of the condition are irreversible. It leads to euthanasia.

The above ways will help to increase the lifespan of your Frenchie.