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Publication: The Breeze, , James Madison University , Harrisonburg, VA
MONDAY, Dec. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- French Bulldogs are incredibly cute, sporting adorable snub snouts, big round heads, bright wide eyes and large bat ears.
Unfortunately, the physical traits that make them one of the most popular breeds in the United States and United Kingdom also saddle them with a host of health problems, a new study shows.
Frenchies have significantly higher odds than other dog breeds of being diagnosed with 20 common canine disorders and illnesses, researchers reported Dec. 16 in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics.
French Bulldogs are 42 times more likely to have narrowed nostrils, 30 times more likely to suffer from obstructed airways, 14 times more likely to have ear discharge, 11 times more likely to suffer from skinfold dermatitis and 9 times more likely to suffer a difficult birth because of the shape of their pelvis than other breeds, the researchers found.
These dogs are also three times more likely to have respiratory tract or spinal cord disorders, more than twice as likely to have brain or skin disorders, and nearly twice as likely to have ear or reproductive disorders, the results showed.
The most troubling health issues "are related to the extreme body shape of the French Bulldog," said lead researcher Dan O'Neill. He is a senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom. "These include breathing difficulties, skinfold infections, difficulty giving birth, eye ulcers, dermatitis and slipping kneecap."
The French Bulldog has been around for centuries, and was recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1898.
But in recent years they've undergone an astonishing rise in popularity, with a 20-fold increase in U.K. Kennel Club registrations between 2009 and 2019, making it the second most common breed in...