French Bulldogs are affectionate, funny companions, and they’re also one of the least typical breeds when it comes to health. In a UK study of 2,781 French Bulldogs and 21,850 other dogs, the researchers concluded that “the health of French Bulldogs is shown to have diverged substantially from the health of the wider non-French Bulldog dog population” (O’Neill and colleagues, 2021).

That’s worth knowing before you buy, and worth knowing if you already share your home with a Frenchie, because most of these problems are easier to manage when you catch them early. Here are the conditions the breed is most prone to and the signs to watch for.

The most commonly diagnosed problems

In that study, the disorders diagnosed most often in French Bulldogs over a single year were:

  • ear infections (otitis externa), 9.4%
  • brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), 5.5%
  • diarrhea, 3.8%
  • gastroenteritis, 3.3%
  • allergy, 3.2%
  • conjunctivitis, 2.6%
  • skin fold dermatitis, 2.2%

Compared with other dogs, French Bulldogs had far higher odds of several conditions, including narrowed nostrils (42 times the odds), BOAS (31 times), ear discharge (14 times), skin fold dermatitis (11 times), difficulty giving birth (9 times), allergic skin disease (8 times) and food hypersensitivity (7 times).

Breathing problems (BOAS)

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is the condition behind the snorting and snoring many people think of as normal for the breed. It comes from the flat-faced build: narrowed nostrils, an elongated soft palate that partly blocks the entrance to the windpipe, turbinates extending into the pharynx, everted laryngeal saccules pulled into the airway, and in some dogs a windpipe of smaller diameter than normal (VCA Animal Hospitals).

Signs include noisy breathing, especially during exercise, snorting when excited and snoring when relaxed. Severely affected dogs tire easily and may collapse or faint after exercise, and everything gets worse in hot weather. Most dogs are diagnosed between one and four years old.

Snoring isn’t cute if your dog is struggling to breathe. If you hear noisy breathing, see your vet, because the earlier the abnormalities are corrected, the better the outcome. Surgery can widen the nostrils, shorten the soft palate and remove everted saccules.

Day to day, three things help: keep your dog lean, since obesity worsens the signs; keep them out of heat and humidity; and walk them on a harness rather than a neck collar (VCA). Our guide to walking your French Bulldog has more on exercise and heat.

If you’re buying a puppy, ask whether the parents were graded under the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme, which assesses breeding dogs for BOAS.

Ear infections

Ear infections were the single most commonly diagnosed problem in the breed, and French Bulldogs had 14 times the odds of ear discharge compared with other dogs (O’Neill and colleagues). Head shaking, scratching at an ear, redness, discharge or a smell all warrant a vet visit rather than a home remedy, partly because repeated ear infections are often a sign of an underlying allergy.

Skin problems

Skin fold dermatitis

The folds that give Frenchies their face also trap moisture and dirt. Skin fold dermatitis is inflammation and infection in those folds, and the breed has 11 times the odds of it. Folds above the nose and around the tail are the usual sites (PDSA). Signs are smelly skin, red sore folds, and yellow or white discharge inside them.

Cleaning and drying the folds is the everyday prevention, which our guide to bathing your French Bulldog covers. Infections need a vet.

Allergic skin disease

French Bulldogs are among the breeds at increased risk of atopic dermatitis, an allergic reaction to things like pollen and house dust mites (Drechsler and colleagues, 2024). It shows up as ongoing itching, licking and chewing, reddish-brown saliva staining, red or thickened skin and recurring ear infections (VCA Animal Hospitals).

Atopy can’t be cured, but it can be controlled. Treatments include medications such as cyclosporine, oclacitinib and lokivetmab, medicated baths, omega fatty acids, and allergy shots. Food allergies are a separate problem diagnosed with an elimination diet, and our guide to French Bulldog food allergies explains how that works.

Eye problems

Cherry eye

Dogs have a third eyelid with a tear gland behind it. In cherry eye, that gland prolapses and appears as a red, swollen mass in the corner of the eye. French Bulldogs are one of the breeds most prone to it (VCA Animal Hospitals).

The treatment is surgery to put the gland back. Removing it is not recommended, because the gland produces up to half of the watery part of the tear film, and a dog without it is far more likely to develop dry eye, which can seriously impair vision.

Corneal ulcers, entropion and trichiasis

A corneal ulcer is an erosion through the surface of the cornea into the layer beneath. Brachycephalic dogs are prone to them, as are dogs with entropion, where the eyelid rolls inward so the lashes rub the eye, and dogs with dry eye (VCA Animal Hospitals). In French Bulldogs, hair on the nasal fold can rub the eyeball too.

Ulcers are very painful. Dogs rub the eye with a paw or on the carpet and hold the lids tightly shut. Treat this as urgent and see your vet the same day, because a deep ulcer can threaten the eye.

Spine problems

Hemivertebrae

The corkscrew tail that’s typical of the breed is made of malformed vertebrae, and the same gene affects the rest of the spine. Studies have found that between 90% and 100% of French Bulldogs examined had one or more abnormal vertebrae, more than 90% of them in the chest region of the spine (Science for Animal Welfare).

The reassuring part is that these abnormalities commonly occur without any sign of disease. When they do cause problems, it’s usually in young, growing dogs, with weakness in the hind legs, wasted muscle, an abnormal shape to the back, back pain and, in severe cases, incontinence. Surgery to stabilize the spine is possible but not always successful.

Intervertebral disc disease

French Bulldogs are also among the breeds prone to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), where the cushions between the backbones harden and can slip out of place (PDSA). Signs include back pain, wobbliness, weak legs, difficulty getting up, scuffing the feet and, at worst, paralysis.

Most cases need strict rest for several weeks, in a crate or a small space, with short lead-only toilet trips. It’s tempting to relax that once your dog seems brighter, but the rest period is what allows healing. Contact your vet immediately if your dog is in severe pain or the signs come on suddenly.

Luxating patella

A luxating patella is a kneecap that slips out of its groove. Owners usually notice a skip in their dog’s step, or the dog running a few strides on three legs and then carrying on as if nothing happened (VCA Animal Hospitals). It’s graded from I to IV:

  • Grade I: the kneecap can be pushed out of the groove but returns on its own.
  • Grade II: it slips out by itself and goes back when the leg is straightened.
  • Grade III: it sits out of the groove most of the time but can be pushed back.
  • Grade IV: it’s permanently out and can’t be pushed back.

Mild cases are often monitored rather than treated. Surgery is usually considered from grade II upward, and more than 90% of owners are satisfied with their dog’s progress afterward (ACVS).

Seizures and epilepsy

Seizures in dogs have many causes, including liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, head trauma and toxins, but the most common is idiopathic epilepsy, an inherited disorder with no detectable cause (VCA Animal Hospitals). Most seizures last from a few seconds to a few minutes, typically 30 to 90 seconds (VCA Animal Hospitals).

If your dog has a seizure:

  • Keep them safe from falling or knocking things onto themselves.
  • Don’t put your hands or anything else in their mouth. Dogs don’t swallow their tongues, and you’re likely to be bitten badly.
  • Time the seizure, and film it if you can, so your vet can see what happened.
  • If a seizure doesn’t stop within five minutes, that’s status epilepticus, a life-threatening emergency. Get to a vet immediately. The same goes for cluster seizures, where one follows another in a short period.

Treatment is usually started when a dog has more than one seizure a month, has clusters, or has severe seizures. Phenobarbital is the most commonly used medication, with potassium bromide, zonisamide and levetiracetam among the other first-choice drugs. After a first seizure, call your vet for advice on what to do next.

Heat and birth

Two more risks come with the breed’s build.

French Bulldogs overheat easily. In a study of UK dogs, they had 6.49 times the odds of heat-related illness compared with Labrador Retrievers (Hall and colleagues, 2020). Heatstroke is an emergency, and our walking guide covers the signs and first aid.

Frenchies also have difficulty giving birth, with nine times the odds of dystocia. More than 80% of French Bulldog litters are born by caesarean section (Evans and Adams, 2010), which is one reason breeding this breed is not something to take on lightly.

How to lower the risks

  • Buy carefully. Ask about health testing, including the French Bull Dog Club of America’s health program and BOAS grading. Our list of questions to ask a breeder can help.
  • Keep your dog lean. Weight makes breathing, joints and spine all worse.
  • Manage heat. Walk at cool times of day and keep your home cool in summer.
  • Clean the folds and check the ears. Small daily habits catch problems early.
  • Don’t dismiss noisy breathing, itching or limping as “just the breed.” All of these are treatable.

Final thoughts

This is a long list, and it isn’t meant to put you off a breed that gives so much back. Plenty of French Bulldogs live happy lives with good care and a vet who knows them. It does mean budgeting for veterinary care, and pet insurance for your French Bulldog is worth arranging before problems appear rather than after. If you notice any of the signs above, book an appointment: almost everything on this page is easier to treat early.