If you have a French bulldog (or any dog with folds for that matter) you should read this article.
A French bulldog.
French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, and a lot of other dogs have a lot of folds. Some have always had this, and some have been bred to have such prominent folds, as it’s classed as a desirable feature.
But, if you don’t maintain them and keep them clean, a number of problems can arise.
These folds, which can be located around the tail, and usually around the face, can become moist and that provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. I’ve experienced this first hand with my dog. These dirty folds led her to getting some bacteria in the facial folds, which came on very quickly, and because she was scratching her face with her paw, and licking other parts of her body, it spread to her belly and sides. Luckily, it’s usually an easy fix. But it’s rather unpleasant and itchy for the dog, and in some cases can be quite smelly (depending on what your dog has).
Malacetic wipes (which you can buy online) given to us by the vet cleared up the infection, but this is because it wasn’t a bad infection, as it was addressed fairly quickly. Usually though, this is all it takes to clear up such an infection.
If you see your dog scratching areas such as their folds, have a look and see if there’s any soreness or “gunk”. If so, give it a quick clean and make sure you dry the area afterwards.
Why these infections happen is another topic. Some dogs never get them, some are very prone. It’s usually down to an allergy or skin problem that allows the bacteria and yeast to infect the vulnerable area, rather than the dog just “getting it”. You should avoid washing your dog with shampoo that damages the PH levels on the skin, as this can cause problems, and monitor them for allergies and things that make areas sore.
If infections keep occurring it may be something that your dog has to live with, with you wiping them daily with microbial wipes to manage the infection. But it’s important the infections are addressed, as they are fast spread and developed, and left alone can lead to other problems, which may require surgery.
To prevent these infections it’s fairly simple, just keep the vulnerable areas clean and dry, and make sure your pup has a good diet and healthy lifestyle.
But, if you feel like your dog has a skin infection, pop down to the vets as soon as you can to get them diagnosed.
