French Bulldog: inherited diseases and health
The inherited conditions below have been documented in this breed in published research. That does not mean your dog has them or will get them – but it helps to know the names when you talk to a breeder or a vet.
Conditions this breed is prone to
Veterinary charities list this breed as more likely than others to get these conditions. Read the signs and what to do:
Skin Fold Dermatitis
HeatstrokeFrench Bulldog and chocolate: how much is dangerous?
Typical adult weight: 8–14 kg. Grams of chocolate at which signs can start (20 mg/kg) and at which severe signs are reported (40 mg/kg):
| Dog weight | Milk | Dark 70–85% | Baking / unsweetened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 kg | 80 g signs 160 g severe | 20 g signs 40 g severe | 11 g signs 23 g severe |
| 14 kg | 140 g signs 280 g severe | 35 g signs 70 g severe | 20 g signs 40 g severe |
Based on published doses: signs from about 20 mg/kg, severe signs from 40 mg/kg (US FDA, Cortinovis & Caloni 2016, Swedish Poison Information Centre). An estimate, not a diagnosis.
Inherited conditions documented in the breed
Conditions documented: 25
A gene variant is known for 12 of the conditions below, so a DNA test may exist. Ask your vet or the breed club.
| Condition | Body system | Inheritance | Gene variant known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander disease[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome (BAOS)[2] | – | – | – |
| Cataract, early onset, HSF4-related[1] | Vision / eye | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Coat colour, merle[1] | Pigmentation | Autosomal incomplete dominant | Yes |
| Complex vertebral malformation[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | – | – |
| Cystinuria, type I - A[1] | Renal / urinary system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Degenerative myelopathy[1] | Nervous system | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Dermoid sinus[1] | Integument (skin) | – | Yes |
| Eyelid gland, third, prolapse of[1] | Vision / eye | – | No |
| Haemophilia B[1] | Haematopoietic system | X-linked recessive | Yes |
| Hemivertebrae[2] | – | – | – |
| Hydrops foetalis[1] | Embryo | – | – |
| Hypothyroidism, congenital[1] | Endocrine / exocrine gland (incl mammary gland) | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Inflammatory bowel disease[1] | Digestive / alimentary | – | – |
| Intervertebral disc disease, predisposition to[1] | Skeleton (incl. short stature & teeth) | Autosomal dominant | Yes |
| Meningoencephalitis[1] | Nervous system | Multifactorial | No |
| Muscle hypertrophy, dysphagia, and gait abnormalities[1] | Nervous system | – | – |
| Myoclonus epilepsy of Lafora[1] | Behaviour / neurological | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Myotonia[1] | Muscle | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Pulmonary valve dysplasia[1] | Cardiovascular system | Multifactorial | No |
| Screw tail[1] | Limbs / fins / digit / tail | Autosomal recessive | Yes |
| Spinal intradural arachnoid diverticulum[1] | Nervous system | – | – |
| Syringomyelia[1] | Nervous system | Multifactorial | No |
| Tetragametic chimerism (including Freemartin)[1] | Reproductive system | – | No |
| XX difference of sexual development, generic[1] | Reproductive system | Multifactorial | No |
What this list means
- “Documented in the breed” means at least one published case or study – it says nothing about how common the condition is.
- Many of these conditions are rare. A responsible breeder can tell you which health tests the parents have had.
- Where the gene variant is known, a DNA test may exist – ask your vet or the breed club.
- If your pet shows signs of illness, contact your vet. This page cannot tell you whether your pet is ill.
About the breed
- Origin
- France
- Height
- 24–35 cm
- Weight
- 8–14 kg
- FCI number
- 101
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Sources
How this page was made: the list is taken directly from the sources below; nothing on it was written by AI. Names of conditions may be machine-translated. It is information, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages