The one-of-a-kind, French bulldog breed is one of the best family dogs in the World. However, besides their cuteness and uniqueness, they often experience weight issues.

Let’s be honest! It might seem sweet to see a fatty Frenchie walking down the street, but in fact, it presents a life threating condition. We all know that these dogs are ready to do anything you want just to get a bowl of a tasty meal. In other words, nothing and no one can stop a greedy Frenchie to complete his mission.

How to discover if a French bulldog is overweight?

Every French bulldog owner needs to become conscious of how a healthy and properly bred Frenchie should look like. French bulldog breed is known for its compact and muscular built of heavy bone. Their heads should be square-shaped and body parts to appear well-balanced in a good proportion.

The AKC recommends that their weight should not exceed 28 pounds (for a male). However, in case you don’t want to show your pooch, it’s allowed for a Frenchie to weight max 30 pounds (for a male). Although these are the recommended weight rules, a Frenchie may be considered for obese if he/she is smaller in size (body built). In other words, a mini French bulldog should never reach 28 pounds.

Signs that your French bulldog is obese

1- No definition

No matter what dog breed you own, if you see a dog without defined muscles, it’s a clear sign of obesity. No dog should look like he/she is pregnant all the time. Therefore, round and full-looking belly and inability to see clearly defined hips are definitely signs that point out that your Frenchie is overweight. French Bulldogs need to have strong chests with visible muscles, and powerful appearance. 

2- Heavy breathing

Well, it’s a well-known fact that Frenchies experience breathing issues when walking in hot weather conditions or while running. However, if a French bulldog breathes heavy while sitting or lying, then you surely need to become worried. No dog should breathe fast as he struggles to catch some air.

Another case when your Frenchie shouldn’t breathe heavy is while you are walking at a normal pace and for no longer than 5 minutes.

3- Inability to scratch the ear

A dog’s normal behavior is to scratch his body parts from time to time. In other cases, when a dog shows frequent itching, it often points to an underlying problem. Some of the potential problems could be an allergy, yeast infection, or bacterial infection.

If you notice your lovely batpig goes through the struggle of life to reach the ear, then he might be overweight. Every dog should perform that without experiencing any difficulties. So, scratching the ear and licking paws is something that is considered for a standard ability.

 How to prevent a French bulldog from being overweight?

1- Switch to a raw food diet

Besides a raw food presents a healthier choice for your pooch, it’s also the best choice for all dogs on this planet. If we take a look at the history of all dogs, we would notice that they all lived freely in nature. In other words, they used to eat only raw food and survived thanks to prey hunting. It’s true that today’s dogs are domesticated, however, there is something left in their genetic materials. We talk about their digestive systems, of course.

A raw diet such as raw meat, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits will definitely suit best every dog’s stomach. That’s why I advise you to switch to the BARF diet in order to keep your Frenchie in good shape.

 2- Regular exercise

There’s no Frenchie that doesn’t love exploring great outdoors. Their playful and friendly natures simply beg for new adventures every day. As a proud owner of this gorgeous breed, you’ve probably heard for the statement that French bulldogs don’t require much exercise. However, it doesn’t mean they don’t require it at all.

Therefore, in order to help your frogdog to lose some weight, I advise you to take him/her for a walk 2 or 3 times a day. In summer conditions, it’s recommended to walk him early in the morning or late in the evening, while in winter conditions you’ll need to pay special attention in providing him with an extra layer. Dog boots and jackets or hoodies are something that every French bulldog owner should have.