French bulldogs are widely famous for showing their affection and love to their families. They’re quickly becoming a favorite dog breed and have taken a high 4th place in 2018 according to the AKC. Frenchies’ adorable faces, bat-shaped ears and small, compact built make them one of the most unique dogs in the World.
It’s a fact that Frenchies are also prone to suffering from certain health issues if they were improperly bred. However, no matter how good genes your batpig carries, his paws always require special care. That’s why we want to inform French bulldog owners and bully breed owners in general, about their dogs’ paw care requirements.
What dog owners should pay attention to?
Different paw issues mostly affect the Molossus group of dogs. Unfortunately, their folds are the main culprits for the occurrence of various bacterial infections. Therefore, your Frenchie’s paws need to get special care. It includes regular cleaning and soothing your doggie’s paw skin, as well as providing them with the appropriate footwear in certain weather conditions.
How to clean your French bulldog paws?
Dog’s paws may react sensitively to different outdoor factors such as street salt, dirt, snow, ice, sharp surfaces, and hot pavements. Therefore, it’s advisable to clean your doggie’s paws every time you get back from a walk. One of the ways for removing dirt is to use baby wet wipes. Baby wet wipes are convenient to carry in a bag, especially when you’re traveling. They are great for removing dirt, mud, and dust and are usually rich in certain moisture oils such as almond and chamomile. It’s important to choose only baby-wet wipes since they’re always alcohol-free. For some serious messes, a wet and soapy towel is always a good solution.
Water and soap are the best home solutions
Washing your Frenchie’s paws is always the best option. Unfortunately, our busy schedules don’t allow us to do that every time we get back from a walk. Mild water and baby soap or non-allergy shampoo are the best for removing road salt from the paws. That’s why dog breeders often recommend to owners buy protective dog boots that will protect their pooches’ feet from freezing and road salt.
Always check between your French bulldog’s pads
No matter how much you’re in a hurry, it’s recommended to always check between your Frenchie’s pads whether there’s some dirt left. Improperly cleaned pads may lead to a serious paw allergy called Pododermatitis. Pododermatitis is an inflammation of a dog’s paw skin that can be caused by different environments as well as food allergies. Besides these, other causes may be a fungal infection, parasitic infection, bacterial infection, tumors or cysts, malnutrition, obesity, hot pavement or cold pavement burns, and many others. Dog paws work a lot for dogs’ overall body and health, therefore dog owners should always care about those tiny body parts.
The most common symptoms of pododermatitis
Pododermatitis in French bulldogs is usually followed by crusts, scabs, dog’s excessive licking, pus from the lesions, nodules, red and swollen paws, and paw hair loss. If it isn’t threatened on time, there’s a possibility of developing a bacterial infection as well. It can be easily determined by a simple vet’s check. The examination includes checking your batpig’s body temperature, listening to his/her lungs, and of course looking at the paws. If the vet determines your dog suffers from an allergy type of pododermatitis, then he’ll probably need to use some corticosteroid cream for a few days.
What to use for your Frenchie’s paw care?
The best prevention for keeping your French bulldog’s paws clean is regular cleaning and keeping his nails trimmed. We recommend you to daily check for some left dust, grass, and other plant parts between his pads and to use sterile tweezers for their removal. For soothing your piglet’s dry or cracked paw skin and even his nose, there is a Silky Paw Balm By Frenchie World.
The “Silky Paws” by Frenchie World blend is organic, vegan, and full of healing nutrients that will help your pet get back up on his feet to explore the great big world! Ingredients: Natural propolis, grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, tea tree essential oil, peppermint oil, lemon citronella oil
Dosage: Apply daily to pet feet or skin
Efficacy: Softening crust, reducing cracking, moisture feet, health protection & preserves silky skin.
To discover other useful advice, check out French Bulldog Secrets- The Ultimate Guide!