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How to know when to put your french bulldog down ?
Putting your Frenchie down dog is a step-by-step process that must be done meticulously.
Emotional attachment is a psychological feeling which transcends human-to-human relationships.
It extends to pets, objects, and any other thing that serves as a companion over a long period.
As with pets, especially French Bulldogs, we get attached to them easily because of how loving they are.
If you own a French Bulldog, with whom you have created a strong bond, and it develops a terminal illness.
As sad as this might be, the only option you might have is to put it down. You need all the strength and courage to put it down when necessary.
You’ll know your Frenchie needs to be put down when it exhibits certain behaviors, which mostly reflect pain, sickness, and impending death.
In this article, we’ll explore the signs you’ll look out for so as to know when to put your French Bulldog down regardless of how upsetting it could be.
French Bulldog Behavior Before Death ?
Frenchies are an exceptional dog breed. Most people prefer and adore them as pets rather than some other popular breeds.
This is because they are bred as affectionate companions and friends.
They don’t only enjoy being around family, they are also warm and friendly towards children.
Even though they aren’t as reactive as other dogs as far as barking is concerned, they don’t necessarily need a walk as exercise, and their adaptive nature is second to none.
Putting all these in mind, whenever your French Bulldog shows a lack of interest in any activity that it is already identified with, then you should know something isn’t right.
Loss of interest in people and things, like food and toys, is a major catalyst and indicator your dog might be dying.
For instance, if a very mobile and playful Frenchie becomes extremely sluggish and dull, that’s a behavior you don’t want to overlook.
Additionally, another behavior that signals death for a Frenchie is health deterioration.
As this occurrence is natural for humans, so it is for animals – especially dogs.
Due to tissue degeneration, dogs suffer visual and hearing loss, heart problems, kidney issues, kennel cough, and a lot more.
All of these usually happen before death, so it is essential to quickly note them.
Except when a dog’s death occurs abruptly -in the case of food poisoning, auto accident, or infection- the dying process starts a very long time before the actual death.
It takes months and weeks, depending on the strength of the dog, to endure pain.
So, as difficult as it might be, identifying a change in the behavioral pattern of your dog before death is essential for you to help it transition properly.
Is my French Bulldog Dying or Just Sick
Determining whether your French Bulldog is sick or dying can be very confusing.
This is because some sickly symptoms are similar to behaviors before death.
Although these sickness symptoms can degenerate to death, they could be treated early as soon as you notice them.
And as a dog owner, you shouldn’t be confused because your dog might sense that and react negatively, which wouldn’t be nice.
French Bulldogs are known to easily develop several health issues.
The following are some symptoms that show your dog is just sick and not dying:
1. Allergies
This is the most common sickness symptom in French Bulldogs. It is almost impossible for a Frenchie to not have one allergy or another in a lifetime.
Some of their allergies include but aren’t limited to perfumes, fabrics, fertilizers, feathers, and dust.
Some allergens affect their skins, so whenever you notice any, you should contact your veterinary doctor.
Some common symptoms of allergies include:
- Loss of fur
- Paw chewing
- Itchy eyes
- Constant Scratching and licking
- Bloody nails
- Retching and vomiting
2. Heat Stress
This is a unique symptom for French Bulldogs.
Due to the fact that they are a flat-faced breed, they often get hot.
What’s worse is that they have a difficult time while trying to regulate their temperature. So this is something to look out for.
This dog breed doesn’t necessarily need a walk, but if you must take it for a walk, especially during summer, a short distance is enough. Or else, you risk giving it heat stress which might degenerate into heatstroke.
This article will help you to learn more about How to prevent overheating in French bulldog
Some symptoms of heat stress and heat stroke include:
- Dizziness
- Drooling
- Pacey heartbeat
- Unconsciousness
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Convulsion
3. Gastroenteritis
Most Frenchies recover from this viral infection on their own. It can be transient, but it isn’t something to overlook if yours shows some of the symptoms, which include:
- Blood in poop
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
4. Impaction in Anal Sac
This is a strange condition for French Bulldogs. Impaction in your dog’s anal sac is mostly caused by dryness of fluids in the sac.
Although it has a quick fix, you won’t find out if you don’t call your veterinary doctor. So, do that now.
Symptoms of this condition include:
- Terrible Odour
- Obsessive anal licking
- Pains while pooping or peeing
5. Cataracts
This disorder is the common cause of opacification in your dog’s eye. It makes the eye cloudy and can cause sight loss. This can also easily degenerate into blindness if it isn’t taken care of.
Some of its symptoms are:
- Blurry vision
- Itchy eyes
- Loss of vision
- Blindness
A surgery would correct this condition if it is done on time. After this surgery, you would be prescribed eye drops which accelerates the eyes’ healing.
6. Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a health condition in Frenchies which shows an ultra-reactivity of the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.
Here, the dog’s metabolism increases to a dangerous level.
Conversely, Hypothyroidism is the failure of the thyroid gland to produce enough thyroid hormones, a result of which is slow metabolism.
Common symptoms of Hyperthyroidism are:
- Constant urination
- Weight loss
- Increased thirst
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dyspnea
- Bloated thyroid gland
- Goiters
Common symptoms of Hypothyroidism are:
- Obesity and Weight gain
- Skin changes
- Lack of tolerance for cold
- Dullness
- Lack of interest in exercise
- Hair loss
7. Patella Luxation
This is another transient genetic disorder in French Bulldogs. When it happens, the kneecap is dislocated from its position, and this causes so much pain.
Although the pain stops over a period, there would be recurrence if the Patella is not operated on.
You’ll notice this when your dog shows the following symptoms :
- Difficulty in mobility
- Sudden lameness
- Hindlimb lameness
- Skipping
8. Ear Infections
This is another common health problem in French Bulldogs.
These infections arise when your dog is exposed to certain bacteria, yeasts, and even allergies.
The three types of ear infections are otitis media, otitis interna, and otitis externa.
Any of these variants can degenerate into deafness if not treated on time. So, reaching out to your vet is crucial to avoiding deafness in your dog.
The major symptom of this is a lack of response. When you realize your dog doesn’t answer to its name or doesn’t react to any sound, you should know it has probably caught an infection.
9. Eye Conjunctivitis
You’ll almost think your Frenchie has another eyelid plus the two it already has. However, when this happens, you should know it is a health disorder.
It is a result of an abnormal change in the position of the tear gland. It causes a pinkish swelling around the corner of the dog’s eye.
Depending on how severe it is, there are multiple medications that can be administered to correct this disorder.
Some symptoms of this sickness include:
- Swollen Eye
- Squinting
- Reddish Eye
- Irritating discharge from the eye
- Constant rubbing of the eye.
All the aforementioned are a few of the signs that show your dog is just sick and not dying.
So, you don’t need to get unnecessarily worked up when you notice any of them. Rather, you should find a way to correct them and bring your Frenchie back to full fitness.
12 Warning Signs A Dog is Dying
As a caring dog owner, It’s almost impossible for you to not know when your dog is dying. However, most dogs show wild instincts and might try to hide that they are suffering terminal illnesses.
The reason for this is not far-fetched. In the wild, they cannot afford to show signs of weaknesses because they become easy targets for any predator.
As a result, the following are some of the dominant signs that show your Frenchie is nearing its end of life:
1. Extreme Lethargy
Lethargy is a sign of fatigue that involves a lack of energy and being uninterested in playing or going for a walk.
In French Bulldogs, it is the most dominant sign that indicates so many problems, one of which is an impending death, especially when extreme.
Your dog tends to sleep a lot, move slowly and be disinterested in so many activities.
It can be caused by so many things like poison, infections, heart diseases, kidney diseases, lung diseases, obesity, among others.
Most of all these causes are very deadly. So whenever your dog shows sudden tiredness and disinterest, you should know it’s already lethargic.
2. Decreased Appetite and Dehydration
Dogs are known to be opportunistic feeders.
They pounce on any food from you or any familiar face at any point in time. As a result, they drink as much water.
Yet, when you notice the same food you served over a long period, then your dog’s feeding has declined.
It is natural for your dog to lose appetite when it is dehydrated.
These two conditions are majorly caused by a decline in the health condition of your dog. And it can be a sign that might be nearing an end to its life.
3. Lack of Interest and depression
As said earlier, lack of interest is the deal-breaker. If your dog is dehydrated, lethargic, feed less.
Its body would naturally strive to ration the resources left in it.
As a result, there is a loss of interest in so many activities. If this goes on too long, your dog can slide into depression.
Yes, dogs get depressed, and it can be very difficult to get them back to their normal state of mind.
That’s if they don’t lose their life at the end of the day. So, this is another sign your dog is dying.
4. Loss of Bladder or Bowel Control
You would notice that your dog would pee on its body when it is exciting to see you or when it notices you’re serving it food.
But, when this becomes incessant, and it happens when it coughs, sneezes, or laughs, then that means your dog has lost its bladder control.
It is basically the inability of a dog to control its urine. This condition is also known as urinary incontinence.
Loss of bowel control, on the other hand, is also known as fecal incontinence.
It is a condition that shows a dog’s inability to control feces.
When your dog suffers from this condition, there is a constant leakage of wastes from its rectum.
5. Weight Loss
This is the ugliest and most discouraging sign your dog will show when it’s nearing death. It might even reduce your interest in the dog as it grows thin despite feeding actively.
6. Hiding ( Social Detachment )
When your dog starts hiding, it is either scared of something or terribly sick.
If you make several attempts for it to get out willingly and it ends up abortive, then you should know it doesn’t want to be socially involved.
This could be a sign of sickness or death.
7. Poor Coordination
A lack of coordination in a dog is popularly known as ataxia. It is a deadly condition that shows sensory dysfunctions in the activity of the head and limbs, a result of which is poor coordination.
There are three types of ataxia in dogs: cerebellar ataxia, vestibular ataxia, and sensory ataxia.
When the cerebellum, a part of the brain, is damaged, cerebellar ataxia occurs. Vestibular ataxia occurs when there is a problem with the inner ear.
While sensory ataxia is a result of compression in the spinal cord.
8. Behavior Changes
This is a potent way your dog communicates with you about a difference in its natural makeup.
A behavioral change could mean so many things. It could be a change in age, severe pain, and diverse health-related issues.
Most of these changes are red flags you should look out for to know exactly what’s going on with your dog.
9. Labored Breathing
Difficulty in breathing can be terrifying. In fact, it is an emergency symptom that is life-threatening.
Dogs naturally pant after a long run around but labored breathing is different from panting. It is usually caused by a failure of the liver or respiratory system.
Other problems that have been identified with this condition in dogs include heartworms, tumors, injury, and obesity.
10. Changes in Gum Color
A change in Gum color of your dog is a perfect reference to a decline in health status. Naturally, the color of the gum should be bubblegum pink.
This color shows richly oxygenated blood is well circulated. But when it becomes pale, blue, or white, that’s enough sign for you to know your dog’s blood vessels aren’t vascularized and oxygenated.
This also brings about some dryness in the dog’s mouth. With this, there is difficulty in swallowing any solid or liquid content.
11. Abnormal Odor
It is crucial you know that some odors in dogs are normal, while some aren’t.
The natural odors are most prominent around the ears, anus, and footpads.
On the other hand, the abnormal odors are mostly caused by lack of grooming, diseases in the ear and anal sac, and also in the skin.
This could also be a sign your dog is dying.
12. Seizures
This is a general condition that is mostly hereditary. But when it has not happened to your dog since birth, and it suddenly starts, you should be concerned.
There are different types of seizures depending on the severity.
Focal or partial seizures, generalized seizures, and focal seizures morph into generalized seizures.
When it’s time to say goodbye to your Frenchie.
There are some things you can do to comfort dying french bulldogs, try to make them as comfortable as possible in their final moment – check out this article to learn more.