Preparing for your French Bulldog puppy
Here is the list of things you must have before your puppy comes home:
The food that I start my puppies on occasionally changes as I search for the very best products. At this time my highest recommendation is to feed a raw meat diet which consists of muscle meats, bone, organ, vegetables, and supplements to ensure your new family members berst health and longevity. Some excellent pre-made ready to eat foods that are fairly easily accessible are Northwest Naturals, Stella and Chewy’s, and Wild Coast Raw. You fill find these in the freezer sections of boutique pet stores. You are welcome to supplement with kibble for those times when the food is not defrosted in time, for travel, and other unforeseeable circumstances.
Goat milk kefir or yogurt (not cows milk!) I wean my puppies onto water by 8 weeks old, however I do recommend to have a quart on hand during the transition period just in case. If not used, it can be frozen for later use or your can drink it yourself. Its very easy to digest and puppies absolutely love it!
Treats. In general stay away from grain based treats as well as dental chews that look like a powder/paste that was formed into a bone shape- these can cause severe stomach upset. Instead choose freeze dried raw meat treats. Vital Essentials is a wonderful brand that makes raw freeze dried minnows (tiny fish) that are full of healthy omega 3’s. These can be ordered online through chewy.com boutique pet stores and MudBay carry this as well
Puppy pads for potty training (best value when purchased at Costco, but can also be found at any pet store or can be ordered online (amazon!)
Enzymatic cleaner for tidying up potty accidents. Found at any pet store or online
Dog bed and/or blanket
Food and Water bowls. Regular bowls work fine but if you would like to go the extra mile there are special bowls designed specifically for brachycephalic breeds which helps slow down eating and therefore swallowing less gas (and creating less gas and less chances for over eating and then throwing up) those can be purchased online. Raised bowls are an extra plus! Spending all that time bent over a bowl can be painful on the joints. A raised bowl will keep proper body conformation and promote correct position of joints. So the best bowl will be 1) elevated 2) tilted 3) heavy 4) made from a material easy to clean and antibacterial
Chew toys, your French Bulldog puppy is teething and will needs lots of toys with different kinds of textures, materials, squeakers, and sounds to keep them busy and happy (and away from chewing your furniture/shoes). Choose durable toys and generally stay away from plushies as these can be easily torn apart and the fluff inside is easy to choke on. Edible chews are okay too, just no bleached rawhide as this is toxic. Instead try real raw beef marrow bones (you can find these at any grocery store, butcher, or MudBay), bully sticks, or himilayan yak chews
Gate, crate/kennel, or panels to keep your puppy in a safe area when not directly supervised and away from falls, drowning, chocking hazards etc. Clearly Loved Pets also carries a more beautiful enclosure to keep your new baby safe
Supplements: NuVet is an FDA registered laboratory that uses human grade ingredients and sources 100% of its ingredients from the USA. They make both a vitamin-mineral wafer as well as a joint support wafer. I recommend both. Please use my breeders code for a discount on your order: 724359
nuvet.com
Feeding Your French Bulldog Puppy
We feed the puppies 4 times a day at 8 weeks old, and usually the times are 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm in the Summer months (puppies wake up with the sun), and just one hour later in the day for each feeding in the Winter time to adjust for their normal wake/sleep schedules. Making food available during specific intervals during the day will make bowel movements more predictable, because they typically poop within 20 minutes after eating. You can start to take away food earlier each evening to have less bowel movements over night. One 5lb puppy will eat approximately one handful of a balanced and complete raw diet (5 ounce) at each feeding, OR 1/2-3/4 cups of kibble per feeding. If feeding kibble, I highly recommend taking a moment to boil and mash some carrots. One-two tablespoons of boiled and mashed carrots can be added to the puppy’s food at each feeding. This will help to keep their digestive system settled during the stressful transition between homes. If you choose to add any additional supplements, just follow the packaging instructions. If your puppy doesn’t finish this portion right away, you can place it in the fridge and offer again later. If your puppy eats all of it and seems to still be hungry, mix them another portion. There is no need to measure or count calories at this point. Growing puppies need a lot of energy, just like growing children.
I will always and forever recommend only raw unprocessed diets for this breed. For in depth information on why, please take a moment to read my blog post: https://www.nwfrenchies.com/blog/french-bulldog-health-and-diet
However if there is a valid reason that you must feed kibble, here are a few more tips. It’s common that puppies do not want to eat kibble by itself as it is not very delicious. If this is the case I highly recommend adding canned food from the same brand. I mix this thoroughly until there are no chunks left and the mixture is uniform (otherwise they will pick out the chunks and leave the kibble behind). Try not to mix other cooked meat into your kibble otherwise your puppy will never eat kibble without meat. If you are okay with cooking daily for your puppy, then by all means add cooked meat and vegetables into their kibble. Please do not feed beef or chicken based products. If you elect to feed cooked meat, choose organic turkey only at this young age. I always have clean water available day and night.
If your puppy is experiencing separation anxiety and not wanting to eat then you can offer goats milk kefir or yogurt as well as egg yolks. Goats milk kefir and egg yolks are hard for puppies to resist and it will provide both hydration and calories. Your French Bulldog puppy should be kept on the diet they were started on for a few months, as changes from what they are used to can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. I am enthusiastically happy to share any resources and guide you on a diet change to raw meat feeding:)
French Bulldog Puppy Hygiene
Your puppy does not need to be bathed unless visibly dirty. I use Scout’s Honor brand shampoo for baths. Over-bathing can dry out the skin, and dogs do not produce oil the way humans do, so keep it to a minimum and/or focus the soap on the feet and bum areas. DO NOT allow water to enter the ears! Frenchie ears are erect and open, so its easy to water to get in. In addition to this, ears are dark and warm (perfect for bacteria or fungus). Dry the ears thoroughly after each bath (and walks in the rain) and avoid allowing water near the head in general. For cleaning the ears on a regular basis (weekly or more frequently) I like to use cotton pads soaked in a specifically formulated cleaning solution called Ph Notix. The Ph Notix does an excellent job of melting the ear wax for an easy wipe away. Though, coconut oil, colloidal silver, and any vet prescribed ear cleaner can be used as well. Clip nails monthly at a minimum. The more frequently nails are clipped, the shorter they will become. Puppy nails are especially soft, and even human clippers can be used, but once your puppy grows more and his/her nails become harder you will need specific clippers to cut them safely https://amzn.to/2oKsBMG Your puppy's wrinkles may not be so prominent now, but its good to get into the habit of cleaning them too. As your puppy matures his/her winkles will get big and deeper. Its important to keep them clean and dry to prevent yeast/bacteria from settling in. Same applies to their tail pocket. Puppies don't typically have tail pockets, but as they matures this feature can develop. The best way to clean a tail pocket if present is a bath with a silicone scrubbing brush loaded with an antibacterial/antiyeast shampoo such as DERMABLISS. The most important step is to very thoroughly dry your puppy whenever they are wet! You will want to check inbetween your puppy's toes as well to ensure he/she hasn't developed yeast, bacteria, inter-digital cysts, dry or cracked, or otherwise irritated paws. I check this area with each bath, and completely dry the paws especially in between the toes after each bath and each time they get wet. If you notice redness between the toes, then it is likely yeast. There is a product called PhytoVet CK Mousse which works amazingly to kill yeast, just apply twice a day and don’t rinse off until paws are clean and white. I personally do not brush the teeth of my dogs, and have never had a dental issue. Providing large raw real bones for chewing will naturally clean the teeth and this is something that I give all of my dogs. However if you are keen on doing so, daily brushing will provide additional protection to your dogs teeth. There are special savory flavored tooth pastes just for dogs available to make this task more enjoyable for your puppy. As a preventative measure you can also add a specially formulated probiotic into their water to support dental health called TEEF.
Vaccines
Your puppy will come home with his/her first set of vaccinations including parvovirus, parainfluenza, adenovirus types 1&2, and distemper. I administer these vaccines at home in a single dose containing all five strains of virus. I use the brand name Duramune Max and I special order these to be delivered to be via one-day-air on ice to ensure their viability. This initial dose is given once your Frenchie turns at least 7 weeks old. Please wait a minimum of 3 weeks to give the next booster vaccines. This is very important, I do not recommend the leptospirosis vaccine due to a high rate of adverse reactions. It is not necessary unless your French Bulldog puppy will be in frequent contact with wildlife or livestock and you live in an area where leptsospirosis is rampent. Bordetella can be given at 10 weeks old and rabies can be given once your puppy is a minimum of 3 months old. I also give my adult French Bulldogs a booster of Bordetella (kennel cough) as well as canine influenza vaccine once each flu season.
Deworming
Simply due to the nature of puppies, I recommend you submit a fecal sample during your initial vet visit. I deworm the entire litter multiple times before coming home to you. But please understand that puppies are messy creatures. Despite incredible efforts on my end including baths, daily washing of beddings/toys/food bowls/entire whelping pen, and constantly changing puppy pads it literally takes one stray poop to be stepped on and then walked around the pen to spread around bacteria, Giardia and coccidia for example. Puppies also put absolutely everything in their mouths including each others paws. So please understand its likely that you may need to continue one last treatment of dewormer when your puppy comes home, even if they are having solid poops. All of my mamma dogs are dewormed before and after having their litters as well to reduce exposure to internal parasites. Additionally I deworm all of my adult dogs twice yearly with a combination of metronidazole and fenbendazole, or drontal plus. Certain parasites like giardia are extremely difficult to eradicate in our cool and wet climate. Giardia will live in the soil and water and can be spread through wild animals coming through your yard as well. Adult dogs with strong immune systems will develop antibodies to giardia and will have no symptoms. Puppies who test positive for giarida may or may not have symptoms.
Fleas & Ticks
We do not treat puppies younger than 8 weeks old for fleas and ticks. I personally have never had a flea or tick problem with any of my dogs in all my years of breeding and I choose not to treat my pets with pesticides. Pesticides are teratogenic and can cause birth defects as well as neurologic disorders such as seizures. Personally I would only consider one dose of oral NexGuard during the hottest month of Summer when these parasites are most active in my geological area. It’s important to understand that these medications (both oral and topical) do NOT prevent the parasite from biting and transmitting diseases to your pet!!!! They only work by killing the insect/parasite AFTER they bite- they die after ingesting your pet’s blood which is high in pesticide. I highly recommend creating a solution to spray on your pet, or at least your pet’s collar before going outside to help deter the parasites from biting. Create the solution with the following:
8 ounces water
4 ounces apple cider vinegar
10 drops neem oil
10 drops cat nip oil
4 drops lemon grass oil
I additionally recommend feeding 1/4th teaspoon of crushed garlic daily to deter fleas and ticks from biting your pet in the first place.
Each individual dog and household must weight the risks and benefits to use or not to use pesticides based on their personal circumstances and geological area. I understand you might live in an area with a known problem with these external parasites or might be living on a farm where it will be necessary to keep them under control. There are many different kinds of medications that can be used but they treat different things, some are applied topically, some given orally, some work for one month and others up to 8 months, and some medications will also treat internal parasites in addition to external. So take careful attention to which medication you use and please consult with your veterinarian for what might be the best choice in treatment/prevention. For puppies under six months old the oral medication NexGaurd can be given for fleas and ticks, as well as off-label for mites. Personally I am not in favor of the topical medications such as Frontline because the label says to wear gloves and not to touch your dog afterwards and it doesn’t say after what period of time it is safe to touch your dog again. A third kind of treatment is a Seresto collar which is a collar made from a special material that is filled with medication that is slowly released and absorbed by your dog. My brother who lives on a farm finds favor with this method and it can be used as early as 7 weeks of age. DO NOT EVER combine pesticide treatments as an overdose in these medications can and will cause neurological disorders, liver damage, and death.