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French Bulldog health problems

Every significant condition in the breed, the most common first. Each page covers the signs, UK treatment costs, whether insurance is likely to pay, and whether a breeder could have screened for it before the puppy was born.

If you are about to buy: the two pages that matter most are BOAS and IVDD. Between them they account for most of what a French Bulldog is likely to cost you.

Most common first

The order is our working estimate of how common each condition is. A percentage appears only where one has been measured, and it says what was measured: most are one-year rates from UK primary-care records, which count a dog treated in that year, not every dog that ever has the condition. The rest are marked "not measured": we have not yet found a sourced figure for this breed. Our sources page has every study.

Condition How common (measured) Severity Typical UK cost Screenable?
Whelping difficulty and caesarean section 80% life threatening £1,500–£3,500 No
BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) 67% life threatening £1,800–£4,500 Yes
Skin fold dermatitis 2.2% a year moderate £200–£900 No
Elongated soft palate Not measured serious £900–£2,500 No
Obesity Not measured serious £0–£300 No
Stenotic nares 1.8% a year serious £400–£1,200 Yes
Atopic dermatitis and allergies 1.4% a year moderate £400–£1,400 a year No
Ear infections (otitis externa) 9.4% a year moderate £120–£800 No
Hip dysplasia Not measured moderate £400–£4,500 Yes
Interdigital cysts and furunculosis Not measured moderate £200–£900 No
Hiatal hernia and regurgitation Not measured moderate £300–£3,500 No
Corneal ulcers 1.6% a year serious £300–£2,500 No
IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) 18% life threatening £3,000–£9,000 No
Hemivertebrae Not measured serious £800–£6,000 Yes
Umbilical hernia Not measured mild £300–£900 No
Cherry eye (prolapsed nictitans gland) Not measured moderate £600–£1,800 No
Tracheal hypoplasia Not measured serious £200–£1,200 No
Heat stroke Not measured life threatening £500–£4,000 No
Patellar luxation 2.0% a year moderate £1,500–£3,000 Yes
Distichiasis Not measured moderate £400–£1,400 No
Laryngeal collapse Not measured life threatening £1,500–£6,000 No
Entropion Not measured moderate £700–£1,600 No
Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) Not measured serious £300–£1,500 No
Cruciate ligament rupture Not measured serious £1,800–£4,000 No
Colour dilution alopecia Not measured moderate £200–£1,000 Yes
Idiopathic head tremors Not measured mild £0–£600 No
Cleft palate and cleft lip Not measured life threatening £800–£3,500 No
Hereditary cataracts Not measured serious £1,500–£4,000 Yes
Degenerative myelopathy Not measured life threatening £300–£2,000 Yes
Spina bifida Not measured life threatening £500–£4,000 Yes

Airway and breathing

life threatening BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) About 67% of French Bulldogs clinically affected (grades 2 and 3) on functional grading · £1,800–£4,500 serious Elongated soft palate £900–£2,500 serious Stenotic nares 1.8% of the breed treated per year · £400–£1,200 moderate Hiatal hernia and regurgitation £300–£3,500 serious Tracheal hypoplasia £200–£1,200 life threatening Heat stroke £500–£4,000 life threatening Laryngeal collapse £1,500–£6,000

Spine and neurological

life threatening IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) About 18% of French Bulldogs reported by their owners as diagnosed, in a German survey · £3,000–£9,000 serious Hemivertebrae £800–£6,000 life threatening Degenerative myelopathy £300–£2,000 life threatening Spina bifida £500–£4,000

Skin and ears

moderate Skin fold dermatitis 2.2% of the breed treated per year · £200–£900 moderate Atopic dermatitis and allergies 1.4% of the breed treated per year · £400–£1,400 a year moderate Ear infections (otitis externa) 9.4% of the breed treated per year · £120–£800 moderate Interdigital cysts and furunculosis £200–£900 moderate Colour dilution alopecia £200–£1,000

Eyes

serious Corneal ulcers 1.6% of the breed treated per year · £300–£2,500 moderate Cherry eye (prolapsed nictitans gland) £600–£1,800 moderate Distichiasis £400–£1,400 moderate Entropion £700–£1,600 serious Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) £300–£1,500 serious Hereditary cataracts £1,500–£4,000

Joints

moderate Hip dysplasia £400–£4,500 moderate Patellar luxation 2.0% of the breed treated per year · £1,500–£3,000 serious Cruciate ligament rupture £1,800–£4,000

Breeding and whelping

life threatening Whelping difficulty and caesarean section About 80% of French Bulldog litters delivered by caesarean · £1,500–£3,500 life threatening Cleft palate and cleft lip £800–£3,500

Other

serious Obesity £0–£300 mild Umbilical hernia £300–£900 mild Idiopathic head tremors £0–£600

Want the numbers for your own dog? The free lifetime cost calculator weights each of these conditions by likelihood and adjusts for your dog's age, your region and its colour.