Washing your French Bulldog is important, but it’s not as important as you may think. The fact is that healthy dogs actually do not need to be bathed that often at all. Most people choose to bathe and groom their dogs to give them a more pleasant scent and appearance. The time you spend bathing your dog is ideal to use to check for fleas and ticks, cleaning the ears and brushing the teeth as well. Since most dogs dislike these tasks, getting them done all at once will be easiest on you and your Frenchie friend. Although most dogs don’t enjoy the bath itself, your pooch will appreciate the contact and attention they will receive from you during that time.
Brushing your French Bulldog’s teeth is being active about dental hygiene. Most vets will recommend that it’s done about twice per week to help your Frenchie maintain healthy teeth and gums. If you don’t regularly do this, don’t worry as it is never too late to start. Your pup should have their own toothbrush and special doggy toothpaste. Make sure you brush the back teeth in small circles just as you would your own teeth, and brush up and down the length of the canine teeth in the front. Because dogs have a sensitive sense of taste and smell, brushing your dog’s teeth with a minty human toothpaste will always be a very uncomfortable experience for your dog. If you do this, they will be less likely to cooperate with the task. The special doggy toothpaste is flavored with dog approved flavors and scents which will ultimately make for a much better experience for both you and your Frenchie.
Ticks are an invasive arachnid that will cling onto your French Bulldog and ingest your pet’s blood as it’s food source. Ticks are most common in wooded areas, but no matter where you live, all dogs should be checked regularly for ticks as they carry a number of diseases. The most common place to check for ticks would be on your dog’s belly or neck around the collar area. The tick will be buried in their fur, but can be removed using tweezers. If you are unsure of how to remove the tick, it is best to take your dog to a vet and have them show you how to remove it. If the tick is not fully removed, it can lead to further complications.
As well as ticks, fleas are generally found under the dog’s fur making direct contact with the skin. The presence of fleas can be spotted easily by looking for the flea droppings on your French Bulldog’s coat. These droppings look like small flecks of black pepper and the fleas themselves look like bits of brown rice and are generally about an eighth of an inch in length. Fleas are not as easily picked off of your pet such as ticks. When you have confirmed the presence of fleas, applying a flea medication will control and eliminate the presence of fleas within a matter of hours.
Pet supply stores will carry a special solution that is used for cleaning your Frenchie’s ears. Ear mites, small insects that live and feed inside of the dog’s ear can be a common occurrence. Over time, the bodies of these short-lived insects can build up and form a black substance. Using a cotton swab dipped in the ear cleaning solution, you will be able to easily clean the inner ear to remove the dirt and mites. This process is quick and will result in avoiding ear infections and earaches in your French Bulldog.
