INFORMATIONONBULLDOGS

Green Branch Kennels health and information contract
We feel that the English bulldog is the greatest pet any one can buy. But we want all our buyers to be informed
buyers. We don't want them coming back saying you never told us that. Any English bulldog breeder that you
talk to should inform you of the health problems of the breed. Your bulldog mostly likely will not have health
concerns that our life threating, but we feel you need to know of all health problems with this breed. We breed
only healthy dogs and ones that meet English bulldog standards for conformation. Please be careful of
breeders who say they have bred all the health problems out!!!!

English Bulldogs belong to a group of dogs know as "brachiocephalic" breeds or "short-nosed" breeds.
Since dogs do not sweat to cool themselves as people do they rely on panting to help expel excess heat. The
short nosed breeds cooling mechanism and air transfer is much less than other breeds making them very
prone to over heating, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Temperament can also play a role in over heating. The very excitable Bulldog, or the under socialized Bulldog
that gets nervous or "worked-up" is at a higher risk for breathing problems. Through excessive panting or
barking Bulldogs can actually cause edema (swelling) to their throats and larynx causing severe respiratory
distress. Start early with your puppy to get them used to different types of situations involving crowds, children,
multiple dogs, veterinary hospitals, dog shows, etc. So they accept these as a normal part of their life. Many
"old time" Bull dog breeders carry lemon juice to squirt in their dog's mouth to help clear their throats. Lemon
juice is actually considered a mucolytic and is excellent at clearing mucus- so this might be worth a try if your
pet has problems.

In certain individual Bulldogs the breathing problems are more pronounced and is known as "Brachiocephalic
Syndrome." The first component of this is pinched nostrils (stenotic nares).   The openings to the nostrils in
these dogs can be no more than slits. Air sounds can frequently be heard with each breath. If you pinch your
own nostrils and try to take a deep breath you will experience a feeling of negative pressure down near your
larynx or voice box. This negative pressure does several things. It stretches or pulls on the soft palate which is
the soft tissue just behind the hard palate (hard roof of the mouth). This condition is known as an elongated
soft palate. These dogs will make excessive snorting or snoring noises. Often you can feel strong vibrations
when lightly cupping your hand over the underside of their necks. Sometimes too, they will regularly spit up
white frothy foam that becomes trapped in their throats. Pinched nostrils and elongated soft palates often go
together and can only be helped by surgery. The nostrils can be opened with a "wedge resection" to remove
tissue and create a wider opening. This can be done with very little scarring and the sooner it is performed on
puppies the better. The soft palate is best shortened using a C02 laser. Lasers cause less swelling,
bleeding, and pain allowing the pet to be discharged the same day. The benefits of these surgeries can be
dramatic, and are greater in younger animals as compared to a dog that has been having problems for
several years.

Two other components of the syndrome are everted laryngeal saccules and a hypoplastic trachea. The
saccules are located down within the openings of the trachea or windpipe. The negative pressure formed
higher in the airways causes a sac on either side to get sucked out into the airway with every breath. These
appear almost as little balloons and further occlude the airflow. These dogs are usually the ones that have had
ongoing problems left untreated. They tend to have trouble breathing with the least amount of activity or
excitement. The saccules should be excised (cut out) to correct the condition. The last feature of the
syndrome known as hypoplastic trachea simply means a very small trachea. Nearly all Bulldogs have a
smaller diameter trachea (windpipe) than other dogs. The hypoplastic trachea is excessively narrowed even
to the point of collapsing. It is often no wider in diameter than a pencil in a full grown dog. This creates the
problem of creating additional negative pressure from the trachea making dogs more prone to aspiration
(inhaling food into the lungs). Aspiration then causes pneumonia which the smaller trachea then makes more
difficult to clear. No specific treatment exists for hypoplastic tracheas.   All of these conditions are
complicated by a dog that is too heavy! DON'T LET YOUR DOG GET TOO HEAVY.

Eye Conditions

Bulldogs are are prone to several eye conditions.   The most common is known as "cherry eye" or more
properly called prolapse of the gland of the nictitans. This appears as a red, swollen mass appearing out of the
inside corner of the eye. The function of this gland is to make tear fluid. The correct method for repairing this
problem is to replace the gland back to its proper position.

Keratitis Sicca, also known as "dry eye", results from not enough tear fluid production. A dry eye often
becomes infected and develops a black pigment across the cornea and can result in blindness if left
untreated. Cyclosporine drops is the most commonly prescribed treatment. Opthalmologists believe that an
increase in dry eye occurs when cherry eyes are cut out instead of repaired.

Entropion/ Ectropion is the rolling in/ rolling out of the upper and lower eyelids. This is commonly an inherited
problem. The result is that hairs rub on the eyes and cause irritation resulting in corneal ulcers (scratches).
These are best repaired surgically to correct the respective problem.

Ectopic cilia/Dystichia are hairs that grow out from along the eyelid margins or from within the conjunctiva of
the eye. These can cause irritation and corneal ulcers. These can be treated either with cryosurgery or laser
surgery. It is not uncommon to need several treatments to resolve the problem.

Joint Conditions

Bulldog's hip xrays will never win any awards for conformation. What would be considered "awful" hips on
almost any other breed will be acceptable on a bulldog. Occasionally, we do run into a bulldog whose hips are
without acetabulums (sockets) and these dogs do show clinical problems. Luxating patellas (knee caps) are
also seen with the breed. This can be the slipping of the knee cap either to the medial (inside) or lateral
(outside) of the normal groove. Bulldogs can also tear their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL's). A full tear will
generally require surgery while many Bulldogs with partial tears seem to do well with rest.

Hemivertebrae are much less common and usually found as an incidental finding on xrays. Hemivertebrae are
vertebrae that are shaped more like triangles than blocks. A more serious problem known as spina bifida
involves deformities to the caudal aspect of the spinal column. The significance of these lesions can be from
mild to severe.

Ingrown or corkscrew tails can become a serious problem. The tail grows backwards and down creating a
deep crevice that can become painful and infected. In severe cases the tails need amputated. Milder cases
require attention to keeping the area clean and dry to maintain the pet's comfort.

Skin Conditions

The most common concern to Bulldog owners is keeping the face wrinkles clean and dry. Many people have
success with baby wipes, corn starch powder, neo-predef powder, or if a yeast infection exists malaseb
pledgets. The staining seen in the white face is many times caused by the iron in the tear fluid. For adult dogs
tetracycline binds up the iron and helps temporarily for severe staining. This is NOT for use in puppies and will
damage their teeth. Another common skin problem in bulldogs is demodectic manage.

Another disorder seen in Bulldogs is the loss of hair on each side over the flanks. While hypothyroid (low
thyroid) should be ruled out with a blood test, what we see more commonly is known as seasonal flank
alopecia. This is the loss of hair over the flanks usually associated with winter and shorter daylight. Biopsy
can confirm this and the condition is not serious and usually self limiting. Some have seen results giving 6 mg
of melatonin orally each day.

The ears are part of the skin, so make sure to keep them clean and free of yeast. This is not unique to
Bulldogs but is very important to their health.

Heart Defects

Most severe murmurs can be heard at 6 weeks of age. These can include ventricular septal defects, pulmonic
stenosis, aortic stenosis, and valve problems. Some mild murmurs are "innocent" and go away as the puppy
grows. Any murmur heard can be better diagnosed with a cardiac ultrasound usually performed by a
veterinary cardiologist.

Any one purchasing a puppy from Green Branch Kennels most read this and sign .This is a information
contract , to make sure every buyer is aware of the health problems of this breed. These are problems that
may or may not develop. This does not mean that the bulldogs we sell have these problems,Ohio laws states
that I most notify buyer of any health problems with that breed. That when the puppies are sold it will have a
clean bill of health from our vet. That the buyer most take the puppy to there vet with in 48 working hours. If the
puppy is said to have any health problems, the buyer is to notify me with in those 48hrs. There vet is to send
me a copy of the report. If the puppy has a life threating health problem t he buyer has the option to return the
puppy for a full refund in the 48 hour period. The cost of returning the puppy is left to the buyer. Green Branch
Kennels doesn't breed any dog that has any of the above Conditions strive to breed only healthy dogs who are
vet check regularly, and have gotten a clean bill of health from our vet. Any breeder who says that they can
guarantee against all these health problems is mis representing them self and the breed. If you purchase a
puppy from me and I find out you are a puppymill or broker, and you have lied to me I have the right to reposes
the puppy with no refund of money.NO REFUND OF DEPOSIT WILL BE GIVEN TO PUPPY MILLS OR
BROKERS. I DO NOT SELL TO PUPPYMILLS OR PUPPY BROKERS

  Buyer sign and return________________;