Any help appreciated.

Christie Lea Zrust

New member
Sep 23, 2013
1
0
Nebraska
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Heels
So I recently fell into getting a bulldog. His original owner tragically passed away. I've always been in love with the breed. Problem is, I know absolutely nothing about how to care for them. I have a 4 year old male named Heels. What do I need to know? How much am I supposed to feed him, what are some general care instructions? Any help or guidance is appreciated.
 

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
Hi Christie, and welcome to you and Heels. So sad that his owner passed away, and bless you for taking him in. You will get so much in return, unconditional love and loyalty, cuddling, and stubborness, they have so much personality, and he will make you laugh or smile everyday. You will love this site, there is so much information, and many great people to ask questions of. The first thing you want to make sure of is that he's eating a good quality, nutritious food. Which brand of food is he currently eating? You can read the dog food ratings on the Home page, you want to feed a 4 star or better brand of food. A lot of bullies are allergic or sensitive to chicken and also salmon. Many members on here feed their bullies Fromm's Beef Frittata. We feed both our guys the Fromm's Beef, as my female Blossom is allergic to chicken, salmon grains and corn. Fromm's Beef is grain free. Both my guys do really well on this brand, and we feed them 1 cup of kibble in the am, and 1 cup of kibble in the pm. We also give them natural extras such as we add 1 Tbsp of plain unsweetened yogurt on their morning kibble, this is really good for the probiotics, and digestion and boosts the immune system. We also give them salmon oil, which we put in their evening meal, this is good for the Omegas, it's good for their skin, and fur. We also put 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar in their drinking water everyday, there are all of health benefits to ACV, such as its a natural anti inflammatory, it kills the bad bacteria in the body, so boosts the immune system, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood.


Benefits of Apple cider vinegar


The Proper Way to Clean Ears, Nose Ropes, Folds, Paws, Tail Pockets and Vulva
 
Last edited by a moderator:

bullmama

Owner/Administrator
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jan 28, 2010
24,756
1,251
Tucson, Arizona
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
The Home of the Desert Sky Pack
Hi christy! Welcome to EBN. Sorry to hear he lost his owner. :(.

Luckily he has you to care enough to find his needs! Bulldogs need to have their wrinkles cleaned and kept dry, check to see if there is a tail pocket (that's a cave under the tail but above the anus), and feed them a high quality diet that's good for their skin. At his age about 1 cup twice a day is average but depends on his weight and activity level.

We have many articles on our home page too, check out the bulldog learning center on the left side (just scroll down a bit)


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk :)
 

DudleysMom

New member
Community Veteran
Jun 25, 2012
1,521
111
Pennsauken, NJ
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Dudley, 12/26/2010-2/8/16; currently I have Kia, 7 yo femaie
You've got a ton of advice -- and there's a ton more here. Just cruise through this site and you'll find lots of great information. Welcome to you and Heels. You'll find out that bulldogs are a unique breed -- not just the care and health issues -- but the "good" stuff...they are funny, loving, intelligent, clownish, obsessive, lovebugs...I could go on and on. You've taken on a lot, but you are going to get SO MUCH MORE BACK! The people here are great and you'll always find someone who can provide information and advice, and a whole host of people who are willing to share your anxiety and your excitement! So...WELCOME! Oh...and we LOVE photos of your baby!
 

ddnene

EBN's SWEETHEART aka our little GOOB
Staff member
Jun 19, 2013
14,554
1,249
Nashville, Tennessee
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Willow (2015) Walter (2014-22) Winston (2012-13) Wellie (2012-13) Bella (2007-13)
:welcome: to EBN!!! You have been given some great advice above, but if you have any questions please ask away... Oh and please post pics!!!
 

brutus77

Skinny-Dippin' Smokin' Tidy Bowl Bionic Woman
Jul 18, 2013
6,940
593
Long Island NY
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus, Frankie, and Jack
Welcome to the site. I am sorry to hear about Heels owner. You have been given the opportunity of a life time to experience unconditional love like never before. Just give Heels time to get to know you and get used to your environment. He will miss his owner and house, but he will come around to love you soooo much. Being owned by a bulldog has been the best experience of my life and I am excited for your journey.
 

fastmatt613

Socks Don't Hold Pee.....Trust Me on This!
Community Veteran
Aug 6, 2013
1,026
55
New Jersey
Country
United states
Bulldog(s) Names
Rocco
Welcome to the site! There isn't really much else of the "basics" to cover after that second post but as others have said, this is a great place for information. If you can't find the answer you are looking for just ask and I'm sure someone on here knows or has been there as well. Good luck with Heels! I'm sure it will be a rewarding experience for both of you!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,580
3,669
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Hi Christie.... :welcome3: to EBN and thank you for giving Heelz a new loving home! You already rec'd some great info and as the others stated,, there is plenty to learn and read within the articles.

GOOD LUCK and be sure to ask any question you may have -- one of the members will be able to assist in some way
 

ZeusCsmommy

New member
May 9, 2013
445
11
Stockton, California, United States
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Zeus
Hello and welcome. I'm not a pro but I feed mine twice at 8am and 3 and just a cup at each serving. Water always around. I do filtered water to avoid tear stains. I feed mine blue buffalo and it works well for us he is super healthy. Alot of people here feed Fromm. I just don't like not being able to buy it at the store.
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
Welcome to the site and you have some great advice above. Ask any questions you have tha tmay come up. Bless you for taking him in and he will give you more love than you will expect once he gets accustom to your home.
 

Ftse 100

Bully lov'in wonder from down under
Mar 25, 2012
6,731
421
Qld Australia
Country
Australia
Bulldog(s) Names
Ftse
:smileywelcome: Christie and Heels, Thank you for taking him into your home when his owner passed away. You have been given some great advice above and we are always here to help with any issues you may have there is always someone who can help. There is just one thing we need and that is plenty of pictures of Heels.
 

ChrisRN

Flip'n'bullies stole my heart!
Jan 10, 2013
4,668
281
Muskegon, Michigan, United States
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Mabel (20??-2017) Ariel
:welcome: Thank you so much for taking this boy into your home. He's probably grieving his former owner and the love you give him can help him through this. You will get the answer to your questions, plus much, much more here.
 

ChanelnBrutus

Snookie ain't got nuttin on me!
Feb 6, 2012
4,928
181
New Jersey
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus (EBD 6/4/11), Chanel (Pitbull 12/23/06)
:smileywelcome: Glad you joined us!!! I didnt know much of anything when Brutus came home to us!!! Thank goodness for EBN b/c I had learned soooo much!!! I used this guide http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/showthread.php?5483-Dog-Food-Ratings when deciding which food to swtich to!! Alot of members have good luck and great results with Fromm ( I LOVE IT) There are a lot of articles on cleaning,grooming etc http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f...You-should-have-if-you-own-an-English-Bulldog

The link below will give you all the health etc artciles to help :) We are always here if you need ANYTHING
http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f...dog-Information-Health-Grooming-and-Nutrition
 

anatess

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2011
1,758
398
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
Bullie (RIP) & Angus (RIP)
Welcome Christie and Heelz!

Great advice so far... I would just like to add that as Heelz is probably on a confusing stage right now and just trying to get a handle on changes, it's not a good idea to change anything else (including his food) until he's settled. Did his previous owner leave you all his stuff and food? If you let us know how much he weighs, his activity level, any health observations, and what food, snacks, activities he's currently on, we can guide you from there.

Another thing to note is that because of their snub noses, it's a bit of a challenge for them to thermoregulate by panting. So we try to keep the bullys under 75 degrees and above 55 degrees (especially while traveling in the back of the van). Also they need close observation during walks so that they don't overheat. And speaking of walks, a lot of bullys have sensitive foot pads so they can't walk too far on concrete or asphalt.

I have 2 bullys, a 5 year old 65-pound female and a 2 year old 55-pound male. The 5 year old is super lazy and stays put 22 hours of the day while the 2 year old is a Tasmanian Devil that would catch frisbees all day long if somebody will throw it. They're both on a Prey-Model Raw diet (they eat raw meat with some raw bones and organs including their treats).

Hope to see pictures soon!
 

aprilemari

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Sep 11, 2011
1,853
101
Boston, MA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Lola & Fox
Welcome Christie and Heelz!

Great advice so far... I would just like to add that as Heelz is probably on a confusing stage right now and just trying to get a handle on changes, it's not a good idea to change anything else (including his food) until he's settled. Did his previous owner leave you all his stuff and food? If you let us know how much he weighs, his activity level, any health observations, and what food, snacks, activities he's currently on, we can guide you from there.

Another thing to note is that because of their snub noses, it's a bit of a challenge for them to thermoregulate by panting. So we try to keep the bullys under 75 degrees and above 55 degrees (especially while traveling in the back of the van). Also they need close observation during walks so that they don't overheat.

Hope to see pictures soon!


good advice!! don't change any food yet,...bullies are creatures of habit. the sooner you get a daily routine with heels the sooner you two will become comfortable and lovey snuggly. do you know the keywords that heels knows for doing his business? things like that will make him feel at home. please make sure to wipe his wrinkles and inside the folds and make sure they are dry afterwards or else they could become yeasty and infected. clean everyday or as needed (usually everyday). bullies can't reach their bum or wee after doing their business so you have to wipe bum and inside tail pocket. bullies will give you all the love back for all your hard work. :) welcome


Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Members online

Top