Hi! New member here & new EB Mama! ❤️

[Kfam]

This is Fran! AKA Franny, Frannypants & a ton of other nicknames. she just came home yesterday & I welcome any tips, guidance & advice anyone has to offer! She’s 11 weeks, 16 pounds. I was told to feed her 1/8 Cup of food 3Xs a day. That just can’t be right, can it? I gave her more bc that was just so little. Also, what do you guys suggest with cleaning her? Daily wipe down? I’ve read mentions of applying balm to her nose & folds. Would I rub it in & leave it on her? Daily or just after baths? I love her to pieces & I’m like a nervous mom all over again like when I brought home my own children from the hospital 14 & 17 years ago!

 

[Bulldog2001]

This is Fran! AKA Franny, Frannypants & a ton of other nicknames. she just came home yesterday & I welcome any tips, guidance & advice anyone has to offer! She’s 11 weeks, 16 pounds. I was told to feed her 1/8 Cup of food 3Xs a day. That just can’t be right, can it? I gave her more bc that was just so little. Also, what do you guys suggest with cleaning her? Daily wipe down? I’ve read mentions of applying balm to her nose & folds. Would I rub it in & leave it on her? Daily or just after baths? I love her to pieces & I’m like a nervous mom all over again like when I brought home my own children from the hospital 14 & 17 years ago!
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Welcome!!

She is adorable!


The amount of food seems too little, I think she needs more food than that.

What food are you feeding her???

The best way to keep them healthy is thru good diet, feed the most premium food you can. Cause low quality dog food causes health issues.

The best kibble brands is Natures Logic and Carna 4 both are synthetic free and whole food based with probiotics in it.
Natures Logic is easier to find than Carna 4 though.

If neither Carna 4 or Natures Logic is Available to you, the next best is Farmina N&D.
But I definitely recommend Natures Logic if it’s available to you.

Good food can prevent many health issues and even treat health issues.

Raw diet is best though if you can. But I know raw is not for everyone.


Definitely AVOID these brands of food cause they are all fillers/garbage:
-Purina
-Hills
-Royal Canin
-Science diet
-Eukanuba
-Bil Jac
-Blue buffalo
-ANYTHING from Vet or grocery store Avoid


Other tips:
Chicken is the most common food allergy. I just avoid anything with chicken.

It’s good to rotate proteins to prevent new food allergies, so if your feeding Natures Logic for example, you can do 1 bag Sardine, Turkey, Lamb, Red meat, Duck Salmon, pork, land and sea, beef. Some people rotate like 1 bag is sardine the next bag would be a different protein and so on. This is just a example of rotating proteins.



I put Natural Dog company Snout Soother on my dogs nose, and if wrinkles are irritated I use Natural Dog Company Wrinkle Balm. Works really well.

I only put those on if it’s needed, not a every day thing. But it’s definitely up to you. For the snout, you would take a warm wet paper towel just to get the nose a little wet then you would apply the snout soother.

I clean the tail pocket area daily to keep it clean, and I wipe his face wrinkles 2 times a week approximately If they are not irritated. IF they are irritated I clean the wrinkles daily.


Keeping the immune system strong thru good diet will help keep the skin and overall health in good shape and healthy.


I also put Sweaters on my dog to keep him warm cause they don’t handle the cold weather very well. I put rain jacket on my dog at times in the rain too(I like your pups jacket!).


Definitely don’t walk her in the heat(warm weather) cause they also can overheat easy.


I recommend waiting to spay her until she is at least 12-18 months as it can prevent growth issues and certain cancers.

Whenever you decide to get her spayed, it’s a good idea to have her Nostrils opened and her Soft palate checked while she is under anesthesia as the soft palate can only be checked when they are sedated, especially cause with the short snout a lot of the bulldogs need the soft palate done at done point.
Just a thought.

 

[Cbrugs]

Welcome! Your new baby is adorable.

As a breeder, and knowing many other reputable breeders and show people, I do not suggest feeding a kibble that is over 28% in protein as it can affect their growth development. I have personally seen it happen. I would try to stay at 26% protein. My two girls have been on Open Farm with Ancient Grains since they were puppies and have done well on it. There are other decent quality kibbles as well.

Also, not all bulldogs have soft palate issues or need their nostrils done so there’s no reason to do unnecessary surgeries if one or both are not needed. I have a French Bulldog and 3 Bulldogs and all 4 of my dogs are good breathers and have never had surgeries for palate or nares.

One of the most important things is to find a vet knowledgeable with brachy breeds and someone you trust. Some vets out there just see $$$$ when a bulldog walks in and will recommend unnecessary surgeries.

I clean folds and creases with chlorhexidine wipes a couple times a week.

 

[Kfam]

Welcome!!

She is adorable!


The amount of food seems too little, I think she needs more food than that.

What food are you feeding her???

The best way to keep them healthy is thru good diet, feed the most premium food you can. Cause low quality dog food causes health issues.

The best kibble brands is Natures Logic and Carna 4 both are synthetic free and whole food based with probiotics in it.
Natures Logic is easier to find than Carna 4 though.

If neither Carna 4 or Natures Logic is Available to you, the next best is Farmina N&D.
But I definitely recommend Natures Logic if it’s available to you.

Good food can prevent many health issues and even treat health issues.

Raw diet is best though if you can. But I know raw is not for everyone.


Definitely AVOID these brands of food cause they are all fillers/garbage:
-Purina
-Hills
-Royal Canin
-Science diet
-Eukanuba
-Bil Jac
-Blue buffalo
-ANYTHING from Vet or grocery store Avoid


Other tips:
Chicken is the most common food allergy. I just avoid anything with chicken.

It’s good to rotate proteins to prevent new food allergies, so if your feeding Natures Logic for example, you can do 1 bag Sardine, Turkey, Lamb, Red meat, Duck Salmon, pork, land and sea, beef. Some people rotate like 1 bag is sardine the next bag would be a different protein and so on. This is just a example of rotating proteins.



I put Natural Dog company Snout Soother on my dogs nose, and if wrinkles are irritated I use Natural Dog Company Wrinkle Balm. Works really well.

I only put those on if it’s needed, not a every day thing. But it’s definitely up to you. For the snout, you would take a warm wet paper towel just to get the nose a little wet then you would apply the snout soother.

I clean the tail pocket area daily to keep it clean, and I wipe his face wrinkles 2 times a week approximately If they are not irritated. IF they are irritated I clean the wrinkles daily.


Keeping the immune system strong thru good diet will help keep the skin and overall health in good shape and healthy.


I also put Sweaters on my dog to keep him warm cause they don’t handle the cold weather very well. I put rain jacket on my dog at times in the rain too(I like your pups jacket!).


Definitely don’t walk her in the heat(warm weather) cause they also can overheat easy.


I recommend waiting to spay her until she is at least 12-18 months as it can prevent growth issues and certain cancers.

Whenever you decide to get her spayed, it’s a good idea to have her Nostrils opened and her Soft palate checked while she is under anesthesia as the soft palate can only be checked when they are sedated, especially cause with the short snout a lot of the bulldogs need the soft palate done at done point.
Just a thought.

Thank you for all the advice!!
They suggested Merrick puppy food. It’s a dry food. I have a large bag of that but will explore the raw diet. I’ll def bring up the nostrils and palate when it’s time to spay her. thanks so much!!

 

[Kfam]

Welcome! Your new baby is adorable.

As a breeder, and knowing many other reputable breeders and show people, I do not suggest feeding a kibble that is over 28% in protein as it can affect their growth development. I have personally seen it happen. I would try to stay at 26% protein. My two girls have been on Open Farm with Ancient Grains since they were puppies and have done well on it. There are other decent quality kibbles as well.

Also, not all bulldogs have soft palate issues or need their nostrils done so there’s no reason to do unnecessary surgeries if one or both are not needed. I have a French Bulldog and 2 Bulldogs and all 4 of my dogs are good breathers and have never had surgeries for palate or nares.

One of the most important things is to find a vet knowledgeable with brachy breeds and someone you trust. Some vets out there just see $$$$ when a bulldog walks in and will recommend unnecessary surgeries.

I clean folds and creases with chlorhexidine wipes a couple times a week.

Thank you! I’m going to research foods and make a list on paper to organize myself lol.
I’ll check the wipes I have to see if they are chlorhexidine.
Thanks!

 

[benny]

She’s beautiful!

I would like to add a +1 to everything @Cbrugs said above, as well as adding a couple more points for you:

• You can and should try chicken from time to time. It's an important and easy protein when you're in a bind or need a bland diet. Both of our girls LOVE chicken.
• Since you're in the US, you can visit the veterinarian list on the BCA website. Please note that the list isn't the be-all-end-all list, but the vets on this list should at least be bulldog knowledgeable. https://bulldogclubofamerica.org/bulldog-health/find-a-bulldog-veterinarian/
• Make sure to keep the chlorohexidine out of her eyes. If you're looking to save a little money, you can pick up durvet chlorohexidine 2% and make your own wipes on demand with a soft washcloth or gauze. It should be around $20 a gallon, but sometimes amazon marks up pint size to the same price. Store away from sunlight.

 

[Cbrugs]

Thank you! I’m going to research foods and make a list on paper to organize myself lol.
I’ll check the wipes I have to see if they are chlorhexidine.
Thanks!

Also, 1/8 cup 3 times a day is not enough food for a growing puppy. It will depend what brand you feed but I normally start on probably up to 1 cup 3 times a day.

 

[2BullyMama]

This is Fran! AKA Franny, Frannypants & a ton of other nicknames. she just came home yesterday & I welcome any tips, guidance & advice anyone has to offer! She’s 11 weeks, 16 pounds. I was told to feed her 1/8 Cup of food 3Xs a day. That just can’t be right, can it? I gave her more bc that was just so little. Also, what do you guys suggest with cleaning her? Daily wipe down? I’ve read mentions of applying balm to her nose & folds. Would I rub it in & leave it on her? Daily or just after baths? I love her to pieces & I’m like a nervous mom all over again like when I brought home my own children from the hospital 14 & 17 years ago!
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Welcome to EBN! What a beautiful girl! get ready for some shark teeth! Have plenty of toys to redirect the biting/chewing phase . I echo @Cbrugs advice with unnecessary surgery and finding a knowledgeable bulldog vet, it will make all the difference in treatments. As for food, we currently feed raw and it works well for us. With my previous bulldogs, we fed Fromm beef frittata because both of them (allergy tested) were allergic to chicken, rice and a few other things. we struggled for months to identify what the issue (Nitschke was constant vomiting and Banks was hives) with them before we did the testing. Our current guy, Lambeau is allergic (tested due to constant ear infections) to lamb (yep, I was feeding lamb prior to testing) and salmon so he is on a rotation of four proteins ... as @benny mentioned, it is best to rotate proteins to help lessen the development of an allergy.

Keep those pictures coming!

 

[Kfam]

Welcome to EBN! What a beautiful girl! get ready for some shark teeth! Have plenty of toys to redirect the biting/chewing phase . I echo @Cbrugs advice with unnecessary surgery and finding a knowledgeable bulldog vet, it will make all the difference in treatments. As for food, we currently feed raw and it works well for us. With my previous bulldogs, we fed Fromm beef frittata because both of them (allergy tested) were allergic to chicken, rice and a few other things. we struggled for months to identify what the issue (Nitschke was constant vomiting and Banks was hives) with them before we did the testing. Our current guy, Lambeau is allergic (tested due to constant ear infections) to lamb (yep, I was feeding lamb prior to testing) and salmon so he is on a rotation of four proteins ... as @benny mentioned, it is best to rotate proteins to help lessen the development of an allergy.

Keep those pictures coming!

Thank you! I started looking up raw diet food delivery companies. Some were pricey, others Super pricey! I’m still doing comparisons.
Oh & I’ve felt the shark teeth already! She’s not too bad with it though so far. We have a couple of great chew toys that she seems to like.

 

[Bulldog2001]

Thank you! I started looking up raw diet food delivery companies. Some were pricey, others Super pricey! I’m still doing comparisons.
Oh & I’ve felt the shark teeth already! She’s not too bad with it though so far. We have a couple of great chew toys that she seems to like.

If your in Canada, good raw dog food brands(some are reasonable price):
-Artisan Raw
-Carnivora
-Back 2 Raw
-Big Country raw(this brand seems a little more expensive than the others).


If your in US:
-BJ raw
-Darwins
-Vital Essentials
-Stella and Chewy
-primal

(Primal and Stella and chewy brands are more expensive).

There is definitely more raw brands available than what I listed, I just named a few for you to look at.

Raw is the way to go If you can, and are open to it. But Natures Logic and Carna 4 kibble brands are the closest to raw and the most premium kibble. If your worried about protein % Natures Logic does have some that are 30% protein which is not much more than 28%.
Carna 4 is 29% protein.

Even if you wanted to stay with kibble and want to stick to 28% protein, it definitely should be of High Quality food, and Not full of grains OR legumes and potatoes or synthetic vitamins.

As I say, premium food is like a pet insurance cause you pay for the most premium food you can and save in vet bills.


Keep the puppy photos coming!

 

[Kfam]

If your in Canada, good raw dog food brands(some are reasonable price):
-Artisan Raw
-Carnivora
-Back 2 Raw
-Big Country raw(this brand seems a little more expensive than the others).


If your in US:
-BJ raw
-Darwins
-Vital Essentials
-Stella and Chewy
-primal

(Primal and Stella and chewy brands are more expensive).

There is definitely more raw brands available than what I listed, I just named a few for you to look at.

Raw is the way to go If you can, and are open to it. But Natures Logic and Carna 4 kibble brands are the closest to raw and the most premium kibble. If your worried about protein % Natures Logic does have some that are 30% protein which is not much more than 28%.
Carna 4 is 29% protein.

Even if you wanted to stay with kibble and want to stick to 28% protein, it definitely should be of High Quality food, and Not full of grains OR legumes and potatoes or synthetic vitamins.

As I say, premium food is like a pet insurance cause you pay for the most premium food you can and save in vet bills.


Keep the puppy photos coming!

Thanks so much!!!!

 

[benny]

As a breeder, and knowing many other reputable breeders and show people, I do not suggest feeding a kibble that is over 28% in protein as it can affect their growth development. I have personally seen it happen. I would try to stay at 26% protein. My two girls have been on Open Farm with Ancient Grains since they were puppies and have done well on it. There are other decent quality kibbles as well.

Please heed this advice. Too much protein can lead to rapid growth and could potentially lead to developmental orthopedic diseases.
It is a better idea to stick with a lower than 28% protein diet. For similar reasons, if you are feeding "puppy" specific food, don't feed it for longer than 4-6 months of age.

 

[Kfam]

Please heed this advice. Too much protein can lead to rapid growth and could potentially lead to developmental orthopedic diseases.
It is a better idea to stick with a lower than 28% protein diet. For similar reasons, if you are feeding "puppy" specific food, don't feed it for longer than 4-6 months of age.

Ohhhh ok, thanks for explaining that

 

[Kfam]

This is the food I currently have for her. (I’ll attach a photo) Looks like it’s 28%…Im wondering if doing raw in the AM and dry in the afternoon/evening is a good idea? Must be better than ALL dry.. hopefully beneficial enough to make a difference. So far the raw deliveries I’m finding are very pricey, so that’s why I thought of doing it halfway. I think I’ll also look at the dry options mentioned that are below 28%. I also have this omega oil that I picked up to add to the dry food. She’s only been with us 4 days and I swear she feels heavier . i feel like I’m in a race to fill her belly with the best that I can!

 

[Cbrugs]

This is the food I currently have for her. (I’ll attach a photo) Looks like it’s 28%…Im wondering if doing raw in the AM and dry in the afternoon/evening is a good idea? Must be better than ALL dry.. hopefully beneficial enough to make a difference. So far the raw deliveries I’m finding are very pricey, so that’s why I thought of doing it halfway. I think I’ll also look at the dry options mentioned that are below 28%. I also have this omega oil that I picked up to add to the dry food. She’s only been with us 4 days and I swear she feels heavier . i feel like I’m in a race to fill her belly with the best that I can! View attachment 124731View attachment 124732View attachment 124733View attachment 124734View attachment 124735

She is a cutie pie!

They gain weight quickly as growing puppies. One day you’ll wake up and she’ll be twice the size she was lol.

If you do end up feeding raw, for growing puppies the most important thing is to make sure it’s properly balanced, again for growth reasons. When feeding raw to adult dogs, the meals can be balanced over time but puppies need properly balanced meals every time. It’s also important to rotate through at least 3 proteins when feeding raw as different proteins each have different nutritional value. I have personally waited until my dogs were over 1 year to go to raw. If you want to wait, you can still give some raw toppers with the kibble. my 2 girls get some freeze dried raw with their kibble every morning.

Also, I see the current food you are feeding has sweet potatoes. Not all dogs have issues with potatoes but some do as they can feed yeast, if your dog ends up getting yeasty.

And as previously said, it’s always a good idea to rotate proteins regardless of what kibble brand you feed. You can do one flavor at a time so you know if any issues come up and then switch to a different flavor when the bag is done and so on.