This French Bulldog Couldn’t Breathe or Eat—Until One Breakthrough Transformed His Life
The French Bulldog was the most popular dog in the United States for the second year in a row in 2023, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Popularity should be a good thing, but it’s not in the case of Frenchies. Due to the increased demand, unethical breeding practices related to Frenchies have also soared.
One victim of this is Emmett, a 3-year-old Frenchie. This little dog was on the euthanasia list in a shelter when Southern California-based rescue Roadogs Rescue saved him in March 2024. He had an infection and seemed to be neglected by his previous owner.
The rescue provided Emmett with much-needed care and medication. As he got better, his foster parents, Cailee and her boyfriend, Jack, fell in love with him and decided to adopt him.
However, their happiness couldn’t last much long as they noticed Emmett having some breathing issues. At first, they suspected his initial infection to be the cause of his gasping, but the infection cleared, and his situation still didn’t improve. (watch the video below)
Everyday Struggle With Breathing
The innocent dog couldn’t do anything a normal dog does. Emmett couldn’t eat without stopping after every bite to breathe and couldn’t sleep even for a few seconds before remembering to breathe. He also couldn’t be held for a long time because it caused him difficulty in breathing.
Emmett’s parents took him to a specialist, who diagnosed him with Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) and recommended surgery. The specialist also explained that he had recently come across a lot of French Bulldogs suffering from breathing issues and BOAS.
With Roadogs’ help, Emmett went through a BOAS surgery. This surgery didn’t exactly help Emmett, but it gave a lot of insight into the dog’s condition. The surgeon discovered that the little Frenchie’s airway was unusually small, likely due to the breeder’s attempt to create a miniature French Bulldog.
That wasn’t all. Due to Emmett’s small airway, debris in the air would accumulate at a specific spot in his throat. Over time, this buildup led to the formation of a mass in his larynx, ultimately causing him to suffer from laryngeal collapse, which was said to be life-threatening for Emmett by three different doctors.
From BOAS Surgery To Permanent Tracheostomy
If Emmett’s previous owner had done something about his breathing issues and had caught the problem earlier, it wouldn’t have led to this point. The laryngeal collapse is extremely dangerous, and during the surgery, Frenchie developed laryngeal paralysis (a condition that impairs the larynx, leading to reduced ability to breathe deeply and potential airway obstruction). It got to a point where it became dubious that the dog would live through this.
Fortunately, Emmett survived but was re-intubated because of his inability to breathe on his own. However, there was hardly any improvement in Emmett before and after the BOAS surgery. One day, he collapsed in the backyard, moaning and gasping. He was rushed to the emergency surgical center, and his parents were left with no choice but to opt for a permanent tracheostomy (creating a permanent opening in the windpipe or trachea to breathe from the hole).
The combined cost of the dog’s tracheostomy and hospital stay would have been around $13,000 to $17,000. Thankfully, Roadogs decided to help out because this was related to the surgery Emmett had while he was still a foster. So, the rescue helped raise funds for Emmett’s medical needs, and the dog had a successful permanent tracheostomy.
After the surgery, as part of permanent tracheostomy aftercare, his parents had to clear his stoma (breathing hole) every hour for a while. The good news is that Emmett is able to breathe normally for the first time. He doesn’t have to choose between breathing and eating or between deeply sleeping and breathing.
The Frenchie Crisis
Emmett’s situation is just one of the many examples of what French Bulldogs are currently going through. Cailee recounted the surgeon’s words about Emmett, “He’s poorly made and that’s what’s responsible for the issues.” He also added that Frenchies he sees now are vastly different from the dogs of this breed five years ago, referencing to the various breathing problems in French Bulldogs.
Dr. James Cellini, a veterinarian, states, “French Bulldogs are in fact widely considered to be the single most unhealthy dog breed in America often times costing their owners multiple thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.” He explains that respiratory issues is one of the major reasons behind this fact.
Respiratory issues are common among Frenchies because they are brachycephalic. “Brachycephalic dogs and cats have shorter muzzles and more broad and flattened skull shape,” says Dr. Cellini. “These are breeds like boxers, for example, what I like to call lightly brachycephalic. Then there are extreme brachycephalic breeds like French Bulldogs. Their muzzles are often times non-existent, and their faces are completely flattened.”
“When extremely brachycephalic dogs have their muzzles pressed inward, all of that bony cartilaginous tissue inside the muzzle and the skull gets smashed together. Meanwhile, the soft tissues don’t scale down in size appropriately. The end result is that air cannot flow through this structure now, or if it can, it does so with severe turbulence.”
Thus, often times these dogs have to use extra force to breathe and get air through their lungs. Sometimes, this exertion causes snorting noises which are considered cute in these dogs, but they are a health-related issue. This condition where upper airways system is affected in such a way is what’s known as BOAS in dogs.
Treating BOAS or Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome
According to Dr. Cellini, “BOAS has enormous consequences for a dog’s well-being. Imagine living your life with your nose pinched, clothed, and your only source of air being a straw in your mouth. It’s also a progressive condition; it gets worse with time. In some dogs, this condition puts these dogs at risk for life-threatening complications like pneumonia, anesthetic death and often times massively complicates these dogs.”
If your dog has mild BOAS, your dog probably doesn’t need surgical procedures. Then, you may be wondering how to help French Bulldogs breathe better. Here are some of the tips you can follow that are provided by Dr. Brian Collins, an extension veterinarian for the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center:
- Maintain ideal weight in your Frenchies
- Avoid exposing them to excessive heat and humidity
- Minimize their stress and control their activity to avoid panting
- Using a harness is better than a neck collar
In the case of severe BOAS, French Bulldogs require BOAS surgery. According to Cor Veterinary Surgery Services, surgery is used to remove excess tissue blocking the airway. The procedure typically involves three components: Nares resection, which widens the nostrils; Palatoplasty, which shortens and thins the soft palate; and Sacculectomy, which removes the balloon-like structures at the back of the throat called saccules. Most dogs require all three procedures to be performed.
BOAS surgery costs can be pretty high. Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic states that their surgery cost is $4900, so most surgeons will charge around that much for the surgery itself, excluding other costs like hospital stay.
If you’re wondering does pet insurance covers boas surgery, then the answer is complicated. Some insurance companies do cover BOAS surgery, while others do not. You need to check with your insurance provider if they cover the costs of the BOAS surgery to improve your French Bulldog’s breathing or not.
Permanent Tracheostomy
There can be potential complications after BOAS surgery, or it can fail to eradicate the dog’s problem, as in the case of Emmett. Sometimes, even a temporary or permanent tracheostomy in dogs is required to alleviate breathing issues. This can be due to laryngeal collapse, laryngeal paralysis, or laryngeal neoplasia, as per Wag Walking.
Thus, dogs with tracheostomy will have to breathe through the hole in their windpipe for their entire life, which is not any dog’s ideal life. A permanent tracheostomy is not common, and as Emmett’s mom pointed out, a 3-year-old dog shouldn’t have to go through it.
Yet, due to the excessive unethical breeding of Frenchies, who are frequently born with severe respiratory problems, more and more of these dogs have to undergo emergency permanent tracheostomy.
The Dark Side of Most Popular Breed
The problem that Emmett’s dog mom described is that these health problems, and the associated costs, are so overwhelming that the owners end up neglecting and abandoning them, leading to overcrowded shelters. Due to this, many Frenchies have no hope for a future as they are euthanized. This is an unfortunate situation for French Bulldogs, as their popularity is leading them to their deathbed.
The only solution to this crisis is for people to stop purchasing French bulldogs from breeders. Countless Frenchies in shelters desperately seek loving homes and face the risk of euthanasia. To break this cycle, people must commit to adopting from shelters and providing care to these dogs, even those with health issues or shorter lifespans.
Rocky Kanaka, Pet Rescue Advocate, said, “Every year, more than 3.1 million dogs enter the shelter system, and nearly 400,000 of these pups are tragically euthanized.” So, if you want a cute little Frenchie, please adopt and don’t shop.
