“Brachycephalic Dogs And Grooming”
Brachycephalic dogs are dogs with short-ended skulls and flat faces.
Breeds include: Bulldog. French Bulldog, Pug, Boston Terrier, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, and Boxers.
These breeds require specialized grooming care due to their flat faces and breathing issues.
Some of these breeds have prominent skin folds that need to be cleaned daily and fully dried as these skin folds can trap moisture and bacteria if not properly cleaned and dried which can lead to infections.
Especially for cleaning their skin folds daily use gentle dog shampoo like hypoallergenic, oatmeal, or puppy unscented shampoo.
When bathing Bulldogs and French Bulldogs it is recommended due to their high chances of allergies and their sensitive skin you should always use hypoallergenic or sensitive skin shampoo on them.
Keep an eye out for any redness, odors, or irritation of the skin in the skin folds and contact your vet if you notice any of these symptoms!
If this happens continue with keeping the skin folds clean and dry, also using medicated wipes or antibiotic cream or medication depending on what your vet recommends!
These areas are also prone to yeast infections which will absolutely need a vet.
When drying it is extremely important to be very cautious when drying them!
Do NOT blow dry their faces, if you have to use a blow dryer make sure to dry as best as you can with a towel first and avoid the face at all costs as blowing air in their face can cause more breathing problems.
It is best not to use a blow dryer on these dogs, if you use a crate dryer make sure it is not heated and that they are able to breathe comfortably.
Using a fan or air drying is the best and safest option when dealing with brachycephalic dogs!
These breeds are very prone to overheating so make sure to watch them closely during the entire grooming process to make sure they dont overheat and keep the temperature as cool as possible.
Along with overheating they can get stressed out easily as well and with their breathing issues that can be detrimental so watch for signs of stress during the grooming process as well.
Their short noses can lead to dental problems so regular teeth cleaning at least every 21 days when you bring them in for their baths add on the teeth brushing service!
With these breeds floppy ears are also a very common trait so ear cleaning is especially important to avoid ear infections!
When walking or grooming using a harness or a figure 8 groomers holder is better than a collar or a regular groomers helper that goes around the neck and can put pressure on their windpipe causing them not to get enough oxygen.
Keep an eye on them for signs of distress such as panting heavily, difficulty breathing, or lethargy.
Your groomer should be experienced with brachycephalic breeds and should know the signs and proper handling of these breeds and should stop grooming and call you the second there is any sign of distress!
If you have any more grooming questions please feel free to send them over to groomer@woofznwagz.com and we will post it!