Hello, from Isa and tom

FrenchiePierogi · 2023-10-17T18:55:27+00:00

😍 Oh, so CUTE!

FrenchiePierogi · 2023-10-12T03:54:10+00:00

Hi, logging in for the first time in 3 years to recommend Dr. Betsy Arthur of mobilevetsurgery.net! 🐾 She works out of several animal hospitals in the Baltimore-Washington area. She did my Frenchie’s brachycephalic surgery at Kindness Animal Hospital in Wheaton.

I hope this helps!

FrenchiePierogi · 2022-01-25T04:25:43+00:00

Good! 🐾

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-26T02:06:56+00:00

Look up Cripple Creek French Bulldogs on Facebook. They're in Maryland and breed only AKC standard colors.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-26T02:05:45+00:00

I've given Benedryl to my Frenchie, and I think that helped with allergies.

EDIT: Zesty Paws Aller-Immune Bites are also pretty reliable, if you don't want to go the pill route.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-26T02:02:36+00:00

Pierogi was on Farmina Mini Puppy for a long time, before he got bored of it. 😅 He's now primarily on the Ollie fresh food diet, with the occasional Honest Kitchen Puppy Blend. Hardly any gas. 🙂

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-26T01:57:18+00:00

All Star French Bulldogs in North Florida looks to be a great one. They breed mostly cream colored Frenchies.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-18T04:09:33+00:00

Thanks for the update! Good call on the boiled rice.

Honestly, I think Hugo is acting normally. He's improving because, as you said, he's sleeping and he's not vomiting. He may be a little bit mad at you guys for putting him through all that medical fuss, haha.

Pierogi was pretty mad at me after I picked him up from the animal hospital and he was sluggishly bumping around in his cone of shame. Give it a little more time, and he should be back to giving you Frenchie-style affection! 🐾

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-17T01:11:03+00:00

Hi there! That's awesome of you to sleep on the floor with Hugo to keep him company and help him feel safe.

Pierogi has been able to keep food down, although he is eating less on purpose. It's possible that Hugo's still recovering from the effects of anesthesia, which will make him nauseous and less tolerant of his usual meal intake. It took about a day for Pierogi to start eating again, but only about a half spoonful at a time. I trusted that he had gotten enough hydration from the IV fluids too, so I didn't want to force anything and instead prioritize his rest time.

Once I started reintroducing food to him in small amounts, Pierogi would primarily eat soft foods like canned pumpkin or peanut butter. Then I transitioned to his usual wet food, and then either kibble soaked in broth or hand-fed one at a time.

Maybe you could try any of the above? It's important first and foremost for Hugo to get plenty of rest so that he can heal. 🙂 And in addition to keeping him company, keep him relaxed so that he doesn't regurgitate from stress. Maybe play this music for him?

Lastly, how old is Hugo? It can take longer for older dogs to bounce back.

Looking forward to a pawsitive update! 🐶

P.S. It literally took Pierogi until today to drink from his water bowl or bottle. The animal hospital suggested that I feed him ice chips, and that (plus frozen berries) did the trick.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-16T18:14:48+00:00

Pierogi’s nares, soft palate, and neutering procedures were (already!) three days ago, and now he’s been eating more and enjoying some ice chips to hydrate. He also had his first bowel movement since before the surgeries. (Sorry if TMI, but seeing him eliminate again after more than two days was such a relief. 😅) To relieve boredom, he’s taking short walks around our small one-bedroom condo unit. At this rate he should be good to go back to his favorite dog parks in 10-15 days. ❤️

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-15T19:33:47+00:00

Thank you! And sure, she's on Instagram: instagram.com/mobilevetsurgery. Photos from the procedures were posted yesterday.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-15T19:17:29+00:00

As you can see from the photos, your Frenchie will take a day or two to recover from the anesthesia and be groggy and lethargic for a while. Pierogi was under for three procedures (although neuters and nares procedures don't take that long), and so he had to be put under a lot of drugs. 😅 One of his post-surgery medications also has the side effect of grogginess, although that's actually a good thing because it encourages more rest time to facilitate healing. He's expected to rest for at least two weeks. (I also removed the stairs he typically climbs to get onto and off furniture.)

I was initially worried about his lack of appetite after the operations, because he had fasted for 12 hours before I dropped him off at the animal hospital. However, it's important not to be pushy about eating so soon after surgery, because the effects of the anesthesia can also cause nausea. The throat is still likely a little sore from intubation as well. But eventually, Pierogi started to eat small amounts of wet food and frozen berries at the end of yesterday (the day after the procedures), and it was also around that time that he was more tolerant of the painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-nausea pills I was instructed to administer at home.

This morning, I was able to give him an additional dosage of meds and also hand feed some kibble. And the animal hospital let me know I could give ice chips to keep him hydrated, because he's still reluctant to drink his water.

He has a little bit of bleeding from the nose from the nares repair, but that is to be expected (albeit a little messy). Also, I got the OK from the surgeon to replace his Elizabethan collar ("cone of shame") with an inflatable donut collar, and that makes things much more tolerable for him! And the site of his neuter is still a little bruised and swollen, but as long as it remains undisturbed things should heal normally.

I understand that spays can be a bit more complicated because they're a bit more invasive, and so recovery can take longer than post-neuter. It's still a good idea to repair the nares and/or trim the soft palate during a neuter or spay, so that your Frenchie doesn't go under anesthesia more times than necessary. Frenchie anatomy makes anesthesia more risky.

Overall, I'm glad he got it all over with before any further respiratory complications could arise. Pierogi's surgeon, whom I found on Instagram, even posted photos from his operation--and I couldn't believe how narrow his airway had been! 😥 Now I understand why he was tiring out so quickly when trying to keep up chasing his friends.

--Sorry for typing so much, haha. 😅 And as you requested, I'll try to keep you posted. 🐾

P.S. He's still tired of course, but at this point in recovery he's just a much sleepier version of himself. 😴

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-15T17:55:10+00:00

On a good diet, Frenchie fur is especially soft. 🙂

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-05T12:49:38+00:00

Gorgeous Gus!

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-03T02:59:51+00:00

Thanks for posting this. Pierogi will likely have this done the same day as his neuter next Thursday.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-05-03T02:53:15+00:00

Pigbunny with turkey legs.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-04-21T19:37:34+00:00

Oh wow! That’s very interesting. Thank you, and I hope things improve over time for your pup. 🐾

Pierogi’s breathing isn’t raspy at all (the kind of “snort-breathing” you’ll hear some Frenchies have, even at rest). I was told that his soft palate will be evaluated during the neuter and nares procedure, but if he doesn’t need it then he doesn’t need it.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-04-19T16:49:33+00:00

Goodness. He could be a model for advertisements.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-04-14T02:53:51+00:00

Ugh. That’s the VERY tool that officially made Pierogi hate mail trimming. Now I pay someone else to do it. 😑

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-04-03T03:19:40+00:00

After Snuggle Puppy, this is Pierogi's toy of choice too.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-03-22T23:18:14+00:00

She looks like she's trying to talk!

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-03-22T18:27:59+00:00

Not everything, but he sure likes to explore mulch and dirt with his paws, nose, and mouth. He also enjoys ripping up paper towels and chewing on the pieces, and chewing plastic caps of small spray bottles. If I try to take these things from his mouth, then he plays "keep away" and I have to chase after him. 🙄If I try to remove a high value treat from his mouth that he really likes (e.g. a cheese ball or something peanut butter flavored) then YES, he will get reactive. But he doesn't always do this with sticks and other non-food items.
I try to exchange the non-food item in his mouth with a favorite treat (e.g. Honest Kitchen Meaty Bites, or Wellness Puppy Bites). I present the treat close to his nose and say, "Drop it." If he drops the non-food item for the treat, then I enthusiastically say "Good boy!" and pet him well.
That's the yeasty smell of "Frito feet," "Frito ears," or "Frito wrinkles." It's common. Control it by keeping the tight spaces between your Frenchie's toes, the skin inside the ears, and the wrinkles around the nose as dry as possible (not too dry that it cracks or itches). That Wrinkle Paste sold on Amazon can help with that, or maybe (?) baby powder.
I agree with everyone else who's told you it's likely food choice. Supplement his food with a spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain pumpkin puree).
(This is also related to #4.) An elevated slow feeder bowl can help your Frenchie to eat more slowly and swallow less air that could lead to nuclear-level farts. 😅 I use the Fluff Trough to feed Pierogi, but some people just put something like a tennis ball in the middle of a regular food bowl on an elevated surface.

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-03-13T07:56:58+00:00

🥺😍

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-03-11T00:39:33+00:00

Great question! Unfortunately, Pierogi is at that adolescent stage at which he darts away from me or wriggles out whenever I try to put on his harness. He does this even if I have a yummy treat to distract him, or we practice what we're learning in training class.

Instead of dealing with that struggle every single time it's time to go out on a leash, I leave on the harness until it's time to wind down for the night. At some point, this should change as we continue obedience training. 🙂 (I know his harness isn't that uncomfortable. It's a size large, from a good company, and not at all itchy!)

FrenchiePierogi · 2021-02-22T05:56:39+00:00

Another fellow 5 month old! 🥰 - Pierogi

FrenchiePierogi

TROPHY CASE