The English bulldog is a lovable, loyal animal. Many children are introduced to bulldogs as tough, bully-like dogs, but in reality, they are just as loving as any other dog. They may look funny, but beauty is only skin deep, right?

Despite their tough appearance, bulldogs are as prone to the risks and dangers that other dogs are exposed to. What are the things that we should avoid, if we want to keep our bulldogs safe from harm?

10. Holidays

It might come as a surprise, but yes, holidays can be toxic for your dog. Christmas may be a time of cheer and goodwill, but if you’re careless, you may find yourself rushing your bulldog to the veterinarian instead of enjoying pudding and ham.

Keep Christmas plants around like mistletoes and poinsettias out of reach from your bulldog. They tend to be toxic for canines. You should also keep wrappers and tinsel away from your dog, because these tend to either be poisonous to your dog, or get stuck in their intestines.

9. Hypothermia

If you live in an area that gets snow, you should watch out. Your dog, despite the fur, is vulnerable to the cold.

The cold plus the high winds can get your dog sick, if not dead, no matter how thick their fur is.

If possible, try to keep your dog indoors. This is hard because there are many dogs that are not trained to stay indoors. Fortunately, bulldogs are relatively safe to leave in your kitchen or an indoor kennel. If you don’t want to bring your bulldog indoors, though, then you better make sure that your dog has shelter from the cold outside.

8. Stairway to Heaven

This is an often overlooked problem, but stairs can hurt for your bulldog. If you can fall off the stairs and end up with broken bones,

what’s stopping your bulldog from getting injured the same way? The problem with your pet is that he can’t walk up to you and tell you that he’s hurt. Bulldogs are proud animals and try to mask their injury. It may an evolutionary trait; the display of injury shows that the animal is weak and is easier prey.

One way to keep your bulldog – puppy or otherwise – away from the stairs is by installing a pet gate on your stairs. It’s usually better to keep your bulldog off the stairs, but if he still manages to somehow make a dive from the steps, the pet gate can catch him before he hurts himself.

7. Human Medicine

Common sense should tell you that human medicine is not intended for dogs, but unfortunately, this is a fact that many people do not realize.

A drug that’s good for you is not necessarily good for your bulldog, even in smaller doses. Human medicine can not only poison your pets, but also damage their tissues. Keep your dog away from your medicine, and make sure to ask veterinarians first before giving your dog any medication. If you want to play veterinarian, keep it to plush dolls, please!

6. Antifreeze

Antifreeze, the thing found in most of our garages, is lethal for dogs. You might expect your bulldog to steer clear of the foreign, toxic liquid, but the bad thing about antifreeze is that dogs find it irresistibly sweet.

Just like humans, they also can’t resist eating something that tastes nice even if it is bad for them!

When your bulldog has ingested antifreeze, he’ll look like he’s drunk, but will get better soon. Don’t be fooled – your dog’s kidneys will start failing soon after, and then your dog will fall unconscious. The only thing you can do to save your dog is to bring him to the veterinarian.

The best way to keep your dog from getting poisoned is to keep him away from antifreeze. Don’t keep your dog in places where he might have access to antifreeze, and always make sure that your dog has a lot of water to drink.

5. Overheating

Dogs can’t sweat. They can’t cool their bodies down the way we do. Heat easily gets trapped in their body, making them more prone to overheating.

Overheating is actually a major cause for concern for canines, especially for the breeds raised for colder climates.

Don’t leave your bulldog in temperatures that you yourself can’t stand. If you feel warm under that kind of heat, then your furry friend should be feeling it even more. If you do have to tie them up outside, make sure that they have enough shelter to keep shaded, and that they have a lot of water to keep them hydrated.

4. Toxic Beauty

Your garden may be lovely to look at, but it can pose a big danger to your bulldog’s life.

Before you decide what you are putting in your garden, read up on how these items and chemicals can affect your pet.

Cocoa mulch, for example, is bad for your dog’s health, as are some fertilizers and most pesticides. There are plants, like daffodils, that are toxic for dogs. You may not know it, but your bulldog also eats grass and leaves, because they are good at settling his upset stomachs. It is very easy for him to eat something that’s lethal in your garden.

3. Candy

We like spoiling our dogs and treating them to nicer food than their usual when they behave well. We are the same, after all – when we’re happy, we eat good food to celebrate, and we like sharing that with our dogs.

Please, keep your chocolates and other sugary snacks away from your dogs. If you want to treat your bulldog, get him a big dog biscuit, not chocolate. Chocolate is bad for your dog because it has caffeine that’s bad for their hearts and digestive system. It can give them diarrhea, or even worse, kill them.

2. Roadkill

One of the greatest fears of any bulldog owners is their pet getting hit by a car. No matter how big your dog is, he is no match against a car.

Many pets die from car accidents every year, and while not all of them will kill your pet, they will all hurt your dog one way or another.

If your bulldog gets hit by a car, make sure to bring him to the veterinarian immediately. The damages can be severe, and it’s better to be safe than to be sorry later on when you find that your dog has died from broken bones.

Make sure to follow traffic rules and animal safety advises. Most places require dog owners to keep their dogs leashed to them. You may not like tying your bulldog up, but it’s his for his own good.

1. Table Scraps

Between this and getting run over by a car, the latter option is, of course, more horrible. However, we’re more likely to feed table scraps to our dog, so it does pose a greater risk than traffic.

It’s hard for people to not give in to their dogs when heask them for table scraps.

We are always told that if we loved our dog, we wouldn’t indulge them, but like mothers to their children, it’s very hard to resist. After all, they’re so cute! The phrase ‘puppy eyes’ exists for a reason.

Not everything on your table is bad for your dog, so it IS actually safe to give them little things when you absolutely can’t resist the look. For example, your bulldog can probably use some green, leafy vegetables in him, or even whole grains. What you do have to remember is that there are many food items that are very good for us, but are very bad for them.

These items include avocados, onions, nutmeg, preservatives, salt, grapes, tomatoes, and chocolate. Any of these can cause your dog to get very, very sick, or even die. Table scraps may seem harmless, but they actually pose a threat to your dog.

 

We all love our bulldogs, and we would like to keep them in good health as much as possible. These ten are not the only dangers you should watch out for when it comes to keeping your pet safe, but these are the most common. Remember that when in doubt, the person you should call is your veterinarian.