Arnie the Frenchie: the saddest story I have ever told

Arnie on his way home from his transatlantic trip to Germany

I get a lot of sad emails but none sadder that this email I got from French Bulldog owner Heather Hanna two days ago.

I want to reach out and say thank you. Your courage to speak out and your insight into pedigree dogs and dog breeding have completely changed my outlook on brachycephalic breeds. I have three frenchies of my own and do French bulldog rescue here in America. For many years, I had accepted the serious health issues that brachycephalic dogs suffer as being okay, because they are “normal” for the breed. I thought snoring was normal. In fact, I used to be fond of explaining to people that it had become my white noise. I thought reverse sneezing fits were normal. I don’t think I fully considered why these little guys overheat, but rather acknowledged it as a fact of life. I used to moisturize their little noses and wipe their butts without question. So many more issues that I believed to be incidental in owning a bully. I was wrong. I now find it appalling.  

About a year ago, all of that began to change when I received a little guy who suffers from severe brachycephalic airway syndrome. All my frenchies suffer in various degrees, none of which are acceptable, but he was an especially severe case because he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t play … His name is Arnie and he should have never been born.  

Arnie used to be an AKC show dog and he was winning lots of shows – that is until he could no longer keep weight for the show ring. So his breeders gave him up. They told me the problem is that he was a picky eater. I had no idea what I was in for, but picky eating wasn’t the problem.  

Arnie had a successful show career

For the first year and a half of his life, Arnie’s breeders kept him on prednisone to try and cover up his health problems, so they could continue to show and breed him. Apparently this is somewhat common. I noticed something was off with him almost immediately. If he laid down to try and sleep, he would begin to asphyxiate, so he tried to sleep standing or sitting up or with his head propped on something.  

His breathing was like a roll of thunder every time he inhaled or exhaled. It was nauseating. He would often pester me in the middle of the night to wake up. I think he got scared when he couldn’t catch his breath. I used to sit and hold him and cry because I couldn’t do anything to help him. Sometimes he would simply collapse from what I assume was exhaustion and urinate himself, just to stand back up and try to sleep. He could barely keep food or water down, which explains the “picky eater” excuse his breeders gave.  

I took him to some of the best veterinarians and vet schools here in America to try and figure out a solution. He already had his palate shortened, his nares opened, and his saccules removed, but he still couldn’t breathe. They kept suggesting he have another palate surgery, except logic told me that wasn’t the answer and started teaching myself about brachycephalia.  

Long story short is, I ran across a paper written by Dr. Oechtering from Germany. From there, I found your BBC piece. I contacted Dr. Oechtering and begged him to see my Frenchie. He eventually agreed and I took the dog to Germany in January. My only other option at that point was euthanasia.

Unfortunately Arnie went into cardiac arrest about half way through the surgery. It took them 20 minutes to resuscitate him. He remained in critical condition for the following 24 hours and doctors volunteered to stay at the clinic to ensure he pulled through. Dr. O told me that Arnie had one of the most obstructed airways he has ever seen.   

I don't know what I expected when I took Arnie to Germany, but I never expected the results to be this life changing - for the better. He went from having to fight for each and every breath, to being able to breathe easy. It is like my little guy woke up from a nightmare. His eyes changed - there is a light in them now that was once missing. He could barely make a brief walk out to potty before and now he can run and play. The first time I ever saw him play was about a month after the surgery. I broke down and cried grateful tears. He still has a losing battle ahead and the worst part is that he is far from being the only one. A terrible injustice has been done to these brachy breeds for purely aesthetic reasons by breeders past and present and kennel clubs worldwide.  

Arnie with Professor Oechtering in Leipzig

While in Germany, they did an MRI. Turns out, he also has syringomyelia. The only reason I knew anything about this disease is from your documentary, from the segment on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I was sick. I am still sick. This diagnosis explains several symptoms that I had either written off as allergies, i.e., the air scratching, or other funny behaviours like when the weather changes or bunny-hop on lead, as well as his head tilt, which I thought was a side effect of scoliosis. I now know that the head tilt is one possible symptom of syringomyelia and I've seen other Frenchies with it.

Being in rescue, I see a lot of puppy mills mamas, but also a lot of Frenchies from families who can no longer afford their health care. I have been active in several Frenchie groups – online, local groups, and from the sidelines in the show ring, but anymore all I can see when I look at these dogs are stenotic nares and stubby bodies – basically ticking time bombs.

From my experience, many veterinarians seem to be almost as clueless as owners about the extent of the problems that come with breeding these “cute” dogs. Right now there is another American Frenchie in Germany for the same surgeries. I can’t believe I ever thought this was acceptable. Never again.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication in educating people like me about the realities. Know it doesn’t always fall on deaf ears.

Arnie is two years old.

Why did Heather take Arnie to Germany for treatment?

Professor Gerhard Oechtering at the University of Leipzig believes that the 'traditional' soft-palate surgery for brachycephalics is no longer sufficient because the dogs have become more extreme. He has pioneered a new procedure in which he uses a laser to remove some of the nasal turbinates. These are scrolls of spongey bones that aid respiration but they are scrunched in brachycephalics, affecting the dogs' ability to breathe and - critically - to thermo-regulate. This is why short-muzzled dogs overheat so easily.

You can see the turbinates (also called conchae) clearly in these three skulls. The first is a wolf's.

This (below) is what a pit-bull type's turbinates look like.

And this (below)  is what a brachycephalic dog's look like (in this instance a Pug's).  Note , too, the severe deviation of the nasal septum in the middle.

Skull pictures courtesy of Gina Gray

More info on Professor Oechtering's work  here and here.