Bullmastiff Care

Care of your Bullmastiff

    This is a list of the more common complaints that Bullmastiffs may suffer from. As with any breed, there is a wide variety of problems that your dog may suffer due to genetics or environment, with prevention and/or early detection being the key to a happy, healthy life for your dog. Getting the health history of the parents of your pup, helps to 'weed out' some of these problems.

1. Hip Dysplasia – As with any large to very large breed, hip dysplasia is a problem.
2. Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) - A specific form of inflammation of the cartilage of
     certain joints which causes arthritis, in the elbows can be particularly bad.
3. Entropion – Rolling in of the eye lids (can be corrected with relatively simple surgery)
4. Distichiasis - Abnormally growing eyelashes.
5. Pymeatra – Infection of the uterus (in some cases can cause infertility)
6. Bloat – A condition where the stomach produces excessive amounts of gas and enlarges
     severely enough to cause death without immediate treatment.

      While this may seem a large list, it should be remembered that the occurrences of some of the above conditions is rare. Hip Dysplasia probably being the most common condition.
      As far as the breed as a whole, it is said to have very few commonly occurring medical problems as far as vet science books are concerned.

     PUPPIES, ESPECIALLY, NEED A GOOD BALANCE DIET DURING THEIR GROWTH STAGES (UP TILL ABOUT 18 MONTHS FOR A BULL MASTIFF). GOOD QUALITY COMMERCIAL PUPPY DIETS ARE RECOMMENDED AS THEY ARE NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED AND HIGH IN THE NECESSARY VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
      YOUR PUPPY NEEDS TO BE FED 3 TIMES A DAY UNTIL 12 WEEKS OF AGE, AND THEN TWICE DAILY THEREAFTER. FRESH, CLEAN WATER MUST BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
      ADDITIONAL FOODS FOR YOUR PUPPY CAN INCLUDE ROLLED OATS, RICE,
LIGHTLY COOKED MINCE (NOT PET MINCE), EGGS (LIGHTLY COOKED), VEGETABLES AND FRUIT (BUT DO NOT FEED SEEDS, CORES – INCLUDING CORN COBS – OR AVOCADOS).
      WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR PUPPIES DIET, DO IT GRADUALLY. SUDDEN DIETARY CHANGES CAN CAUSE DIGESTION PROBLEMS AND DIARRHOEA. PLEASE ENSURE YOUR PUPPY IS FED A HEALTHY, BALANCED DIET AT ALL TIMES.
      VITAMIN C IS A VERY USEFUL VITAMIN. MANY SOURCES REPORT THAT IT HELPS MINIMIZE STRESS IN TIMES OF GROWTH AND ANXIETY, IT HELPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORMAL HEALTHY JOINTS, AND BEST OF ALL IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERDOSE ON VITAMIN C. YOUR GROWING PUP CAN BE GIVEN 1000mg OF VITAMIN C DAILY. IT IS ALSO USEFUL IN TIMES OF STRESS, eg: WHEN TRAVELLING LONG DISTANCES, OR BY PLANE, WHEN IN PUP, FIRST SHOW, ETC.
      NEVER OVERFEED, OR ALLOW YOUR PUP TO GET TOO FAT, AS TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON A GROWING PUP CAN PUT STRESS ON HIS LITTLE JOINTS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS, SUCH AS HIP DYSPLASIA AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASES.

PUPPY DIET/NUTRITION

TO KEEP YOUR DOG'S SKIN HEALTHY, YOU MUST FIRST FEED HIM A HEALTHY DIET, THEN KEEP HIM FREE OF PARASITES SUCH AS FLEAS & TICKS, ETC. USE ONLY RECOMMENDED SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS WHEN
BATHING YOUR DOG, AS SOME TREATMENT PRODUCTS AVAILABLE CANNOT BE USED ON YOUNG PUPS/DOGS & SOAP CAN DRY THEIR SKIN & COATS,
CAUSING PROBLEMS.
IF YOUR DOG DEVELOPS WET SORES THAT HE KEEPS SCRATCHING AT, THIS IS PROBABLY A 'HOT SPOT'. THOUGH HOT SPOTS HAVE SEVERAL CAUSES, ONE
FAIRLY COMMON ONE SEEMS TO BE ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURS AND
PRESERVATIVES IN THEIR FOOD. FOR THIS REASON, TRY AND BUY A GOOD QUALITY DOG FOOD WITH NONE OF THESE ADDITIVES. THIS IS A FAIRLY MINOR, THOUGH UNSIGHTLY, CONDITION, AND THERE IS A VARIETY OF TREATMENTS FOR HOT SPOTS - YOUR VET WILL ADVISE.

SKINCARE

EXERCISE

    AS WITH MOST OF THE LARGE BREEDS, BULLMASTIFFS NEED LITTLE OR NO FORMAL EXERCISE, UNTIL 12-18 MONTHS OF AGE. AS THEIR BONES ARE
GROWING AT A VERY RAPID RATE, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT THEY DON'T HARM THEMSELVES BY JUMPING, CLIMBING OR VIGOROUS PLAYING WITH AN OLDER DOG, UNTIL THEY ARE 12-18 MONTHS OLD.
     IF YOU TAKE YOUR YOUNG PUP/DOG FOR A LEISURELY WALK, BE SURE TO TAKE NOTICE WHEN HE BEGINS TO TIRE, SO YOU CAN END THE EXERCISE WHEN HE NEEDS TO.
     AFTER THEY MATURE, THEY ARE BUILT LIKE A TANK, AND THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE HAD ENOUGH EXERCISE.

SOCIALIZATION

    STRONG BONDS ARE FORMED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. THE PATTERNS SET IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF A DOG'S LIFE ARE VITAL TO THE DOG'S ADULT BEHAVIOUR. SOCIALIZATION WITH PEOPLE AND OTHER DOGS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ANY DOG AT AN EARLY AGE. THERE ARE MANY PUPPY SOCIALIZATION CLASSES, DOG OBEDIENCE CLASSES, OR JUST TAKING YOUR PUP TO A BUSY PARK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH A DOG WITH A HAPPY, HEALTHY ATTITUDE FOR PUBLIC LIFE.
     PLAY, PARTICULARY WITH CHILDREN, IS AN INVIGORATING AND STIMULATING FORM OF EXERCISE AND SOCIALIZATION, BUT REMEMBER, PUPS NEED A BREAK FROM ENERGETIC AND PLAYFUL CHILDREN TO PREVENT THEM FROM BECOMING TIRED, SNAPPY OR AGGRESSIVE.
     BULLMASTIFFS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR TOLERANCE AND LOVE OF CHILDREN, BUT AS WITH ANY BREED OF DOG, ADULT SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES.

EYES

EYES SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN AND FREE OF BUILDUP. IF YOUR DOG HAS CONSTANTLY WEEPING EYES, IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS - WIND, DUST, ALLERGIES, OR MORE SERIOUSLY, ENTROPIAN. A LITTLE BIT OF SLEEP IS NORMAL. IF CONCERNED, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VET.

HEALTH CONDITIONS

GENERAL CARE

IMMUNIZATION:
          6 - 8 WEEKS OLD (DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, PARVOVIRUS)
       10 - 12 WEEKS OLD (DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, PARVO, KENNEL COUGH)
       14 - 16 WEEKS OLD (DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, PARVO, KENNEL COUGH)
ANNUAL BOOSTERS ARE REQUIRED THEREAFTER.

WORMING: YOUR PUP SHOULD BE WORMED AT 2,4,6,8 AND 12 WEEKS OF AGE, THEN MONTHLY TO 6 MONTHS, THEN WORM YOUR DOG EVERY 3 MONTHS THEREAFTER, ALWAYS USING A GOOD QUALITY WORMER e.g DRONTAL ALLWORMER.

HEARTWORM: DAILY, MONTHLY OR YEARLY PREVENTION IS AVAILABLE IN THE FORM OF TABLETS, SYRUPS, CHEWABLE TREATS, TOP SPOT APPLICATIONS OR BY AN ANNUAL NEEDLE. YOU CAN START YOUR PUPPY ON HEARTWORM PREVENTION BETWEEN THE AGE OF 6 - 12 WEEKS.

DESEXING: DESEXING OF DOGS NOT INTENDED FOR BREEDING IS RECOMMENDED. IT HELPS PREVENT ROAMING AND FIGHTING HABITS DEVELOPING IN MALE DOGS AND REDUCES THE RISK OF MAMMARY TUMOURS IN FEMALES IF DESEXED BEFORE 3 YEARS OF AGE. DESEXING IS BEST DONE BEFORE 6 MONTHS OF AGE. HAVING YOUR DOG DESEXED WHILE THEY ARE YOUNG DOGS, DOES NOT MEAN IT WILL GET FAT & LAZY. THAT DEPENDS ON HOW THEY ARE FED & EXERCISED. IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR A BITCH TO HAVE A HEAT OR A LITTER OF PUPS BEFORE SHE IS DESEXED.