You may see his tongue hanging out, and he may have drool or saliva hanging from the jowls.
Your bulldog also may start to choke due to the coughing or lack of air. Your bulldog may also snort or make snoring sounds when breathing.
Your dog may show more physical limitations in hot, humid weather.
Your dog may also be reluctant to move or walk. Your dog may also sit with the elbows held away from the body.
Due to this distress, your dog may collapse with heavy breathing.
The respiratory problems that affect the bulldog is referred to bracycephalic respiratory syndrome. This refers to the general respiratory problems that bulldogs have due to their upper airway abnormalities. Almost every bulldog suffers from some symptoms of bracycephalic respiratory syndrome. This means that monitoring for the following symptoms is especially important to protect your dog.
If the dog is severely distressed, the vet may give the dog treatment to stabilize his breathing and put him in an oxygen tent until he is out of danger. [7] X Research source
Your vet will probably press on the windpipe to get your dog to cough. He may also check the gums to look for discoloration to check for a lack of oxygen. Getting a clear view of the back of the throat requires an anesthetic. The vet then uses a laryngoscope to examine the soft palate, size of the tonsils, and how crowded the throat area is.
Your vet may also do an ultrasound to check the lungs and heart.
When you see that your dog has respiratory distress, stop him from any physical activity immediately. Keep him calm so you can try to regulate his breathing. If you are outside, take your dog inside. If you can’t get inside quickly, get your dog into a cooler, shaded area. Place cool wet rags on your dog to help lower his body temperature.
Limit your dog’s heavy exercise and his excitability. These things lead to fast breathing and panting, which is more difficult for your bulldog. Keep your bulldog out of the heat. Excessive heat can worsen his breathing problems. [11] X Research source
Narrow nostrils. The nostrils of the bulldog are often narrow and either completely closed or mere slits, instead of having nice wide open nostrils like other breeds. Compressed nasal passages. The shortened bony case of the nose means the dog lacks the normal filtering mechanism of the nasal turbinates. Filtering serves to warm cold air when it’s breathed in and to filter out dust. Long soft palate. A fleshy shelf called the soft palate divides the nose from the mouth. Given the shortened nature of the dog’s nose and mouth, the soft palate takes up more room than it should and tends to block the entrance to the windpipe, causing choking episodes from time to time. Large tonsils. The dog’s tonsils tend to enlarge to cope with the unfiltered area. The tonsils sit in the throat just above the entrance to the windpipe. When they are enlarged, they can restrict airflow into the windpipe. Narrow windpipes. Bulldogs have a syndrome where the windpipe has a narrower diameter, again making it hard to breath.
