French Bulldog care calendar

Year-round routine

What a French Bulldog needs on a repeating cadence, whatever the month.

• GroomingClean and dry facial foldsWeekly, more in humid weather

  A damp cloth or unscented wipe, then dry thoroughly — the drying matters more than the cleaning. A dark, yeasty smell in the nose rope means it has already gone too long.

• GroomingCheck tail pocketWeekly

  The recess under a tight screw tail is easy to miss and infects quietly. Some Frenchies do not have a deep pocket; check once and you will know.

• GroomingBrush coatWeekly

  A rubber grooming mitt is enough. Sheds more than the short coat suggests, year-round rather than seasonally.

• GroomingBathEvery 4-6 weeks

  A gentle shampoo; the single coat and folded skin are prone to irritation. Dry the folds afterwards as carefully as after cleaning them.

• GroomingNail trimEvery 3-4 weeks

  Small dog, fast-growing nails, little natural wear indoors.

• ParasitesHeartworm preventiveMonthly, year-round

  The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention rather than a seasonal course, because a missed shoulder month is how most infections get in. Give it on the same date each month.

• ParasitesFlea and tick preventiveMonthly, year-round

  Peak exposure runs spring through late autumn, but fleas overwinter indoors and ticks stay active above about 4 °C, so most vets now advise dosing through the winter as well.

• DentalBrush teethDaily, or at minimum three times a week

  Only pet toothpaste — xylitol and fluoride in human paste are not safe to swallow. Plaque mineralises into tartar in two to three days, which is why twice a week is the floor rather than the target.

• DentalCheck gums and back teethMonthly

  Lift the lip and look at the upper carnassials and the gum line. Red margins, a brown band, or breath that changed recently are the signs worth a call.

• DentalProfessional dental assessmentAt the annual exam

  Your vet grades tartar and gingivitis at the yearly visit and advises when a scale under anaesthetic is due. Most dogs need one somewhere between years three and five.

• WellnessAnnual wellness examYearly

  Book it in the same month each year so it does not drift. Twice yearly from about age seven, when changes move faster than a twelve-month gap can catch.

• WellnessCore vaccinations reviewedYearly review, boosters on your vet's schedule

  Rabies interval is set by local law; distemper/parvo combinations are commonly three-yearly after the initial series. Lifestyle vaccines — leptospirosis, Lyme, kennel cough — depend on where you walk and whether you board.

• WellnessWeigh and body-condition scoreMonthly at home

  You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer, and see a waist from above. Weight creeping up is the single most common thing an owner can fix without a prescription.

• WellnessNail length checkEvery 2 weeks

  If you hear the nails on a hard floor they are long. Overlong nails change how the foot loads and, over years, how the joints above it are loaded too.

• WellnessWeight check — small margins matterMonthly

  A kilo on a 12 kg dog is over 8% of body weight, and extra weight directly worsens both the airway and the spine.

Month by month

The dates that move. Shedding, parasite season and the annual checks worth booking in a particular month.