English bulldogs

English bulldogs suffer from indiscriminate breeding practice and are predisposed to multiple serious long-term health issues that dramatically reduce their quality of life and shorten their lifespan. 

Many of the symptoms of poor health English bulldogs experience have sadly been normalised, leading to an underrecognition of suffering. Sleeping with their head raised, snoring and exercise intolerance are not normal. English bulldogs are also likely to experience chronic pain and may be unable to perform the natural functions of a dog.

Vital efforts are needed to increase genetic variability and reduce the risk of serious health consequences to improve their welfare. 

Some of these health problems are a result of their appearance, whereas others are a result of inherited disorders. Owning a chronically ill dog can cause significant caregiver burden resulting in emotional distress and financial strain.

English bulldogs suffer from extreme conformations; characterised as an exaggerated body shape, structure, or appearance which can negatively affect their health and welfare.

These include:

• Abnormal size and position of eyelids: Abnormal eyelid size and position causes serious eye problems.

• Bulging, large or protruding eyes: A brachycephalic skull shape can make eye sockets too shallow to adequately house the eyes. This causes Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome (BOS) where multiple eye problems can occur due to facial structure. 

• Brachycephalic skull shape (short and flat): A brachycephalic skull shape can cause Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), eye problems and dental problems. 

• Disproportionately large head and shoulders: These features mean dogs are unable to mate and give birth naturally without human intervention. 

• Face and body skin folds: These cause life-long skin problems which are very painful for dogs who are affected. 

• Screw tail: The malformation of the spine which causes this appearance leads to skin problems around the tail and spinal issues. These cause chronic pain and can affect mobility.

• Undershot jaw: An undershot jaw causes multiple dental problems which can be very painful and prevent dogs from being able to eat.

Learn more about caring for pets with brachycephaly here.

Possible inherited diseases

English Bulldogs are at increased risk of the inherited diseases below. Each of these can seriously impact health and welfare and life-expectancy.

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)

English bulldogs are classified as brachycephalic, which means they have a shortened or flat skull. BOAS refers to the associated respiratory problems that occur as a direct result. It’s a congenital condition that can cause severe health and welfare problems, yet a lot of the symptoms have been normalised leading to an underrecognition of suffering. Many affected animals require surgery to reduce suffering, although it’s not curative and individuals will suffer throughout their entire lives. Learn more about BOAS on our caring for pets with brachycephaly page.

Cleft lip/palate

A cleft lip/palate occurs due to failure of fusion during the embryonic stage. Severity can vary. Those who are most severely affected often die in infancy due to complications that arise as a result, or are euthanised at birth.

Dental disease

Due to the shortness of their snout, English bulldogs’ teeth often become overcrowded, causing dental disease, pain and difficulty eating. If left untreated, it can cause problems with the heart, liver and kidneys.

Entropion

Entropion is the inward folding of the eyelids. Selection for exaggerated physical features such as bulging eyes, skull conformation and skin folds worsen this condition. Inward turned eyelids cause irritation of the eye which is very painful and can cause permanent damage and even sight loss. English bulldogs are prone to eyelash abnormalities such as eyelashes growing inside of the eyelids or folding inwards, which all worsen symptoms. Symptoms include excessive tear production, rubbing the eyes and squinting. Surgery and long-term eye medication and pain relief may be required.

Hemivertebra

Hemivertebra is the abnormal bony development of one or more vertebrae (bones in the spine) and is a direct result of breeding for abnormal corkscrew tails. This condition can cause problems if there is compression of the spinal cord. Dogs will experience pain, difficulty moving or an inability to move their legs and loss of bowel and bladder control. These signs can progress either slowly or rapidly. Dogs who are affected often require complex surgery, from which they may be left with permanent disabilities and pain, dramatically reducing their quality of life. Many affected animals are euthanised to prevent further suffering.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a progressive genetic condition which causes the hip joint to develop abnormally and worsen over time. It can affect dogs of any age and symptoms may not always be apparent. Pain after exercise, reluctance to exercise, difficulty walking up stairs and difficulty lying down or standing up may occur. Controlling exercise, maintaining an ideal body weight, life-long medication and surgery can alleviate symptoms.

Hypoplastic trachea

Hypoplastic trachea is a congenital condition (from birth) preventing the cartilage rings in the neck from developing, leading to a narrow airway. This is often a component of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS, see more above) and a direct result of breeding for an abnormal appearance. Dogs may be affected to varying degrees, with symptoms including noisy and difficult breathing and collapse. As with many other conditions, this has been normalised, and suffering relating to being unable to breathe normally is underrecognised. There’s no possible treatment, although restricted exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight may help.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)

English bulldogs are particularly susceptible to dry eyes due to the abnormal position of their eyes, causing difficulty blinking and eyelash abnormalities, as well as cherry eye. Dry eye occurs due to reduced tear production, causing chronic irritation of the surface of the eye. This painful condition can lead to blindness if untreated. Dogs show discomfort by rubbing their eyes and squinting. Their eyes may be red and there may be discharge in or around the eye. Treatment involves life-long eye medications and pain relief, with surgery often required too

Nictitating membrane abnormalities (cherry eye)

English bulldogs are prone to prolapse of the third eyelid. This causes painful irritation of the eye and can worsen or lead to dry eye. Surgery may be required to resolve this.

Pulmonic stenosis, ventricular septal defect and subaortic stenosis

English bulldogs are predisposed to three types of heart disease: These are all congenital (present from birth), affecting the development of the heart and varying in severity. While often symptom-less, exercise intolerance and shortness of breath are common indicators. A vet will need to undertake multiple tests, such as listening to the heart with a stethoscope. ECGs, radiographs and echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart) will be required to gain a full diagnosis. Life-long medication and complex heart surgery may be required in some circumstances.

Skin fold dermatitis

Skin fold dermatitis, caused when the skin between folds rubs together, trapping moisture and causing bacterial skin infections, is a direct result of selective breeding in English bulldogs. This condition has become normalised for the breed and, sadly, dogs are being bred for more obvious and extreme folds. These commonly occur around the face and tail and is very painful. Treatment will include daily cleaning and medication. In severe circumstances surgery is required to remove the skin folds although this is not curative.

Due to breeding and their appearance, English bulldogs have very high care needs, including:

• Daily cleaning of face and tail skin folds
• Adjusted exercise regimes especially during warm weather
• Increased mental enrichment to account for less physical activity
• Strict calorie controlled diets
• Slow feeders to prevent regurgitation after eating which is common in dogs with brachycephaly
• Daily monitoring for worsening progression of disease
• Administration of daily medication (if prescribed by a veterinary surgeon)
• Additional dental check ups at the vets
• Use of a harness to walk instead of a collar

Life expectancy

A study by the Royal Veterinary College found English bulldogs live an average of 7.4 years. Average English bulldog population life expectancy is estimated to be under 10 years.

There is a high level of variation of lifespan for all dogs. Presently, there are no accurate ways to measure life expectancy due to a lack of data.

Coat length and care

English bulldogs typically have a short, single-layer coat, which requires less grooming than long and double coated hair types. They should be groomed weekly for maintenance and care. Regular grooming maintains a healthy coat, improves hygiene and can help you detect health problems early.

While their coat is relatively low maintenance, their excessive skin, especially around the face and tail, needs daily cleaning to reduce the risk of skin fold dermatitis.

Space requirements

All dogs need somewhere clean, comfortable, quiet and draft free to rest. They’ll need to have regular opportunities to go to the toilet but can live in homes of any size, with or without a garden.

Those who suffer with their mobility will need adaptations around the home such as non-slip flooring and ramps.

Exercise requirements

Due to their physical appearance, English bulldogs experience chronic pain and exercise intolerance which limits their ability to perform natural behaviours such as walking, playing and digging. They’ll still need access to the outside where they can explore, play and meet other dogs (if appropriate) at least once a day. Exercise should be gentle and focus on metal enrichment such as sniffing and training. Carers need to be aware of the signs of exhaustion and prevent this from happening.

Those who are less affected by their physical appearance may be able to manage more physical exertion and tolerate longer walks.

English bulldogs are fourteen times more likely to suffer from heat related illness, therefore no English bulldog should be exercised in warm weather. Warm weather worsens their breathing and can be fatal.

Data from multiple insurance companies estimate the average lifetime costs to be over £22,000, although this can exceed £30,000. Likewise, a study by Glasgow University found that insurance premiums for brachycephalic dogs are four times higher than non-affected dogs.

The average costs* for frequently required surgeries include:

• Over £2912 for BOAS surgery
• Over £1080 for treating eye ulcers
• Over £1072 for the initial cost and £490 for annual continuation claims for treating skin disease

A study by the Royal Veterinary College investigating brachycephalic dog owner experiences found that the median monthly cost for English Bulldogs to be over £200.

According to a Pets4Homes 2026 report, the average advertised price to purchase an English bulldog in 2025 was £1,367.

Use our pet cost calculator to work out minimum monthly costs.

*Data from RSPCA insurance provider, Pinnacle Pet UK, from 2025 data