French Bulldog

Watch firstBrachycephalic airway syndrome

Snoring, noisy breathing at rest, a bluish tongue, fainting on exercise. This is not “just the breed” and not a cute quirk: the dog is short of air. Excess weight makes breathing worse than anything else, and heat and stuffiness are directly dangerous.

Watch firstPoor heat tolerance

In a Kazakh summer this is the breed’s main risk. Walk early morning and late evening, always carry water, never leave the animal in a car. Signs of overheating: rapid panting with the tongue out, drooling, an unsteady gait. Heatstroke kills in minutes, not hours.

Keep in mindIntervertebral disc disease

A yelp when picked up, a hunched back, wobbly hind legs. This is an emergency: from the moment the legs give out, the clock runs in hours. Prevention is simple and it works — no jumping off the sofa or down stairs, and no extra weight.

Keep in mindSkin fold dermatitis

The folds of the face and tail stay damp and get infected: redness, a bad smell, the animal rubbing its face. Prevention is wiping the folds dry regularly, not shampooing them every day.

Keep in mindAtopic dermatitis

Itching without fleas: paws, belly, ears. The dog licks its paws rusty-brown, shakes its head, the ears keep flaring up. Food usually gets the blame while the cause is pollen, dust mites or mould. This is one for a dermatologist, not for changing food at random.

A predisposition means a probability, not a disease. Most animals of these breeds live their lives without any of it. We do not diagnose: the list is here so you know what to ask your vet at a routine check-up and which signs not to write off as old age.