Cardiorespiratory and haematologicalparameters of healthy french bulldogs

Abstract

Brachycephalic dogs have a normal lower jaw and a receded upper jaw, and these dogs are predisposed to nostril stenosis, elongated palate, tracheal hypoplasia and hyperthermia due to heat stress. Giventhese characteristics, these dogs are more predisposed to respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. The popularity of brachycephalic dogsthathave a greatertendency for cardiorespiratory disorders, such as French bulldogs,has increased recently; however, studies on the cardiorespiratoryand haematological parameters in this breedare lacking. Thus, the present study sought to evaluatethe cardiorespiratory and haematological parameters of healthy French bulldogs to standardize normal values forthisbreed. Thirty-six French bulldogs wereused without predilection for age or sex, and the following parameters were evaluated: temperature (T), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), erythrogram, leukogram, total plasma protein, plasmatic fibrinogen, blood platelet count, urea, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The mean and standard deviation wereas follows: T°C (38.3±0.4), HR (111.1±27.0) beats per minute, RR (54.8±32.5) breaths per minute, erythrocyte count (7.3±1.2x106), haemoglobin (16.9±2.8 g/dL), haematocrit (48.9±7.7%), MCV (67.6±2.4fL), MCH (23.3±0.7 pg), MCHC (34.6±0.8%), RDW-CV (9.3±0.9; 9.2-12.0%), total leukocytes (11009.7±2907.3/mm3), band neutrophils (250.0±260.4/mm3), segmented neutrophils (7094.4±2307.3/mm3), eosinophils (589.7±561.3/mm3), lymphocytes (2020.8±1457.5/mm3), monocytes (987.6±528.4/mm3), total plasma protein (6.9±0.5 g/dL), plasmatic fibrinogen (274.1±96.5 mg/dL), blood platelet count (366.4±88.5/mm3), urea (35.2±12.6 mg/dL), creatinine (0.8±0.2/mg/dL), AP (49.1±25.8U/L),ALT (36.2±12.3U/L). The haematological parameters and heart rate were within the normal values for the species, but the respiratory rate values (54.8±32.5 breaths per minute)were greater than the normal averageof10 to 30 breaths per minute. We conclude thatthehaematological parameters and heart rateof healthy French bulldogs arewithin the normal limit for dogs; however, the respiratory rate is above referencevalues, reinforcing the notion that dogs of this breed, although healthy,exhibitan increasedrisk of respiratory disorders