My French Bulldog has a dip in its back. Is this normal or serious?

The hips look ok (hip dysplasia is possible on the right hip joint, but the positioning isn't perfect, which is required for that diagnosis). She does have significant issues with the vertebrae in her thoracic spine. I cannot tell exactly what is going on from these x-rays (it is much easier to evaluate them in-person), but they are likely causing significant discomfort. Lulu may need pain medications for life. A second opinion from a veterinary orthopedic surgeon would be a good idea to see if there is a surgical option to provide pain relief.

Hopefully it is what is called a seroma, or pocket of draining fluid. This can happen with almost any type of surgery. However, the bigger concern would be if it is an abscess. It would be extremely dangerous to have an infection over the surgery site. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your surgeon or regular veterinarian to make sure there is no sign of infection. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon.

These activities could aggravate a back lesions if you are causing your pet to move roughly or excessively. Always be gentle when manipulating, rubbing or washing pet's backs and necks. Hemivertebra are generally detected on radiographs so if you have concerns that your Frenchie has a problem, have some x-rays done. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hip dysplasia can only be positively diagnosed with x-rays. There are certain indicators that can be noted on a physical exam, but they can only be considered supportive of the actual radiographic diagnosis. I would have his leg looked at and examined for fractures, evidence of soft tissue injuries, or as you have mentioned, evidence of hip imperfections. Based on the nature of the injury, the solution to the problem maybe something as simple as rest or medical therapy, or as complex as surgical procedures. Hope this helps.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the blood results and x-rays were normal, it could be a problem with a nerve or with the spinal cord. It may be worth to rest Nacho for a few days (only short walks on a leash) and use painkillers. If after 3-4 days this treatment does not help, you should consider more advanced imaging of the spine, for example contrast x-ray, CT or MRI scan. French Bulldogs do suffer from spinal problems, like slipped disc, vertebral instability, vertebral body maldevelopment and more. Plane x-ray is not useful in diagnosis most of these problems, therefore the only sensible way to go is advance imaging.

Since you are unable to determine what is the cause of Brixton's I would recommend taking him in the see the vet for a full exam. Sometimes when the source of pain cannot easily be identified the dog can have spinal/back pain or possibly abdominal pain. At the very least your vet can prescribe some pain medication to help get your dog more comfortable.

Thank you for more information on Boogie! Hemivertebrae can be common in brachycephalic (short nosed) dogs such as the French Bulldog. It is when the bones of the spinal column are abnormally shaped. This leads to the bones not aligning correctly with their neighboring bones, and this in turn causes damage and compression of the spinal nerves. This isn't something that correct itself as he grows unfortunately. It most commonly affects young dogs because the problems arise as their skeleton grows. Without surgery, the skeletal deformity is permanent. It is best that Boogie has the MRI as soon as possible so this condition can be definitely diagnosed and he can be treated. This condition can severely limit both the quality and length of life, so it's important to have it diagnosed early so it can be treated as needed. I hope this helps!