French Bulldogs are adorable with their wrinkly faces and large, bat-like ears. In this article, we are going to discuss why your Frenchie might have floppy ears. We have collected this information from trusted websites and sources who have experience in French Bulldog care.
Why Are Their Ears Down?
As you may have noticed, French Bulldogs have unusually large ears when they are little. They may even look out of proportion on their small face. These big and bulky ears need quite a lot of cartilage to stand erect. Researchers say that it mainly relates to their teething development. As they start to teeth, most of the calcium goes to their teeth, leading to their ears being soft.
If you are a concerned owner and want to learn more, then continue reading. We have more information about this issue. We are also going to discuss some methods people use to fix this problem, and you can see which one is appropriate for you.
Why Does the Ear Perking-up Dilly-Dally?
French Bulldogs are intelligent and friendly creatures. They can be referred to as the distant cousins of English Bulldog. The large bat-like ears are arguably the most adorable part of a French Bulldog. An intriguing thing about their ears is that they may not all look the same. Some have floppy ears, while others have pointy ears. During the development phase, their ears do all kinds of circus dances. They don’t go up, and then they suddenly perk up, then one of the ears stays erect, while the other stays floppy. Sometimes, they may go down after staying upright for a while.
Understandably, this creates concern among the owners of these dogs. However, as we clarified before, it is absolutely normal for French Bulldogs to have floppy ears.
Connection With Teething
According to researchers, the teething process can be one of the causes of this. As your Frenchie starts teething, all of the attention and calcium in the body goes toward teeth development. This means that only a small quantity of calcium goes towards the ears, and the cartilage takes time to thicken properly.
Teething is essential because your little fella needs teeth to chew food and grow. As soon as the teething process completes, the normal distribution of calcium in the body is restored. By then, the necessary ear structure would have formed, and it will take only a little while for them to perk up.
When Do Their Ears Go Up?
Each puppy develops differently; there is no hard and fast rule for when their ears will perk up. Some puppies have erect ears by the age of 4 weeks. For others, it may take up to 3 months. Some French Bulldogs take up to 7 to 8 months in unusual cases. However, according to the general rule of thumb, it may take them 5 to 15 weeks. Ideally, 7 weeks are enough for most puppies.
For some, the ears may never go up. The chance of floppy ears in French Bulldogs is around 10%. It can take them a year to be fully erect, and you will need to exercise patience. It is not a health issue, so love your Frenchie with its floppy ears. Every puppy has its own timeframe. While this may worry you, it is completely normal. If by the 7th or 8th week, their ears haven’t perked up, you may lend them a hand. We will discuss that later.
Owners commonly panic about the following things.
1. One ear is floppy while the other is standing up
A Frenchie with one ear up and the other down looks adorable and funny. Don’t worry, though; it is totally normal. It means that their cartilage and muscles are developing as they should. Some puppies will have this trait, while others won’t. You have to wait at least until they have fully developed their teeth, which can be a period of 7 to 8 months. Their ears can go from floppy to erect and then again to being floppy. It isn’t anything to be concerned about, though.
2. They were erect yesterday, but now they are down
The floppy ears can perk up for a while and then go down. Many owners have seen and reported this. It is not uncommon and completely normal. As we mentioned earlier, it is all a part of that cartilage and muscle dance. If it still worries you, you can ask your breeder about the parents of your dog. If they had floppy ears that didn’t develop until later, the chances are that it is hereditary.
3. The ears are curled
Curling of the ears is also typical. Experts say that your Frenchie’s ears may curl because of the pulsating movement at the temple when they are chewing. After they develop their teeth, they will chew on anything they find around them. Once their normal calcium distribution process restores, this issue will resolve itself.
When Should I Worry?
We don’t think it is something to be concerned about, but some owners will still worry. If you are among them, you might want to know about the precautions you can take to prevent the floppy ears. If your dog is past the age of eight months, then it is unlikely that its ears will perk up on its own. You might even think it is too late. That is not necessarily the case, though. However, it’s wise to take action before they are six months old if you’re anxious. There are some methods you can try to help your Frenchie raise its ears.
· Consult your veterinarian
You should talk with the breeder first and rule out hereditary ear floppiness. If that is not the case, then you can go to the vet. Do a health check-up of your dog and investigate any developmental issues. The vet may recommend some dietary changes or nutrients that can help.
· Avoid giving them nutrients yourself
We know that issues with ears perking up correspond with teething and imbalanced calcium distribution, but still, don’t think that giving your dog calcium supplements will solve the problem. Too many calcium supplements can even lead to health issues. You can try giving natural foods like cottage cheese or yogurt to your puppy. These foods are rich in calcium and may help in their development.
· Try giving them cartilage-encouraging supplements
Ears consist of cartilage. Bones and cartilage are different. You don’t require the same supplements for cartilage as you would for bones. Some owners use glucosamine tablets. According to vets, they are the number one cartilage-encouraging supplements. They help the growth of your Frenchie’s cartilage and connective tissue.
You can also help them by giving them some chew toys. Chewing will help them with teeth development and will also strengthen their muscles. The temporalis muscle under their ears and above the jaw grows strong with chewing. It also helps the ears to perk up. More chewing usually means a reduction in the floppiness of the ears.
· Taping method
Some owners have also tried the taping ears method, and they have reported that it helped their dogs. We don’t think it is necessary as floppy ears look rather cute, but if you still want to try, you can start when they’re around five months old. You do this by tearing off some masking tape and placing it around the ears and leaving it like that for a few days. Keep in mind that it may be uncomfortable for your pet, though.
Some Other Reasons for Ear Floppiness
Some French Bulldogs will have floppy ears well after they have fully developed their teeth. Your vet can explain this much better. However, here some reasons we found:
· Breeding
There is a small market for French Bulldogs with floppy ears. Breeders try to engineer French Bulldogs with floppy ears that never perk up. They are also called French Bulldogs with rose ears. They either have floppy ears or ears that have curled back.
· Injury
French Bulldogs are friendly and energetic. They run around and play a lot. While it is a good exercise for them, it can also make them susceptible to injury. Ears can get cut, squeezed, or may suffer some other kind of trauma. This can cause them to droop and can often result in one floppy ear.
Conclusion
If you are a proud owner of a French Bulldog, you might have, or you may still be facing the issue of their ears not rising when they should. We’d like to tell you that it is not something to worry about and is a very normal thing. French Bulldogs follow a pattern of ear development, and it is mainly connected with their teething. There are a few things you can do to help, but we think they are adorable just the way they are. You should be patient and wait for your puppy to develop fully; some just take longer than others.
