Majorbulls

06/08/2024

Respiratory Function Grading, or better known as RFG should be a compulsory test done on ALL breeding dogs.

14/07/2024

😍😍😍😍😍

08/04/2024

These gorgeous girls scored a 1 today on their Respiratory Function Grading 😍. The vets were very impressed with them both 🥰🥰
ADD ON
0=No evidence of BOAS. 5% of bulldogs. have this score
1=Mild BOAS. Not clinically significant
2=Moderate BOAS. Selective breeding
3=Marked BOAS. Should not be bred

03/04/2024

Wilbur and Nash 😍 single copy DVL-2 gene. No hemivertebrae, no BOAS and only one copy of IVDD. Can't wait for these boys to sire some healthy babies 🤗

19/01/2024

A fantastic article by Chaleureux French Bulldogs...thanks Nicci

THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH ABOUT SPINE SCORING --BEWARE IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A PUPPY TO BUY!

There is NOT a single peer reviewed research article in the world that confirms spine scoring and breeding from dogs with zero or low spine scores will result in producing a puppy with the same or better spine score.
The truth is that spine scoring a dog WILL NOT guarantee that ANY pup produced from spine scored parents will have a good spine / hemivertebrae free spine / spine equal to or better than its parents.

Hermivertebrae are deformed bones of the spine and in 2018 a peer reviewed research article identified hemivertebrae in French and British bulldogs (amongst a few other breeds) as being HIGHLY HEREDITARY and the result of a frame shift MUTATION on a gene called DISHEVELLED 2 (DVL2) - better known as the screwtail gene.

This gene is also what causes the corkscrew tail in these breeds. It is so heritable that we now have over 93% of French Bulldogs born with up to several hemivertebrae and depending on the location and severity, can cause pain, suffering, disability and even death.

Spine scoring is performed by a specially trained radiologist assessing several x rays taken from different angles of a dog’s spine. Data collected has deemed the average French Bulldog Spine score to be 14. For assessing hemivertebrae, spine scoring is as follows:-
Grade 1 - Partially wedged vertebra : score 1 (mild)
Grade 2 - Fully wedged vertebra : score 2 (moderate)
Grade 3 - Double wedged (butterfly) vertebra : score 3 (severe)
Shockingly using this cut off score, a dog can potentially have 5 x Grade 3 vertebral abnormalities or multiple combinations of Grade 1, 2 and 3 making up a score of 15. Spines with one or more Grade 3 abnormal vertebrae can be terribly twisted and contorted. It is difficult to appreciate this when they are hidden under muscle, fat and fur.
We now know the exact mutation causing deformed spine and just as the way to avoid producing puppies with Hereditary Cataracts is to avoid breeding carriers of that mutation together, the same must be done regarding the DVL2 mutation to avoid producing puppies without hemivertebrae. However, many breeders still incorrectly believe (or choose to ignore science) that they will produce better healthier quality puppies if they spine score their dogs and if their dog's spine scores 15 and below, the dog itself has a good spine because it is better than the average of the breed!
In the xrays in the picture below (courtesy of the rspca knowledge base ( https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-welfare-issues-associated-with-spinal-abnormalities-and-screw-tails-in-brachycephalic-flat-faced-dogs/ ), the xray on the Left is from a dog with no vertebral deformaties and the one on the Right is from a dog with vertebral deformaties. See how the twisting of the spine occurs as a result of these deformed vertebrae! From the outside this dog may look ok to an untrained eye, maybe the only hint being that it has a roach (hunch / camel back), a very deformed corkscrewed tail and / or appear as a short bodied compact dog.

The takeaway message here is that while spine scoring is useful to determine the number, location and grading of an individual dogs' hemivertebrae, A SPINE SCORE SHOULD NOT BE USED as a GUARANTEE that the pups of that dog will have equal or better spine.
THE DVL2 GENE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF HEMIVERTEBRAE AND THERE IS NO OTHER PROVEN WAY TO CONTROL THIS DEFORMITY OTHER THAN TO STOP BREEDING DOGS WITH THE MUTATION TOGETHER.

Here is the research article if you would like to read more about this for yourself https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1007850&fbclid=IwAR0AJ68YvRNevuRinHRbWaCVIBaYekEX7yBmZaeH36sMUOqpl9PyYtJq7e8

We are one of the founding French Bulldog breeders in a world first gene action program right here in Australia to breed the DVL2 mutation out of our lines. All our dogs are registered purebreds and have extensive health testing including DNA results to prove they are 100% purebred.

24/12/2023

RIP beautiful Stitch 💔 23/08/21 - 24/12/23. Give your precious ones an extra cuddle...you never know when it will be the last 😭. Cassie, Dayle and boys, my heart is breaking for u. Thankyou for giving him the best life xx

02/11/2023

Mr Wilbur is looking amazing...single copy DVL-2 gene 🥰 Gorgeous Stella is still waiting for the ear fairy 😁

12/10/2023

Cuteness overload 😍 💖

07/09/2023

https://www.change.org/p/george-sofronidis-removal-of-the-degenerative-myelopathy-testing-panel-in-french-bulldogs?fbclid=IwAR0MtQ5ZzwDLfesMSvfmuyENe_0FynFgoCPRSq8Phbq3HQLYNPl2W8L5RRchttps://www.change.org/p/george-sofronidis-removal-of-the-degenerative-myelopathy-testing-panel-in-french-bulldogs?fbclid=IwAR0MtQ5ZzwDLfesMSvfmuyENe_0FynFgoCPRSq8Phbq3HQLYNPl2W8L5RRc

Please sign this petition to have DM removed from DNA testing. There isn't a proven case in French bulldogs 😕

Removal of the Degenerative Myelopathy testing panel in French Bulldogs

01/09/2023

I have his sister too 😍😍😍...still in the naming phase...but welcome gorgeous girl 🥰🥰

01/09/2023

Welcome to Wilbur 🥰🥰. I have the pleasure of co-owning this gorgeous single copy DVL-2 boy with the lovely Amy Timis ...thanks Amy he's beautiful 😍

28/08/2023

Look who visited me today at work 😍😍😍

22/08/2023

21/08/2023

Some information on the DVL-2 gene that is responsible for BOAS and Hemivertebrae. All the dogs that have been bred with one copy have perfect spines and breathing 🥰

28/07/2023

Miss Luna enjoying the sun today 🥰🥰

05/07/2023

My beautiful Nigela has found her new home 🥰 her new name is Luna🥰

29/06/2023

😍😍🟢🩷🩷

25/06/2023

Little wriggler 🤣 So hard to get good pics 🤣🤣

21/06/2023

Such a good girl..👀 🏡 😍

13/06/2023

More puppy spam 😍😍👀🏡

08/06/2023

This girl just gets cuter every day 🥰🥰🟢

06/06/2023

👀 are open 😍😍 13 days old 🟢

03/06/2023

Awww😍😍😍🟢

01/06/2023

My little princess is growing 🩷🩷 🟢

29/05/2023

Poor Nigela has had a rough start
About time she got some motherly love🤗🤗

24/05/2023

Welcome wee one 🩷 Rome and Nigel's girl Nigela no friends 😍😍😍

27/04/2023

Rome and Nigel are expecting a singleton. Due late May

26/04/2023

25/03/2023

Miss Zahli growing nicely 😍😍