Why Does Your French Bulldog Have Bumps? 6 Causes & Treatments

French Bulldogs have very sensitive and irritable skin that makes them prone to various skin conditions. This often results in the formation of bumps on their skin

Most kinds of skin bumps formed are benign and can be easily treated at home, while others will require the attention of a vet as they can be the result of more dangerous diseases.

It’s very important to understand why your French Bulldog has bumps on its skin in order to provide it with proper treatment and prevent its condition from escalating.

So, why does your French Bulldog have bumps? Your French bulldog will have bumps on its skin as a result of various conditions which include fatty tumors like lipoma, sebaceous cysts, warts, hives and rashes, abscess, and mast cell tumors. You need to learn the signs of these conditions so you can detect them and provide the proper treatment for your dog.

Keep reading to learn more about the causes and treatment for skin bumps in French Bulldogs and what you can do to protect your French Bulldog’s skin.

What Do Skin Bumps Look Like on French Bulldogs?

Skin bumps are protrusions that appear under the French Bulldog’s skin. They typically go through three stages as they develop starting off as blackheads, moving to redness and swelling, then finally they become whiteheads.

These bumps range in size and can appear in various areas on your dog’s body but mostly on its chest or belly, under its armpits, and between the fold of its skin.

They are more common in older French Bulldogs, but younger French Bulldogs can still get them. They might appear spontaneously or as a result of a certain skin condition.

The Main Causes for Skin Bumps in French Bulldogs

There are various skin conditions that result in the formation of skin bumps in French bulldogs. So, let’s take a closer look at what causes these conditions and how they can be treated.

Fatty Tumors (Lipoma)

French Bulldogs might have bumps on their skin because of fatty tumors such as Lipomas which are a rapid production of fat cells.

This is most common in older and overweight French Bulldogs. It’s considered a natural part of the aging process and it’s dangerous to their health in any way.

The bumps formed are soft and usually circular or oval-shaped. They range in size and can appear anywhere on the dog’s body, but especially on its chest and belly.

They are not necessarily painful for the dog but they might cause some discomfort if they’re located on or near any of the dog’s joints as they will restrict its movement.

How to Treat Fatty Tumors in French Bulldogs?

Fatty tumors such as lipomas do not usually require treatment as they do not pose any danger to your dog’s life.

You might want to remove the bumps because they look ugly, but most vets recommend leaving them be unless they are causing discomfort to the dog or restricting its movement.

If the bumps are causing discomfort or restricting the dog’s movement, then it’s recommended to remove them through surgery.

Sebaceous Cysts

Some bumps might appear on your French Bulldog’s skin in the form of cysts which are basically large pimples that are filled with pus.

The cysts are formed due to a blockage in the dog’s sebaceous glands. These glands are responsible for producing natural oils to keep the dog’s coat smooth and they might get blocked by an accumulation of dirt or bacteria on the dog’s skin.

So, when the sebaceous glands are blocked, the natural oil produced will have nowhere to go which results in the formation of a cyst.

The cysts are usually smooth and circular in shape. Their size ranges between 5 mm and 5 cm in diameter and they often appear around the dog’s eyes and ears.

When sebaceous cyst bursts, the oils inside it will come out along with a white cheese-like discharge or pus. The cyst might also fill back up after bursting if it’s not removed completely.

How to Treat Sebaceous Cysts in French Bulldogs?

To treat sebaceous cysts, you will need to burst and drain them completely. This cannot be easily done at home as the oil, pus, and discharge inside the cysts might make your dog vulnerable to infection.

The cyst will not disappear and might also fill back up after bursting unless it’s completely extracted which can only be achieved through surgery.

So, if your French Bulldog has any sebaceous cysts, it’s recommended to take it to a vet to help with draining them safely and to assess whether the dog might require surgery to remove them.

Warts

Your French Bulldog might have some textured bumps on its skin that are commonly known as warts. These bumps are caused by a virus called “canine papillomavirus.”

Warts develop almost instantly and they spread rapidly. They are mainly formed on the dog’s lips or near its mouth, but sometimes they might appear on its eyelids.

They are also infectious as the virus can survive in the atmosphere for weeks. So, if your dog is infected, it might spread the virus in a certain area, then another dog will catch the virus from that area.

How to Treat Warts in French Bulldogs?

Warts do not usually require treatment. They will vanish on their own after a few months as your French Bulldog gains immunity from the virus infection.

However, it’s recommended to take your dog to a vet for treatment in some cases such as:

Your dog is having trouble eating or drinking because of warts near its mouth

Your dog has an eye irritation or trouble opening its eyes because of warts on its eyelids

The warts are bleeding or becoming contaminated with bacteria. In this case, they will not heal on their own and might develop into cancerous tumors

Hives and Rashes

Hives and rashes usually cause some red bumps to appear on your French Bulldog’s skin. These bumps are small, ranging between 1 and 20 cm in diameter, and they might appear in a single area or spread all over your dog’s body.

The main cause of hives and rashes is an allergic reaction which could be a result of exposure to a number of things including toxic plants, insect bites and stings, chemicals in some kinds of shampoos, and certain medications.

Hives and rashes are sometimes caused by overheating or even stress. You will also notice some other symptoms in your dog such as severe itching in the areas where there are red bumps which leads to frequent scratching and biting, nausea and vomiting, general lack, and sometimes a fever.

How to Treat Hives and Rashes in French Bulldogs?

To treat hives and rashes in French Bulldogs, you need to identify what’s causing your dog to have an allergic reaction and remove it. Once the cause of the hives and rashes is gone, then most of the bumps and symptoms will go away on their own.

However, if the dog developed hives and rashes due to the administration of medication or vaccination, then it’s highly recommended to take your dog to veterinarian to check whether it would need to switch the medication.

The veterinarian can also recommend a corticosteroid or an antihistamine to help manage and alleviate some of the symptoms.

You can learn everything about the causes and treatments of hives in French Bulldogs here, and you can check out this complete guide to French Bulldogs rashes here.

Abscess

An abscess is a buildup of pus that forms under your French Bulldog’s skin which is caused by bacterial infection from an open wound or from an insect bite.

It appears in patches of painful swollen bumps that are either solid or soft to the touch. The size of the bumps can range from minor and harmless to large and serious.

Other symptoms of an abscess include inflammation and redness in the areas where the bumps appear, severe itching which leads to frequent scratching and biting, hair loss, bad odor coming off of the skin, and bleeding.

How to Treat Abscess in French Bulldogs?

To treat abscesses in French Bulldogs, you need to take them to a veterinarian to open up the abscess and drain it or surgically remove it. The procedure will sometimes require anesthesia as well as antibiotics to help combat and avoid more infections.

The veterinarian will also take a swab and a blood sample from your dog to assess the kind of bacterial infection that’s causing the abscess and make sure that the infection has not spread to the dog’s bloodstream.

Mast Cell Tumor

French Bulldogs might have bumps on their skin because of a mast cell tumor. This condition is highly aggressive and is usually a clear sign of skin cancer in dogs.

Mast cell tumors vary in size and shape but they usually appear as raised hairless bumps on the dog’s skin. The bumps can appear anywhere on the dog’s skin and they tend to spread rapidly.

Other symptoms of a mast cell tumor include enlarged lymph nodes, gastrointestinal problems, abnormal weight loss or weight gain, and a persistent cough.

How to Mast Cell Tumors Treat in French Bulldogs?

If your French Bulldog shows any symptoms of a mast cell tumor, you need to take it to a vet as quickly as possible as the condition can be treated more effectively if it’s detected early.

The treatment options for mast cell tumors in French Bulldogs include surgery, stereotactic radiation (SRS/SRT), chemotherapy, palliative therapy, and radiation therapy.

How to Detect Skin Bumps on French Bulldogs?

Your ability to easily detect skin bumps on your dog will depend mainly on the length of the dog’s coat and its coloring.

Since French Bulldogs have short coats, you can easily look all over the dog’s body for any visible bumps. It’s also recommended to go over the dog’s skin slowly and meticulously using your fingertips to detect less visible bumps

It’s best to check for skin bumps during your dog’s regular grooming session, but if you notice that your dog is licking or scratching at a new area, make sure to check closely what is causing this.

How to Protect Your French Bulldog’s Skin?

There are some measures you can take to protect your French Bulldog from severe skin conditions.

The most important thing is to groom the dog properly by brushing its coat a few times a week and bathing it at least once a month. You need to make sure you’re using a soft brush and a dog-friendly shampoo to avoid irritating the dog’s skin.

There are some kinds of dog shampoos that contain ingredients such as Aloe Vera and coconut oil which help reduce bumps and treat any itchiness, redness, or inflammation on your dog’s skin.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that to clean the dog’s skin folds regularly using baby wipes or a wet cloth. Make sure the wipes you’re using contain natural ingredients and avoid wipes that have too many chemicals or additives.

Why Does Your French Bulldog Have Bumps? 6 Causes & Treatments

What Do Skin Bumps Look Like on French Bulldogs?