If your dog has just yelped, gone stiff, or lost movement:

Call the nearest 24h emergency vet now.

Opens a map of nearby emergency vets. Tap the closest one to call.

What to say when they pick up

Tell them your dog is a French Bulldog. Give your dog's age and weight. Name what just happened in plain words: yelped on touch, won't move her neck, dragging a back leg, lost bladder control. Say when it started, and whether it is getting worse. Ask two things: can they see you in the next hour, and do they have a neurologist on-site, or can they refer you to one right away. Write down the address and the route before you hang up.

How to safely move your dog while you wait or travel

Keep the spine flat. Slide a towel or a rigid board under your dog and lift from there, not under the belly. Do not twist the body. If you have a carrier, line it with a folded blanket and let your dog stay still inside it. In the car, keep the carrier on the floor of the back seat, not on a passenger's lap.

Do not give human painkillers. Ibuprofen, paracetamol, and aspirin can be toxic to dogs, and they make it harder for the vet to manage the pain safely. Let the vet dose.
Never lift or pull your dog by the neck or collar. Support the body, or use a harness.
Do not make your dog walk, and do not test the legs, stretch, or massage the back. Keep her still.

Sources: GSVS Emergency Vets; Metro Animal Emergency Clinic.

Other parents have been here.

Our two French Bulldogs, Babi and Juju, were both diagnosed with IVDD, intervertebral disc disease, in June 2025. We have been where you are. If you are on the way to the vet or waiting for one to call back, read what we wish we had known.

Read what to expect on the way →