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The single most useful thing you can do for a bulldog’s wrinkles is keep them clean and — more importantly — dry. Fold problems are caused by trapped moisture. Anything that adds moisture, or that cakes into a damp fold, works against you.
This article previously recommended dusting the folds with cornstarch and applying diaper cream. Both have been removed, and the reasons are explained below.
What actually works
- Wipe each fold with a dog-safe wipe or a cloth dampened with plain warm water. Hold the fold open so you reach the bottom of it.
- Dry it thoroughly with a soft dry cloth or a dry cotton pad. This is the step that matters most and the one people skip.
- Do it several times a week, and daily in hot weather or if your dog is prone to trouble.
- Check as you go for redness, a sour or yeasty smell, wetness that keeps coming back, or your dog rubbing their face. Those are signs to call the vet rather than clean harder.
That is the whole routine. It is unglamorous and it works.
Why bulldogs get tear stains
The reddish-brown stains under a bulldog’s eyes are caused by porphyrins — iron-containing compounds left over from the normal breakdown of red blood cells. They are excreted in tears, saliva and urine, and they stain light fur a rust colour when they sit on it. That is why the same stains appear where a dog licks a paw.
They have nothing to do with your dog’s teeth. This article used to say tear stains were “a sign of poor oral hygiene”. That was wrong. Dental disease is worth taking seriously in its own right, but it is not what causes the marks under the eyes.
What does cause them is tears sitting on the face rather than draining away. In bulldogs that is largely anatomy — a flat face, shallow eye sockets and prominent eyes mean tears spill over the lid instead of draining through the tear duct, and the folds beneath then hold the moisture in place. Blocked tear ducts, in-turned eyelids, stray eyelashes and allergies all make it worse, and all are things a vet can check for.
Cleaning the folds, step by step
- Sit somewhere your dog is comfortable and go slowly. This should be pleasant, not a wrestling match.
- Gently draw one fold open so you can see into it.
- Wipe along the fold with a dog wipe or a cloth damp with warm water. No soap, no shampoo, nothing scented.
- Dry the fold completely with a dry cloth or cotton pad. Do not leave it damp.
- Move to the next fold with a clean part of the cloth, so you are not moving yeast from one fold to another.
- Finish with a treat.
If a fold is already red, sore, wet no matter what you do, or smells strongly, stop cleaning it yourself and get it seen. Infected fold dermatitis usually needs a medicated wash or prescription treatment, and no amount of wiping will resolve it.
What not to put in the folds
- Cornstarch or baby powder. Cornstarch is a carbohydrate. The folds are exactly where yeast thrives, and packing a damp warm fold with a starch powder is not a sensible way to discourage it. It also cakes, and caked powder holds moisture against the skin — the opposite of what you want. Drying with a cloth does the job it is supposed to do.
- Diaper cream. Many contain zinc oxide, which is toxic to dogs if eaten repeatedly — and a bulldog licks its own face all day. If your vet prescribes a barrier cream, use that one.
- Coconut oil, Vaseline or any greasy barrier, unless a vet has told you to. Grease traps moisture in a fold rather than keeping it out.
- Human eye drops, antiseptics, or anything scented.
- Hydrogen peroxide or whitening products anywhere near the eyes.
When the eyes are a vet problem, not a cleaning problem
Bulldogs’ prominent eyes are exposed, and corneal ulcers are common and painful in flat-faced breeds. Cleaning will not fix any of the following, and delay makes them worse:
- Squinting, holding an eye shut, or pawing and rubbing at the face
- Green, yellow or thick discharge, as opposed to clear watering
- Cloudiness on the surface of the eye, or a visible mark on it
- Redness of the eye itself rather than the surrounding fur
- A sudden increase in tearing, or tearing from one eye only
- Any fold that is raw, bleeding, or smells strongly
Any of those is a same-day phone call. An eye problem in a brachycephalic dog is not something to watch for a week.
Common questions
Talc and cornstarch both cake in a damp fold.
Many contain fragrance, alcohol or preservatives meant for skin that will not be licked. Wipes made for dogs, or plain warm water and a cloth, are better.
Keep the area clean and dry, and ask your vet to check for a treatable cause such as a blocked duct or in-turned eyelid. Avoid whitening products near the eyes.
Fold dermatitis that is genuinely infected needs a medicated cleanser or prescription medication, and in severe recurring cases some dogs are helped by surgery to reduce the fold. Home cleaning prevents it; it does not cure it.
This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot account for your dog’s age or health. Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed with a higher risk of eye and skin problems, and anything painful, sudden or not improving should be seen by your vet.
