Editorial Policy

How FrenchieInsurance.com sources, fact-checks, and reviews French Bulldog clinical and insurance content.

By Allen Lee, Founder, Best Dog Insurance. FrenchieInsurance.com is an independent research resource for French Bulldog owners. This policy explains how we source, write, fact-check, and review the clinical and insurance content on this site — with particular attention to the brachycephalic, orthopedic, and reproductive risks that make Frenchies one of the most complex breeds to insure.

Sourcing standards

We treat the French Bulldog Club of America (FBDCA) as our primary breed source for conformation, health-survey, and welfare data. For peer-reviewed clinical research on brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), BOAS functional grading, heat stress, and anesthetic risk, we rely on the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) — including the RVC's VetCompass programme and its published BOAS grading scheme. For soft-tissue and airway surgery standards (staphylectomy, alar-fold resection, laryngeal saccule removal, hiatal hernia repair) we source from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). Orthopedic and screening data comes from OFA; internal-medicine guidance from ACVIM; broader clinical guidance from AVMA and AAHA; and industry pricing and claim benchmarks from NAPHIA and public state rate filings.

Clinical content on the three highest-stakes Frenchie conditions — BOAS, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), and heat stroke — is reviewed against current peer-reviewed literature at each quarterly audit, not against generic pet-care blogs. Anecdotal claims from forums, breeder pages, and other affiliate sites are not accepted as primary sources.

Medical disclaimer

Nothing on this site is veterinary advice. This matters more for French Bulldogs than for most breeds. The Frenchie's brachycephalic airway anatomy affects every anesthesia decision, from pre-op oxygenation to extubation protocol. IVDD is a leading cause of euthanasia in Frenchies aged 4-8, and time-to-surgery is directly correlated with neurologic recovery. Cesarean delivery rates in the breed exceed 80%, which changes how reproductive coverage should be evaluated. Because the clinical stakes are high, all clinical content on this site is reviewed by a licensed DVM prior to publication.

Use of AI tools

AI-assisted (human-verified before publication): cost aggregation across regional vet clinics, side-by-side carrier comparison tables, state-level premium rollups, structured data generation, and grammar/style polishing. Human-written (not AI-generated): clinical guidance on BOAS, IVDD, heat stroke, dystocia, and anesthesia; owner-facing Q&A; brachycephalic risk education; carrier recommendations and rankings. No article on this site is published as raw AI output.

Conflict of interest

We earn affiliate commissions when readers click through to a carrier from our site and purchase a policy. Those relationships currently include Lemonade, Embrace, Healthy Paws, Spot, and Trupanion, and they are disclosed on every page where an affiliate link appears. We do not accept payment from carriers for editorial coverage, we do not allow carriers to preview or approve articles, and editors do not see commission rates when scoring or ranking providers. Operationally: we do not require a phone call, we do not collect leads, and we do not sell user data.

Fact-check process

Every article moves through a five-step process before it is published: (1) source verification against primary sources; (2) cost-data validation against at least two independent sources including NAPHIA and regional clinic surveys; (3) carrier-policy verification against current public policy documents; (4) DVM clinical review for brachycephalic, IVDD, and anesthesia content; (5) senior editorial review. Nothing publishes without clearing all five, and every page carries a visible "Last full review" date.

Corrections policy

If you spot an error, email bestdoginsurance@gmail.com with the URL and a short description. Corrections are handled by Allen Lee, Founder. Our target turnaround is 48 hours for factual corrections and 7 days for structural rewrites or new source integration. Material corrections carry a dated correction note at the bottom of the affected article.

Named sources

  • French Bulldog Club of America (FBDCA) — primary breed source, health surveys
  • Royal Veterinary College (RVC) / VetCompass — BOAS, BOAS grading, heat stress, IVDD
  • American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) — soft-tissue and airway surgery standards
  • American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) — internal medicine guidance
  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — clinical guidance and statistics
  • American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) — practice standards
  • Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) — hip, elbow, and cardiac screening data
  • North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) — premium and claims benchmarks
  • State insurance department rate filings — pricing and policy verification
  • Peer-reviewed veterinary journals (via PubMed)