All breeds have health issues that are often more common in a specific breed.
Some heath issues specific to Pugs are listed but not limited to below
Collapsing Trachea
A dog that has a collapsing trachea will have a chronic “honking” cough or difficulty breathing during exercise. This
condition is usually diagnosed by x-ray.
Elongated Palate
Elongated soft palate is common in short muzzled breeds. May cause breathing problems, it is an obstruction in the dog’s airway.
The soft palate is abnormally long and causes breathing problems.
Eye Problems
Pugs have beautiful large, round, expressive eyes that are set shallowly into their heads, which does come with susceptibility to eye issues.
Some Pugs can go through their lives without any eye problems, some have chronic problems. Below are some eye conditions…
Bilateral Cataracts
Cataracts in dogs can be identified as opaque spots on the lens of the eye. These spots may cause total or partial loss of vision. Some cataracts are hereditary while others are not. In some cases, surgery may help the dog recover
Corneal Ulcers
Any scratch or injury to a dog’s eye can result in an ulcer. Ulcers must be treated by a veterinarian immediately or there will be some loss of sight.
Distachiasis
Eyelashes growing on the inside of the lid, causes irritation on the eye as the dog blinks, can be 1 hair or many.
Dry Eye
This condition is caused by the lack of tear production. This can be due to lack of nerve stimulation of the tear glands, failure of the tear glands, or blockage of the ducts that carry the tears to the eyes. Full diagnosis can only be performed by a Veterinarian to determine the cause. Treatment will be depend on the cause and severity of the condition.
Entropian
The rolling of the eyelid(s) into the eye, this is common due to the shape of the pug’s head, placement of the eyes & the over-nose wrinkle. The hairs or eyelashes will rub on the eye causing irritation. Generally, it will only be the inner corner of the bottom eyelid & as the pug grows & matures the problem self-corrects.
Pigmentary Keratitis (PK)
PK is the deposit of pigment on the white surface of the eyes. It is the result of many factors that either irritate or inflame the cornea.
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Def)
Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKDef) is an inherited hemolytic anemia caused by a defect in the enzyme pyruvate kinase. Loss of function of this enzyme results in premature death of red blood cells. Affected dogs do not have sufficient quantities of red blood cells to adequately supply the body with oxygen. Observable signs in affected dogs may include lack of energy, low exercise tolerance and fatigue in dogs that appear otherwise fit. Clinically, dogs with PKDef present with a severe anemia, increased iron levels, increased bone density, may have an enlarged spleen and liver as well as fibrous connective tissue replacement of bone marrow cells. Bone marrow and liver failure typically occur by 5 years of age.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
PRA is a hereditary eye disease causing the breakdown of the cells of the retina. The breakdown is gradual leading to mid-life blindness
Hanging Tongue
A syndrome where the tongue does not retract into the mouth properly, due to neurologic or anatomic defects
Heart Disease
Can be hereditary, how efficiently the heart is able to pump blood. Signs of heart disease can include exercise intolerance, poor growth, weight loss, chronic cough, a pot-bellied appearance, and even fainting episodes. Many heart problems can be detected on physical exam.
Hemi-Vertebrae
Incomplete or abnormal fusion of the vertebrae. Can be diagnosed by an x-ray of the spine
Hip Dysplasia
The hip joint is a ball and socket connection. If the joint is malformed the head of the femur will not properly align with the cup of the hip socket. Mild dysplasia is usually without symptoms in the pug due to their stocky muscular build. Severe dysplasia can lead to pain & arthritis later in life. More common in males than females
Luxating Patella- (Trick Knee, Slipping knee caps)
Luxating Patella is fairly common in Pugs and other small breeds. It is important to note that although Luxating Patella can be a genetic condition, it can be caused due to injury and found in Pugs that have an excess of weight.
A dog affected by Luxating Patella may be seen favoring the affected leg when it runs or walks, it may carry the leg briefly or stop and stretch the leg backwards attempting to set the patella back into it’s normal groove.
Mild luxation causes some discomfort with high levels of activity
Severe cases generally require surgery to correct the problem and relieve pain.
Stenotic Nares
Once again this is seen in brachycephalic breeds (short muzzled) The openings of the nostrils are too small. This puts a strain on the dog's system and can lead to an enlarged heart. An indication of stenotic nares is the dog tends to mouth breathe or has foamy nasal discharge. Surgical correction can enlarge the nasal opening.
Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE
This is unique to Pugs however it is NOT limited to just the Pug breed see more information on the PDE
We ask that you please do your research on the Pug breed before contacting us. Pugs have health issues just as any other breed and it is important that you make yourself aware of them.
If you or anyone in your household has allergies or asthma than the Pug breed is probably not the right breed for your family.