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About Pugs:

General

Pugs belong to the group of pure breed dogs commonly known as the 'Toy Group'. They are a straight haired, playful, loyal, energetic breed who is best suited to family environments. They have a cute 'pushed in' face with big expressive eyes and a tail that curls tightly.

ON THIS PAGE: General, Breed Standard, Why Choose a Pug, Pug Health, and Specific Health Issues.

The structure of their jaw makes them a sought after pet for families with young children concerned about safety. Their googley eyes, wrinkled brows, attentive expressions and energy gain the attention of even those who prefer larger dogs. Generally they are a low maintenance dog who does not need a large yard or long walks.

Pugs are said to be unlike every other breed in many ways. It is thought that they are the longest surviving pure breed house dog, meaning not that they live long lives but that we humans have been making them a part of the family for many centuries. Pugs just seem to know how to become a family member.

Pugs are often described using the Latin phrase 'multum in parvo', meaning a lot in a small package.

Adult Pugs weigh up to about 9 Kg and live up to about 10-16 years old. They are not without health problems, most of which are worsened by a Pugs voracious appetite. Most Pugs will eat their own weight for dinner and come back for a second serve, and probably a third without taking a breath. Among people who care for Pugs it is often said that a fat Pug has suffered more dangerous neglect than a thin one. Fat Pugs suffer more breathing problems, more joint problems and inevitably die younger after experiencing less quality of life.

Pugs are a brachycephalic breed of dog; from the Greek root words 'brachy-meaning short and 'cephalic'-meaning head. In simple terms this means they have that characteristic 'pushed in face' look. This also means that breeders of Pugs bear an onerous responsibility to breed dogs without the breathing problems that can arise from poor, or over breed lines of Pugs. This said, almost all Pugs are noisy breathers when excited, and believe me, a Pug will be excited to see you. PAGE TOP

Breed Standard

In the pure breed dog world a 'standard' is set by which dogs of that breed are judged. In Australia dog showing is governed by State Organisations who look to the Australian National Kennel Council for these standards. These standards bridge State and international borders, with prize winning Pugs being sought after in many countries. In our state the organizing body is called the Royal NSW Canine Council. A detailed description of the standard for Pugs is available by following their link. PAGE TOP

Why Choose a Pug

Pugs are wonderful, but they are not for everybody. When choosing a dog it might be more useful to first ask, why not choose a Pug. The reasons not to are many and the very reason this site exists. People often buy a Pug and find they don't want it or can't look after it. If the Pug is lucky it comes to an Organisation like ours where we strive to place it in a loving family equipped to care for it, after de-sexing. If it is not lucky it ends up at a pound, donated to someone else who can't look after it or worse, in someone's back yard over breed into an early grave.

Frank the Pug in the popular movie 'Men in Black' popularized Pugs and caused many impulse purchases. We at Pugadise will do our best to ensure you are fully informed about what Pug ownership really entails and not spin you a Hollywood story. Ownership of any pet is a serious undertaking and should not be done on impulse. PAGE TOP

Pug Health

Pugs do generally enjoy robust good health. That said they will generally require more visits to the vet than many other breeds. As an owner you can contribute to your Pugs health most by not feeding it into an early grave, and by administering all locally veterinary advised vaccinations and parasite preventatives (i.e. flea, tick, internal worms).

Excessive heat kills Pugs. You MUST NEVER let your Pug exercise to exhaustion on hot days. Never leave it in a parked car that's in the sun and don't expect your Pug to swim laps of an Olympic pool. While Pugs can swim with close supervision an unsupervised Pug will usually sink, not swim. PAGE TOP

Allergies

Allergies can be a problem for any mammal. Pugs can develop allergies to foods, things they come into contact with or chemicals in their environment. Symptoms can vary widely as can the cause. Every case should be assessed individually and treated individually.

One of the things Pugs are allergic to is chocolate. (Its actually toxic to them, probably not you though!) If your Pug eats enough chocolate it will not just get fat and develop pimples but it could die very quickly. Pugadise Pug Rescue NSW suggest you don’t love your Pug with chocolate gifts, its poison to them. TOP

Corneal ulcers

Pugs are prone to corneal ulcers, which are simply abrasions to the eyes. They vary in seriousness and cause. Abrasions by eyelashes that get trapped under the eyelid (Entropin) can be the cause but more often than not in Pugs corneal ulcers are caused by a sharp object like a twig, an insect bite or by a child playing rough.

You will probably only be aware of the injury when you see your Pug squinting in the injured eye and notice the eye is both watery and has a blue haze to it. Pugadise Pug Rescue NSW suggest this is time to take it to the Vet when this occurs. The Vet will determine the severity of the injury and offer treatment based on this. Some ulcers can be treated by simply keeping the Pug in the relative dark and applying ointment that both treats the discomfort and the infection risk. Severe cases require the eye lid be stitched up for a few days (sounds horrible but leaves no visible scars and heals the eye really well). Very severe cases require the eye to be removed. If your Vet advises removing the eye it will probably be because sight is not recoverable and your Pug is in extreme pain. You might miss your Pugs eye but your Pug won’t. Pugs with one eye almost always go about life just as before, and when the hair has grown back the cosmetic change is negligible. TOP

Collapsed trachea

The upper repository system of many brachycephalic breeds of dogs results in varying degrees of problems. Some dogs will never have issues here but for some it results in a collapsed trachea, which can be lethal. It can also cost a bomb at the vet as we discovered with our beloved Molly, who actually stopped breathing altogether on us several times before major surgery fixed the issue.

All dogs control their internal temperature by passing air over their mouth, tongue and air ways. The hotter it gets the more air they need to pass over these moist membranes. Brachycephalic breeds can be limited in this capacity. This problem is compounded by an excess of tracheal tissue common in the breeds also. The more they pant the more the tissue flaps about and all of a sudden you might hear the tell tail ‘goose honking’ sound of a dog desperately trying to get air down a blocked wind pipe. It can and does kill Pugs. Treatment is available, but not successful in all cases.

When it happens Pugadise Pug Rescue NSW suggest the most important thing to do is cool (not chill) and calm your Pug. When the breathing is back to normal ask yourself; did I let my Pug get too hot, is my Pug too fat, did my Pug choke on something, has this happened more than once? If your Pug was not hot, is not too fat, didn’t choke on something or its happened more than once have your Pug assessed by your Veterinarian without delay. TOP

Facial folds dermatitis

Because the folded skin on a Pugs face allows dirt, moisture and heat to accumulate they can be a site of localized skin infections. In reality we have seen this rarely but its good housekeeping to clean within the folds of your Pugs face regularly; how often will depend on your Pug. Daily will probably be too often but in some weekly will not be often enough. For some Pugs its enough to clean out the folds when they have a monthly bath. TOP

Liver Shunt

Liver shunts are a deformity that affects liver function, usually presenting in young Pugs. Other breeds can be affected by Liver shunts also. Initial treatment is usually by drug and diet, which sometimes allow the dog enough growing time to remedy the problem, or adapt to it themselves. Often however the problem will re-appear and get worse. The condition is expensive to diagnose, expensive to treat and, if untreated, will affect the quality of the dogs life and may indeed kill it.

Liver shunts present typically as a young Pug that does not thrive, may appear lethargic, thin and will often vomit their food. They can suffer seizures as a result also. It’s generally first noticed because the dog appears generally unwell, thin and off its food. Early treatment is always the best and surgical solutions are often successful, although not all can be operated on. TOP

Pug Dog Encephalitis PDE

PDE is always fatal. There is no successful treatment for it. It’s particular to Pugs only and is poorly understood, although very good research is being conducted. While its particular to Pugs it is not common to Pugs, affecting only very few. It does not appear to follow genetic lines or arise from any known source of infection.

It can present at almost any age and is often not diagnosed until the Pug starts having seizures. Most people, in hindsight, then remember seeing their Pug ‘rutting’ at solid objects or having an apparently stiff neck prior to the seizures.

The Pugs brain suffers extensive and progressive damage that can cause blindness, lethargy, depression and pain. Unless the dog is euthanized the condition will kill the Pug, possibly in painful and distressing circumstances. TOP

Demodectic Mange

Pugs seem more prone to this skin condition than some other breeds but it is usually easily managed. Demodectic mange is caused by a small mite present on the skin off all dogs and many other animals. It represents no health problem for humans. In some Pugs patches of hair fall out, the skin gets itchy and it progresses to larger patches of hair falling out and extreme skin irritation, which in turn is more prone to secondary infection, which often occurs with it.

The reasons are only speculative but thought to be related to immature, compromised or genetically inadequate immune systems.

Vets can make a lot of money out of treating the condition as it will return again and again if not treated aggressively. Its good Veterinary practice to start with lower risk milder treatments and work your way up, but from our experience ‘easy does it’ is a waste of time, money and your Pugs suffering as they experience a great deal of irritation.

Pugadise Pug Rescue NSW suggest that you let your Vet guide you, but be inclined to ‘nip the problem in the bud’ early. If administered properly Pugs generally tolerate the stronger treatments well. From our experience most successfully treated Pugs will never develop the condition again. TOP

Luxating Patella

This condition occurs when the ligaments that stabilize the ‘knee’ do not do their job. This may be caused by the ligaments being too weak, or by the ligament slipping out of the grove on the ‘knee’ which is meant to align it. Its made worse by your Pug being to heavy and jumping down from large heights.

This can cause lameness, pain and arthritis in the long term. At first you may just notice your Pug running using only one back leg, or favoring one over the other. Your Vet can diagnose the problem easily and in many cases simple surgery can permanently fix the problem. It’s more easily surgically fixed if detected and treated early. Many dogs are prone to the condition, and Pugs can be affected. TOP

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a developmental deformity common in many dogs. Pugs can present with it when they reach about 2 years old, but most do not. The condition can be debilitating and painful. Often it can be surgically treated however this is expensive surgery, although it usually leads to good results.

Pugadise Pug Rescue NSW suggest that you avoid letting your Pug get too heavy, exercise it within its limits and don’t allow it to jump from heights if it does have hip dysplasia. Above all else, seek Veterinary advice. Local warmth and medication often help the symptoms. Heated bedding in the cooler months can make a big difference to the quality of life of any older dog, or one with any musculoskeletal problems. TOP

Note: This list and the information contained in it is by no means exhaustive or complete. It is not intended as a substitute to qualified Veterinary advice, which should be sought in relation to any health issues you might have regarding your dog.

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