The dogs of the pug or pug breed, due to their anatomical peculiarities, have a special predisposition to suffer from certain diseases, conditions that you must know to guarantee your he alth as much as possible. For this reason, in this article on our site we are going to learn more about the pathologies that affect pugs.
Although we are going to list the diseases that they can suffer from (all breeds have a different predisposition to certain diseases), it is a breed that, keeping up with its veterinary check-ups and taking care of it, usually be in good he alth. In addition, they have an exceptional character, being very affectionate and playful. Keep reading and discover the most common pug or pug dog diseases
Brachycephalic syndrome
Brachycephalic breeds such as the pug dog are characterized by having a round-shaped head and a very short snout, as well as eyes quite outgoing. Taking these characteristics into account, many of the pathologies that can affect you are related to this syndrome and, therefore, we list the most common ones below.
Respiratory diseases of pug dogs
Pugs or Pugs have narrower than normal nostrils, a shortened nose, an elongated soft palate and a narrowing of the trachea. All this causes them to suffer from dyspnea (difficulty breathing), which begins to manifest from puppies with the characteristic snoring. As with other brachycephalic dogs, you have to be very careful with heatstroke, especially because of the anatomical characteristics we have talked about.
Infectious agents such as those that cause canine infectious tracheobronchitis or kennel cough affect our Pugs more than other breeds of dogs due to his brachycephalic condition. In this way, we must be attentive and watch that our Pug does not present coughing, forced breathing, intolerance to exercise and difficulty swallowing.
Common pug eye diseases
Pugs have prominent eyeballs, so they are more prone to corneal ulcers both from injuries with objects and with the own hairs that contain their facial folds, this being one of the most common eye diseases in pugs. In addition, they may have inward-turning eyelids, which is called entropion, and which contributes to ulcers.
They are genetically predisposed to suffer from immune-mediated pigmentary keratitis, in which brown pigment (melanin) is seen on the surface of the eye. Another of the ophthalmological diseases of the pug dog is the prolapse of the nictitating membrane gland, which can often only be corrected by surgery.
Joint diseases of the pug or pug
Pug dogs are one of the breeds most predisposed to suffering from hip dysplasia It is a developmental disease of the dog in in which there is an inconsistency between the head of the femur and the hip socket, that is, they do not "fit" correctly. This condition establishes a continuous inflammation and pain, causing osteoarthritis. To prevent the progression of osteoarthritis, it is highly recommended to supplement our pug with chondroprotectors. From the age of six months, dysplasia can be diagnosed by taking an X-ray.
Patellar luxation or patella luxation is also another of the common diseases in the pug or pug dog due to a little cleft deep to the trochlea. The patella comes out of the trochlea and causes pain and lameness in our dog.
Dogs with orthopedic problems such as those mentioned should be avoided as breeders, not only to prevent transmitting these pathologies to their successors, but also to prevent the existing condition in the adult dog from worsening.
Skin diseases in pug dogs
Because they have short hair and many folds, pugs are prone to dermatitis, so it is very important to maintain a proper hygiene of your skin. Likewise, they also tend to be susceptible to ringworm, an infectious and highly contagious fungal disease.
On the other hand, they can also suffer from allergies to environmental or food components, so we must be attentive to any anomaly that we can observe in their skin to go to the vet as soon as possible. In addition, we must carry out a correct external antiparasitic regimen to avoid parasitic dermatoses such as mange in dogs, as well as a possible infestation by fleas or ticks.
Other common diseases in the pug
Although the above pathologies are usually the most common in these dogs, they are not the only problems they can present. Pugs are dogs with quite an appetite, so their food must be rationed to avoid becoming overweight and all the consequences that this condition entails. Thus, it is not recommended to overfeed the pug, since due to their insatiable appetite they can become obese dogs in a very short time, a fact that not only causes a reduction in your life expectancy, but also increases the chances of suffering from some of the aforementioned diseases. To find out if your dog is obese, don't miss the following article: "How to know if your dog is fat?"
On the other hand, many of the pregnant females need to undergo a cesarean section due to the small size of their hips and the larger size of the pups' heads. In this way, we recommend thinking beforehand about whether it is really necessary to expose the dog to this whole process.
A serious common disease in pugs or pugs that is of unknown origin is necrotizing meningoencephalitis, a pathology that damages the nervous system of the dog It also affects other breeds and symptoms of brain involvement are observed.
