Pug downfalls

1. Pug Dog encephalitis- This is a breed-specific disease found only in the Pug. Encephalitis is basically inflammation of the brain. The causes of this inflammation are unknown. Not much is really known about this disease. It will take YEARS for veterinary researchers to understand PDE. There are NO reported documents of a Pug surviving this disease. Symptoms include seizures, circling, dog pressing head against firm/solid object, (usually indicating a headache) weakness on one side of the body, faulty eyesight, and sometimes Neck-pain.

2. Hemivertibrae- Hemivertibrae means ‘half of a vertebrae’. This appears to be an inherited defect. As a dog’s skeleton matures, one or more of the vertebrae does not form correctly, which may result in curvature of the spine, and/or compression of the Spinal cord. This effect causes loss of feeling in the rear legs/loss of control in the rear limbs. The unfortunate part of this condition is that you cannot tell if a dog has it until the pup is about 6-8 months old.

3. Patella Luxation- This problem has been turning up with frequency in Pugs, although not as frequently as, larger/heavier breeds. The dog’s stifle (knee) is protected by a small bone called the patella, similar to the Human Kneecap. If, at the point where the upper leg bone, (Femur) joins the lower leg bone, the femur slips out of place and does not make normal contact at the stifle, then the dog has Patella Luxation. This problem may fix itself, if not, a fairly simple surgery is required to fix the problem.

4.Entropion- Entropion is a problem in which the eyelashes rub against the surface of the eye, causing irritation, if left untreated, can/will lead to blindness. This problem is shared by just about all other flat-nosed dog friends. Symptoms include squinting, excessive tear production, and straining of the hair below the eyes. Early detection is important! The condition can be corrected with MINOR surgery, or can be alleviated by treating the eyes with a solution of olive oil and cyclosporin. (The doctor must describe)

There ya go, some common health problems of the Pug. I’ll post more a little later.

Thanks to “The Essential Pug” by Ian Dunbar.