How to Keep a Pug Healthy?
Pugs are fun, nice, charming, have no enemies, adore their owners and are ready to defend them with the full power of their 40 cm body. But they are also bad observers and guardians. They love everyone, they snore loudly, they fart, and they mess up the whole house. They are great company, and they look at you with these glossy eyes as big as buttons and make your soul melt.
However, pugs are prone to obesity and eye trauma, they have difficulty breathing and they easily overheat. These are very important health problems that pug owners should take into account in order for their dog to be happy and healthy.
The pug originates from the Chinese Empire. The specific facial muzzle, broad heads and flattened noses had previously been a tradition in China. The pugs were raised only in castles and only the emperors had the privilege to touch them. At the end of the 19th century the pug was a very popular dog breed. But because of crosses with other breeds of dogs and the widespread opinion that the pugs are lazy, boring and greedy, this dog lost its good reputation. The crosses with other breeds is also the main reason why a pug has so many health problems.
Over the last decades, however, the popularity of the pug has been revived. There are numerous Facebook pages of popular pugs, such as Doug the Pug and Puggie Smalls, which are visited by thousands of people every day. The demand for pugs is so high that there is even a pug farm in Bulgaria, the place where we got our pug, Grumpy. Unfortunately, many people who get pugs fail to realize how hard it is to look after such a dog and, as a result, often abandon them soon after they get them.
There are a number of health problems to which these dogs are predisposed, mainly due to some of their characteristics of the breed. One of the most common problems with pugs is due to the shape of their mouths. Because their mouths are dull and their eyes stay unprotected, the dogs are exposed to the danger of scarring their cornea. The most common cause of the proptosis (protrusion of the eyeball) is the head or neck slap, as well as the use of tight collars instead of breastplates. Although the eye can be returned to its normal position by the owner, he or she has to visit a veterinarian because in such cases it is required for the dog to be checked for any further damage to the eyeball. If such protrusions occur regularly, surgery may be necessary.
Pugs also have very tight airways that predispose them to breathing problems and difficulties in temperature regulation. The owner of a pug should pay attention to the temperatures the dog is exposed to. The normal body temperature of the animal is about 38–39 Celsius. Body temperatures above 41 degrees are dangerous and can cause permanent damage. The other effect of tight airways is that they sometimes cry while breathing and snore like humans. In addition, the breed is also prone to distortion of the spine. The curved tail is an example of such distortion, but when it occurs in the back area, it can be quite dangerous, causing paralysis. This disease occurs when, during growth, two spinal vertebrae do not connect well and pressure occurs in the spine.
Since pugs are greedy, they are prone to obesity. They are ready to eat any kind of food that has come their way. For example, my pug, Grumpy, eats anything that falls on the floor while I am cooking, from sweets to onions. But with the right diet and daily walks, you can completely avoid this problem and extend the life of your pug.
Pugs have wrinkles and it is necessary to regularly and carefully clean the wrinkles on the dog’s skin, especially the one above its nose. This is important because pugs’ skin is wrinkled, which creates conditions for infections. In order to avoid any infections, you should clean any dirt anywhere on your pug with a soft brush or a wet wipe.
Finally, while pugs are more often than not considered to be one of the cutest dog breeds out there, pugs require much more care than almost any other dog. Unlike other breeds, pugs have no chance of surviving if they are forced to live in the yard, instead of inside. Moreover, while pugs need to go for walks, they should not be over-exercised because unlike bigger dog breeds, pugs might suffer from insufficient oxygen levels when taken for long walks.
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Aleksandrina Ivanova is a third-year student in American University in Bulgaria. She is majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication. She loves animals! Aleksandrina has a one-years old pug, called Grumpy.
