Pug
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Breed Group | Toy |
| Size | Small (14-18 lbs) |
| Height | 10-13 in |
| Lifespan | 13-15 years |
| Temperament | Charming, Mischievous, Loving |
| Good with Kids | Excellent |
| Shedding | Low |
| Exercise Needs | Low |
| Grooming Needs | Low |
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The snore is the diagnosis
Pugs stand about 10 to 13 inches and weigh 14 to 18 pounds. Many live 13 to 15 years, and some of those years are spent managing a face that was bred shorter than the airway. The low exercise need is there because a pug cannot safely do more, not because the dog is lazy.
They are comic and affectionate, and they still resource-guard and still bite if they are hurt. Children should not be allowed to sit on them. Other dogs are usually fine. The wrinkles need a daily wipe. A wet fold is a skin infection waiting for a name.
Airway surgery is sometimes the kind option
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is the cluster of tight nostrils, a long soft palate, and everted laryngeal saccules. Some pugs breathe better after surgery. Eye ulcers and dry eye are common because the eye is prominent. Necrotizing meningoencephalitis causes seizures in young dogs and is discussed in Merck. Heatstroke is the emergency people underestimate. The vomiting and collapse notes are worth reading before a summer trip.
Pug questions
Is snoring normal in a pug?
A little noise is common. Gagging, blue tongue, collapse, or the inability to sleep without propping the chin up is not cute. Ask about the nostrils, the soft palate, and the larynx.
What is pug dog encephalitis?
Necrotizing meningoencephalitis, a seizure and brain disease seen in young pugs. There is no home treatment. A first seizure is a veterinary emergency.
Can pugs live in a warm climate?
Only with air conditioning and a ban on midday walks. They overheat on a 75-degree hike. A short nose cannot pant the way a shepherd can.
A pug that scuffs the hind feet, knuckles a paw, or sways in the rear is not just clumsy. Constrictive myelopathy, often called pug myelopathy, compresses the spinal cord. It is a problem in the spine of this breed, not a disc slip you treat with a week of rest. Early signs are worn nails on the hind feet, a wobble on a slick floor, and urine accidents in a dog that was house-trained. A neurologist should see the dog. Steroids from a general clinic are not a diagnosis. The short jaw crowds the premolars. Retained baby teeth, rotated teeth, and periodontal disease are ordinary findings by middle age, and infection in the mouth does not stay in the mouth. Brush with a pet toothpaste. Plan a dental under anesthesia at a clinic that monitors brachycephalic airways, because the same face that needs the cleaning is the face that makes anesthesia harder. Walk the dog on a harness that bears on the chest. A collar compresses a trachea that is already narrow, and a pulling pug on a collar turns every walk into an airway problem. Ask which parents had the nostrils and the soft palate graded. A snore is not a health clearance. Stenotic nares are visible, and a vet can score them before a puppy comes home.