Your Designer Pug is no longer considered a ‘typical dog’ because the poor thing can’t breathe

We messed up things with dogs, didn’t we? Research from the Royal Veterinary College has shown that the pug’s health is so poor that the breed can no longer be considered a healthy “typical dog”.

See also: Vets are outraged by the latest designer dog trend: Hairless Frenchmen.

Pugs are not a particularly natural breed. Years and years of intensive breeding by human owners have resulted in their faces shaping into how we know them today. The species is also known for its major health problems, ranging from respiratory problems (see: the beginning) to seizures.

Now the Royal Veterinary College says the health of the pug breed is alarmingly bad.

“Pugs are almost twice as likely to experience one or more ailments each year compared to other dogs,” the college says.

“These findings suggest that the Pug can no longer be considered a ‘typical dog’ from a health perspective, and urgent action is needed to reduce the high number of health problems associated with the breed.

“While there is growing awareness of these serious health problems in Pugs, the full extent of the health crisis in Pugs has not been fully understood until now.”

Health samples from 4,308 Pugs and 21,835 non-Pugs were analyzed in collecting this information. Overall, it was found that Pugs were 1.9 times more likely to develop one or more conditions in one year compared to non-Pugs. Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome was the highest risk condition in Pugs (the breed was nearly 54 times more likely to develop this condition).

Pugs were also found to be at a much higher risk for the following conditions than other dogs:

Narrowed nostrils (Pugs are 51.3 times more likely to suffer from this) Eye ulcers (13 times more likely) Skinfold infections (11 times more likely) Ear infections (9.6 times more likely) Allergic skin condition (5.9 times more likely) Demodectic scabies (5.6 times more likely) Permanent baby teeth (4.3 times more likely) Obesity (3.4 times more likely)

That said, some conditions were not found to be as detectable in Pugs, such as heart murmurs (0.2 times more likely), lipoma (0.2 times more likely), aggression (0.3 times more likely), and wounds (0.2 times more likely). Five times more likely). † The college ties these to Pugs who tend to be calmer dispositions, which admittedly make a lovely pet, but owners should also be aware of the health issues common to the widely popular breed.

“Although hugely popular as pets, we now know that several serious health problems are linked to the extreme body shape of Pugs that many people find so adorable,” said Dr. Dan O’Neill, an associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College.

“Now is the time to focus on the dog’s health rather than the owner’s whims when choosing what type of dog to have.”

The article on pug health is available through Canine Medicine and Genetics.