Care for Your Pug - Feeding, Grooming, Exercise and Potential Health Issues

A Pug is a small breed that has a short muzzled face and a lot of wrinkles. While the breed has a sullen sad expression, the name of the breed has been means a frisky and prankish little devil. The Pug is a sociable dog and fairly charming. A Pug needs lots of attention and tends to get agitated unless attention is showered by the owner. The life span of a Pug is generally between 12 to 15 years and while there are no major issues with the breed, there are a fair number of minor health issues that the breed is prone to.

Feeding and Grooming
Pugs are hungry and greedy dogs that tend to eat more food than they require if it is made available. This can result in obesity and heath issues associated with being overweight. While most adult dogs should be given one or two meals in a day, Pugs should be offered food two to three times a day. Smaller portions should be made available so that the dog eats only a specific measured amount. Fresh meat and vegetables make a good meal for Pugs. Use only the best brands of commercial food if you are not able to provide home food for your pet.

While the short coat of a Pug is generally easy to maintain, the wrinkles need special attention. Brushing and combing should be done at least a couple of times a week, while making sure that all the folds are attended to. While a bath is not necessary and a dog shampoo should be used only when absolutely necessary, cleaning the folds daily is required to prevent skin infection. Clipping the nails regularly is also required since Pug nails tend to grow fairly quickly.

Exercise
Being a small dog, the Pug needs relatively lower levels of exercise. A walk in the park is enough to keep them fit. However, this needs to be combined with diet regulations since Pugs tend to overeat. While exercising your Pug, make sure that you do not leave them in the sun for too long since Pugs are not accustomed to extreme heat or cold.

Special care and health concerns
- The wrinkled face and large eyes of the dog combine to create a situation where the drainage from the eyes can get caught in the folds of the skin. Dust particles and other dirt can also get inside the folds of the wrinkles and start to cause infections. Therefore the folds of a Pug's face should be cleaned carefully.

- While obesity has been mentioned above, it is important to reiterate that obesity can cause other health issues that may be fatal in the long run.

- The long palate accompanied by the short snout causes Pugs to 'reverse sneeze'. This manifest itself in gasps and snorts that emanate from the Pugs mouth from time to time. While some owners tend to feel that their pet is asphyxiating, there is actually no reason to worry about a 'reverse sneeze'

- Pugs are also more susceptible to eye injuries like puncture wounds and scratched cornea.

- Demodectic mange is another health concern with Pugs. The weakened immune system causes Pugs to catch diseases more easily than other dogs.

- Since Pugs have a short snout and smaller breathing passages, they tend to have breathing issues too. This also causes the additional concern with being able to use panting effectively to regulate temperature. Extreme heat can actually result in death and therefore it is essential to keep your Pug in areas that have proper cooling or have a temperature that does not go beyond 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Pugs are also known to suffer from an inflammation of the brain called 'granulomatous meningoencephalitis'. This chronic condition is specific to Pugs and is also called 'Pug dog encephalitis (PDE)'. The cause of the inflammation is considered to be hereditary in nature and there is no cure. In most cases, the pet either dies or is euthanized in a few months.

- Another health issue that Pugs, like other brachycephalic dogs, are vulnerable to is hemivertebrae. While the screwtail is also a hemivertebrae, when this occurs in other places, it can cause severe pain and then paralysis. However, it should be noted that this defect is generally congenital and can be detected with an x-ray as soon as a Pug puppy is born.

- Special care is required for Pug female dogs during pregnancy and childbirth. Small dogs such as these may require a Caesarian section and sometimes Pug female dogs also show apathy towards their newborns.