Pugs Facing Scary Health Disorders, Issues Amid Rising Popularity: Study

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A new study found that pugs are facing such scary health disorders that they can no longer be considered a "typical dog." The situation comes as the breed of dog is having a rising popularity for its extreme body characteristics.

Pugs are now facing scary health disorders with a recent study saying that the breed can no longer be considered a "typical dog" amid its rising popularity among dog owners.

Researchers said that pugs have such dire health conditions, something that is substantially different and largely worse than other breeds of dogs. The study was conducted by researchers from the Royal Veterinary College.

Pugs' Health Disorders

The study compared the health of 4,308 pugs and 21,835 non-pugs and found that UK pugs are nearly twice as likely to experience one or more disorders per year compared with other dogs. Brachycephalic, or "brachy" dogs, such as pugs, bulldogs, or boxers, are commonly bred for their distinctive looks.

In recent years, pugs have gained a massive increase in popularity, seeing five times as many Kennel Club registrations of pugs from 2005 to 2017. The study found that overall, pugs were 1.9 times more likely to be ill with one or more disorders in a single year, as per BBC.

A veterinary surgeon, Dr. Myfanwy Hill, who works at the University of Cambridge, said that the findings were not a surprise. The health professional said that the issue was that the dog had a smaller skull but had nothing else equivalently smaller.

Hill said that the brains of pugs were squished into a box that was much too small and noted that other soft tissues are "squished into a smaller space." This is believed to be what causes a lot of problems with pugs' faces, such as issues with breathing, skin, and their back.

According to SkyNews, experts are now urging dog lovers to not purchase pugs as pets until their health condition improves and their body shape shifts to being less extreme. An associate professor in companion animal epidemiology at the RVC, Dr. Dan O'Neill, who is also the lead author of the paper, said that while pugs are extremely popular, severe health issues are linked with their extreme body shape.

Extreme Body Characteristics

Experts noted that flat-faced breeds of dogs are often more vulnerable to respiratory problems compared to other breeds. The research also found that pugs had a higher risk of 23 out of 40 most common disorders compared with a lower risk of only seven of the 40 disorders. The most common disorder was found to be brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, where pugs were 54 times more likely to develop the condition.

The research found that pugs were at lower risk of conditions such as heart murmur, aggression, and wounds. Justine Shotton, British Veterinary Association president, said that the statistics were concerning but not really surprising.

They noted that vet teams see pugs with such distressing health problems, ranging from breathing difficulties to eye ulcers and painful spine abnormalities. In veterinary practices across the UK on a daily basis.

Shotton added that if the extreme, unhealthy characteristics remained, they will continue to strongly recommend potential owners to not buy dog breeds such as pugs under the brachycephalic tree. The researchers published their findings in Canine Medicine and Genetics, Independent reported.