Our little pugs are our best friends and they rely on us to take good care of them. There are many health troubles that your little pug friend can get into, but here are some of the most common pug health problems and what you can do about them.
Some of the most common pug health problems and tricks to treat them!
In this article we will discuss the 5 biggest health issues in pugs.
COMMON PUG EAR PROBLEMS
ELP! MY PUG GOT WORMS
OH NO, MY PUG GOT FLEAS
VOMITING PUGS
PUG EYE PROBLEMS
PUG EAR INFECTION PROBLEMS
Infections in the ear are common health problem. They can crop up because of allergies, yet, bacteria, hair growth deep in the ear canal, ear mites, and maybe just old age.
Some common signs of pug ear infection is:
Funny Ear Odor
Vigorous scratching near ear
Head shaking or head tilting
Extreme back and forth eye movement
Swelling of the ear flap
Any ear discharge (sometimes brown, yellow)
Black ear dirt (mites can look like regular dirt).
If you think your pug has an ear infection, take them to the vet! In most cases cleaning the ear with a medicated ear cleaning solution will clear it up. You need to follow instructions and finish a full course of cleaning the ear. This could mean daily ear cleaning for a few weeks to rid your pug of that ear infection! If you think your pug has ear mites, some people have had success fighting it with a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution. BUT, you really should take your pug to the vet if you think there is a health problem.
Check out our in depth article on pug ear problems and how to help keep them healthy!
OUR FAVORITE PUG EAR CLEANER!
WORMS! MY PUG GOT WORMS!!!
What to do when your pug gets worms? Tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, are all common internal parasites for your pug to get. Hopefully though they won’t get any of these. Most worm infections will make your pug uncomfortable, but in extreme occasions, like hookworms in puppies, this could be a fatal illness. There are some preventative measures you can take, so make sure to keep your pug up to date on heartgard and don’t let them scavenge out in the wild.
Some common signs your pug has worms:
Diarrhea (if its bloody, thats a good sign your pug has worms!)
Weight loss (and we all know how hard it is to get your pug to lose weight)
Rough and dry coat
Scooting around on their butt
Changes in appetite.
Vomiting
How can you tell if your pug has worms? Go to the vet! Thats really the only sure fire way to tell if your pug has worms. In some occasions you may see worms coming out of your pugs butt, but hopefully if you pray really hard, that will never happen to you! Once your vet has diagnosed that your pug has worms, they will prescribe oral medication. This will probably require a follow up visit. Definitely do not try and diagnose and treat a pug worm problem on your own. Every worm is different and if you think your pug has roundworms, but they really have tapeworm, you may cause your pug more harm then good.
Pug Fleas Look Little Black Sesames
OH NO, MY PUG GOT FLEAS!
Oh no, your pug is itching relentlessly. They might have those horrible jumping flea problems! It only takes three weeks for one single flea to lay enough eggs to turn into a 1000 flea infestation. Fleas are a common problem in pugs but luckily they are really easy to diagnose and usually easy to treat!
Signs your dog has fleas:
Lots of scratching, licking, and biting skin
Hot spots and hair loss
Tapeworms (sometimes carries by fleas)
Flea dirt - which looks like little small black dots.
And seeing little black bugs that jump away really fast!
Fleas will cause your puppy to feel really uncomfortable but long term contact with fleas can also cause infections, allergic reactions, and perhaps even cause anemia (an iron deficiency) from all the blood loss. There are lots of different medicines and shampoos you can get. We had a flea infestation a while back and had luck with a mix of flea collars and treating the house with powder.
BEST DOG FLEA POWDER KILLS FLEAS FAST
VOMITING PROBLEM IN PUGS
Vomiting is very common in lots of dog breeds. Pugs love food and they love scavenging for weird bits of food in the yard or on their walk. But how can you tell the difference between a dog vomiting from eating something funny to a more serious issue like parasites?
Symptoms you dog is vomiting too much!
Vomiting is basically abdominal heaving caused by nausea.
Blood in the vomit is a big warning sign.
Continuous vomiting
Can’t hold down foods or liquids.
If you think your dog has a vomiting problem or they can not hold down foods. Call your vet immediately! They could become severely dehydrated which is a life threatening. Sometimes changing their diet can work wonders on a pugs health. When our pug was having chronic UTI’s we started making her food (out of chicken, rice, sweet potato, and parsley) and her symptoms cleared right up and she stopped getting UTI’s. The same can be said for vomiting. Sometimes your pug might need a simpler diet (and who knows what really goes into most kibbles) to clear out whatever might be going on in their stomach. Try switching to simple rice and chicken for a few days and see if they feel any better. But again follow the golden rule of sick pugs, when in doubt, call the vet.
Common pug eye problems:
Most pugs have large bulbous eyes. Thats part of what makes them so cute! But you have to keep a close eye on those peepers. Because the pugs muzzle is so short, whenever they go around sniffing stuff they risk injury to those glossy eye globes.
Read our in depth article on Pug Eye Problems
Symptoms your pug has an eye problem
Red or inflamed eye
Scratching of the eyes
Excessive blinking or squinting
Lots of tearing or watery discharge
Sensitivity to bright light
Swollen eye
If your pug shows any symptoms of eye problems, please take them to the vet immediately! Our little pug got a scratch on her eye one easter. We noticed her eye was a little swollen and upon closer inspection could see a scratch. Since it was easter sunday our vet was closed and we decided to wait until monday. That monday morning, our pugs eye had become swollen, green, and yucky. It looked like a zombie eye. We rushed her to the vet who sent us immediately to a doggy hospital. Sadly they could not save the eye and the whole operation just to remove the eye was $1600! So if you have the hint of an eye problem in your pug, please rush to the vet immediately!
Read our in depth article on Pug Eye Problems
If your having trouble with your pug shedding too much, check out our article on helpful tips and trick on pug shedding!
