Pugs can’t be considered as 'typical' dog breed from health perspective – study

Pugs can no longer be considered "typical" dogs because of their inherent health issues, according to a new study in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics.

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have discovered that the problem lies in the breeding of pugs: generations of dog breeders created a unique breed with a specific "flat face", but this in turn caused serious health problems in this breed of dogs.

The study analyzed 4,308 pugs and 21,835 dogs of other breeds. It turned out that pugs had an increased risk of developing 23 diseases, including diseases of the respiratory tract, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, diseases of the abdominal cavity and diseases of the brain. About 17 percent of pugs were also obese compared to almost 7 percent of other dogs.

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