Pug

• Pug dog encephalitis is an inflammatory brain condition unique to Pugs, and which is inevitably deadly, causing the dog to seizure, circle, lose vision, fall into a coma and then die within a few days or weeks. Unfortunately there is no way to test for or treat the disease.
• Cheyletiella Dermatitis. Also known as “walking dandruff”, cheyletiella dermatitis is a skin condition caused by a mite. It is characterised by heavy dandruff down the middle of the back. Because these mites are transferrable, all other pets in the house need to be treated.
• Epilepsy. Pugs are prone to idiopathic epilepsy, which are seizures with no known cause. There is treatment available for Pugs suffering epilepsy.
• Nerve Degeneration. As they age, Pugs may suffer from nerve degeneration, causing them to drag their rear, stagger, become incontinent or have difficulty jumping. It doesn’t appear to cause pain and is slow advancing, but medication is available to help certain symptoms.
• Corneal Ulcers. Due to the size and prominence of a Pug’s eyes, they can become injured easily or develop ulcers on the cornea. Symptoms include squinting and red or tearing eyes. If left untreated, ulcers can cause vision loss or rupture the eye.
• Dry eye is a result of the eye not producing enough tears. It can cause blindness if left untreated, but medication is available.
• Demodectic Mange. Demodex mites are passed down from mother to pup but are not transferrable to other dogs or humans. These mites are normal and present in every dog, and typically do not cause any issues. However, a Pug with a weak immune system could develop demodectic mange. Characterised by red, scaly skin and hair loss, the disease often goes away on its own, but should still be discussed with a vet.
• Hemi-Vertibrae. Pugs and other short-nosed dogs may have anomalous vertebrae. Sometimes very few of the vertebrae are affected and do not impact the dog’s quality of life, however dogs with extensive hemi-vertebrae have difficulty walking and can become paralysed. Surgery is an option for affected dogs.
• Hip dysplasa occurs when the thigh bone and hip joint do not fit together properly and may cause pain and arthritis later in the dog’s life. Many affected dogs are able to live relatively comfortably with the condition.
• Other. Pugs may also experience breathing issues, staph infections, yeast infections, Legges-Perthes disease, patellar luxation and vaccination sensitivity.

Not all conditions are covered by Pet Insurance. For details of Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance cover, refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.