British veterinarians warn that pugs can no longer be considered ‘typical dogs’ as they are much more likely to develop respiratory, eye and skin diseases than other breeds. Comparing the risks of 40 common diseases in pugs and other dog breeds, scientists found that pugs were 54 times more likely to suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, 13 times more likely to suffer from corneal ulceration, and almost 11 times more likely to have dermatitis. There were folds of skin and twice as often strongly regrowth nails. An article about this was published in the journal. Canine Medicine and Genetics.
With their flattened noses and wrinkled muzzles, pugs have become a favorite of many celebrities and just ordinary dog owners. However, a new study suggests the breed suffers from so many serious illnesses that pugs can no longer be considered ordinary dogs.
“The very different health profiles of pugs and other dogs in the UK indicate that pugs have deviated so much from other dog breeds that this breed can no longer be considered a typical dog,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
Pugs’ short-faced “brachycephalic” features did not evolve naturally, they were the result of selective breeding. In addition to the aforementioned diseases, pugs are 51 times more likely to have narrow nostrils and 2.5 times more likely to suffer from obesity. Pugs are also among the dog breeds with the shortest life expectancy. Similar conclusions were drawn from the analysis of 16,218 records for pugs and 889,326 records for dogs of other breeds from the VetCompass database.
Source: Gazeta
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