What Health Conditions Are Pugs Prone To?

Prone means the odds are higher in this breed than in dogs generally. It does not mean any individual Pug will get any of them, and many of these conditions are manageable when caught early.

What Health Conditions Are Pugs Most Prone To?

Pugs are most prone to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, narrowed nostrils, corneal ulcers, skin fold infections and ear discharge. The VetCompass study published in Canine Medicine and Genetics in 2022 compared 4,308 Pugs with 21,835 other dogs and found raised odds for 23 of the 40 most common disorders [1].

The five with the most raised odds were:

• Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, at 53.92 times the odds in other dogs, a narrowing along the upper airway
• Narrowed nostrils, at 51.25, where the openings are too small to pass air freely
• Corneal ulcers, at 13.01, damage to the clear surface of the eye
• Skin fold infections, at 10.98, sore skin inside the face and tail creases
• Ear discharge, at 9.61, usually the visible sign of an ear canal infection

Retained puppy teeth came in at 4.31 and umbilical hernia at 3.72 [1]. Two of the top five describe the same structure, which is why the airway dominates Pug health.

How Common Are Breathing Problems in Pugs?

Breathing problems are the defining health issue in the breed. The 2022 VetCompass comparison put brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome at 53.92 times the odds recorded in other dogs and narrowed nostrils at 51.25 [1], the two largest figures in the whole study.

The signs are easy to miss because they sound like the breed. Snoring, snorting and needing a minute after a walk are so ordinary in Pugs that they stop registering as symptoms.

Screening exists. The Royal Kennel Club lists breathing testing under its Respiratory Function Grading scheme as minimum good practice for the breed, and places the Pug in Breed Watch Category 3, where points of concern include laboured breathing, pinched nostrils and excess weight [2].

Where the signs go beyond background noise, a vet may discuss surgery, and what BOAS surgery involves repays reading beforehand.

Airway aside, the front of that face has its own list.

What Eye Problems Do Pugs Get?

Pugs get corneal ulcers far more often than other dogs. The 2022 VetCompass comparison recorded them at 13.01 times the odds of non-Pugs [1], which makes the eye the second theme after the airway.

The reason is geometry. A Pug’s eyes sit forward in shallow sockets with a wide lid opening, so there is more exposed surface, less shelter from the brow, and a blink that may not cover the whole cornea. Add a face that arrives slightly ahead of the rest of the dog, and knocks become likely.

An ulcer hurts and can worsen quickly, so it belongs in the same-day category rather than the wait-and-see one. The signs are a squint, watering, a cloudy patch, and a dog pawing at its own face.

Owners who catch ulcers early are the ones who look at both eyes in daylight each day, rather than noticing a squint from across the room a week later.

Eye testing under the joint scheme run by the British Veterinary Association, the Royal Kennel Club and the International Sheep Dog Society is the other minimum good practice test for the breed [2].

What Skin and Ear Problems Are Pugs Prone To?

Pugs are prone to infections inside the skin folds and to ear canal infections. The 2022 VetCompass comparison recorded skin fold infection at 10.98 times the odds of other dogs, ear discharge at 9.61 and outer ear infection at 2.04 [1].

All three come down to warm, enclosed spaces holding moisture. A fold traps damp against skin, an ear canal does the same, and bacteria and yeast do the rest, which is why drying matters more than cleaning.

Tail folds get missed more often than face folds, and a Pug’s tail curls tightly enough to hide one.

Weekly hands-on checks catch both while they are still small, and they slot neatly into the weekly brushing and coat checks the breed needs anyway.

Do Pugs Get Spine and Joint Problems?

Pugs get slipping kneecaps and spinal problems more often than most breeds. The 2022 VetCompass comparison recorded a slipping kneecap at 2.26 times the odds of other dogs [1].

Vertebral malformation is the other one owners hear about, where individual bones in the spine form an irregular shape. Published prevalence figures for UK Pugs are not available, so the signs matter more than the statistics: a wobbly back end, dragging back feet, or new difficulty with stairs.

The list runs the other way too.

What Are Pugs Less Likely to Get?

Pugs are less likely than other dogs to develop several common problems. In the same VetCompass comparison the breed had reduced odds for 7 of the 40 disorders studied, including fatty lumps at 0.24 times the odds of other dogs, cuts and wounds at 0.53, claw injury at 0.64 and lameness at 0.66 [1].

A small, light, home-based dog that never crashes through a hedge avoids a whole category of everyday injury. That is worth holding onto alongside what new Pug owners need to know, because the raised-odds list gets quoted far more often than the protected one. Fewer emergency visits for cuts and torn claws is a real advantage.

How Long Do Pugs Live?

Pugs live a little under the average for UK dogs. The 2024 study of 584,734 dogs published in Scientific Reports put median survival for the Pug at 11.6 years, against 12.8 years for purebreds with medium-length muzzles and 11.2 years for flat-faced purebreds as a group [3]. Individual Pugs vary widely either side of that median.

Some of that is set before birth.

What Can Owners Change, and What Can They Not?

Owners cannot change skull shape, nostril size, the length of a soft palate or the shape of a vertebra. Those are settled before a puppy is born, which is why screening sits with the breeder rather than with the person who takes the puppy home.

Asking to see a Respiratory Function Grading certificate and an eye certificate for both parents is the single most useful thing a buyer can do. The Royal Kennel Club also lists a DNA test for Pug dog encephalitis, an inflammatory brain condition, and hip scoring as best practice for the breed [2], and careful breeders produce all of it without being asked.

What sits within reach afterwards is narrower and more practical than the internet suggests. Drying the folds and ears. Raising breathing noise with a vet rather than filing it under breed character. Walking in cool air rather than warm. And keeping the dog lean, because keeping a Pug lean takes load off the airway and the joints at the same time.

None of that undoes the conformation, and none of it is wasted either.

How Does Pet Insurance Fit Around Pug Health?

Pet insurance covers unexpected vet bills for accidents and illnesses, subject to the policy terms and annual renewal. In this breed the conditions that run over months rather than weeks are airway disease, skin and ear infections, and eye problems.

An illness or injury your dog had before the policy started is normally excluded, subject to the policy terms, and that includes breathing signs already recorded by a vet.

Premiums vary by breed, age, postcode, claims history and the level of cover selected, and they usually rise as a pet gets older. Cheaper policies may provide more limited cover and may not include illnesses, ongoing conditions or routine treatments.

Pet insurance may not be suitable for every household. Whether cover is appropriate depends on your finances, your dog’s health profile and how much risk you are comfortable carrying yourself. You can get a pet insurance quote today with Perfect Pet.