The short answer
Keep a Pug lean and cool, walk it on a harness and never exercise it in heat. Treat a squinting, cloudy or bulging eye as urgent. Clean and dry the facial folds. Get every new lump sampled. Report hind-leg weakness or wobbling in an older Pug, and any seizure. Remind your vet before anaesthesia that your dog is flat-faced. Price pet insurance in your first week.
Breathing: the defining Pug issue
The Pug is on VCA Animal Hospitals’ list of flat-faced breeds with brachycephalic airway syndrome: narrow nostrils, an elongated soft palate and a crowded throat. Snoring, noisy breathing, gagging and tiring quickly are common, and Pugs overheat easily.
Keep the dog lean, because extra weight narrows the airway further. Walk in the cool part of the day, use a harness, and stop at heavy panting. A blue tinge to the gums, collapse or extreme breathing effort is an emergency. Some Pugs benefit from airway surgery, which works better earlier. Always remind your vet before sedation or anaesthesia that your dog is flat-faced.
Browse adoptable Pugs
Foster notes often mention breathing, weight and eyes, which is exactly what to raise at your first vet visit.
See Available Pugs →Eyes and skin folds
Pugs have large, prominent eyes that are easily scratched or ulcerated, and a hard knock can even push an eye out of its socket. Squinting, tearing, pawing at the face, a cloudy spot or a bulging eye needs a vet the same day; keep a bulging eye moist on the way.
The wrinkle over the nose traps moisture and debris and can become inflamed or infected. Wipe and dry the folds gently a few times a week, and see your vet for redness, odour or discharge.
Spine and nerves
A 2025 study of spinal disease in Pugs and French Bulldogs found both breeds have a high rate of vertebral malformations such as hemivertebrae. In Pugs it also describes a slowly progressive hind-leg weakness and wobbliness, sometimes called pug thoracolumbar myelopathy. Gradual stumbling, scuffing or loss of bladder or bowel control in an older Pug deserves a neurological exam.
Pug dog encephalitis is a rare inflammatory brain disease. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes behaviour changes and seizures in affected Pugs. Any seizure needs a vet, and one that will not stop is an emergency.
Lumps and weight
The Pug is on VCA’s list of breeds prone to mast cell tumours, which can look like a harmless bump. Every new lump deserves a quick needle sample.
Pugs gain weight easily, and in this breed weight makes breathing, joints and the spine worse. Measure meals, count treats and ask your vet for a target weight.
The first vet visit after adoption
Ask for a breathing and airway check, an eye exam, a skin and fold check, a lump check, a gait assessment, a body condition score and baseline bloodwork. Note in the file that the dog is flat-faced. Bring the rescue’s records.
Price pet insurance the same week. Every Canadian provider excludes conditions documented before enrolment, and airway surgery and eye emergencies are common costs.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Pug health issues?
Short-nose breathing problems, eye injuries, skin fold infections, obesity, spinal disease and vertebral malformations, mast cell tumours and, rarely, Pug dog encephalitis.
Is it normal for my Pug to snore and breathe loudly?
It is common, but not harmless. It reflects a narrowed airway. Keep the dog lean and cool, use a harness and ask your vet whether surgery would help.
What do I do if my Pug’s eye is bulging or cloudy?
Go to a vet the same day, or an emergency clinic for a bulging eye. Keep the eye moist and stop the dog pawing at it on the way.
Why is my older Pug wobbly on its back legs?
Pugs are prone to vertebral malformations and a slowly progressive spinal condition. Ask your vet for a neurological exam rather than assuming it is age.
How hot is too hot for a Pug?
Pugs overheat far faster than long-nosed dogs. Avoid exercise in warm weather, give shade and water, and treat heavy panting that does not settle as an emergency.
Should I get pet insurance for a rescue Pug?
It is worth pricing in your first week. Canadian pet insurance excludes conditions documented before enrolment, and airway, eye and spinal care are common costs.
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome: Pug named; weight, heat, harness; earlier surgery better
- Prevalence and breed predisposition for spinal diseases in pugs and French bulldogs (PMC): vertebral malformations; pug thoracolumbar myelopathy
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Congenital and Inherited Cerebral Disorders: Pug necrotizing meningoencephalitis: behaviour changes, seizures
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs: Pug named; needle sampling
General information, not veterinary advice. Diagnosis and treatment decisions belong with your veterinarian.
Related guides
New dog? Start with these care guides
Everything a new adopter needs to set up a safe, happy home.