Pugs, the cute and cuddly ‘toy breed’ which have stolen the nation’s heart and with around 3,032 million pugs in the world, are proving to be one of the most popular. However, should we put their breeding on hold and open our eyes to the life a pug leads, which is full of health problems.
From the second they are brought into the world they almost instantly experience suffering and pain, particularly breathing difficulties. How is this morally correct to keep producing these puppies when they are destined for an unhappy life despite the love and care they may receive by their owners?
Pugs are a common sight on our streets and in our parks and if you have met one you will be familiar with their snorting, wheezing and struggle for breath, which is the most common health issue experienced by the breed. Approximately 50% of pugs have breathing problems caused by their squashed faces, broad, short skull and small nostrils commonly known as brachycephalic. This characteristic is the cause of pugs snorting and heavy breathing as it is very difficult for them to take in sufficient amounts of air. Curing this means surgery, however having a narrow windpipe cannot be changed by any surgical procedure so, they are forced to live in discomfort. Additionally, pugs can also suffer from brachycephalic because they have a narrow nasal cavity as a result their snubbed snouts, fluids and debris can easily get stuck and cause blood or discharge to flow from the nose if not removed. Similarly, another one of the common breathing problems which affects pugs are having a collapsed trachea, commonly caused by a birth defect. A collapsed trachea occurs when cartilage rings in the windpipe collapses - sadly there is not real way of helping as surgery is proven to be ineffective. Overtime, because the problem cannot be fully resolve, the quality of life massively decreases and because of this the average life expectancy is only 11 years.
To improve the quality of life and welfare of the pugs, I believe that a key issue needs to be resolved, namely the breathing difficulties which impact upon the lives of so many. The overbreeding of flat-faced pugs needs to be decreased significantly. To alleviate the problem pugs could be breed with similar dogs which have a larger more predominant nose with will eventually restore it to a healthier length and therefore allowing them to breathe properly. I completely support the movement of cross-breeding and mixing pugs with other breed which has the potential reduce the issue.
