It is important to know that the pug is one of the Brachycephalic breeds. Brachy dogs are susceptible to Brachycephalic syndrome. Brachycephalic syndrome is a pathological condition affecting short nosed dogs and cats which leads to severe respiratory distress. There are four different anatomical abnormalities that contribute to the disease, all of which occur more commonly in brachycephalic breeds: an elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, a hypoplastic trachea, and everted laryngeal saccules (a condition which occurs secondarily to the other abnormalities). Brachycephalic dogs are also associated with such anomalies as (but is not limited to): bulging eyes and luxating patella.
Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE) – is a fatal seizure disorder exclusive to the Pug. The exact cause has yet to be found. Dogs with PDE can exhibit seizures, progressive paralysis, periodic blindness, coma, and sudden death. The disease can be rapidly or slowly progressive. Some dogs even have temporary remissions. Dogs with PDE usually fail to respond to anticonvulsant therapy and progress to coma and death or elective euthanasia when symptoms are uncontrollable. To date, the only completely accurate diagnosis is postmortem examination of the brain. A tentative diagnosis of PDE is supported by ruling out other possible diseases, a characteristic white blood cell profile in cerebral spinal fluid that is seen in some PDE cases, or by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.