Pug Suddenly Breathing Heavily

[MalteseLuna]

This is about my Parents pug who they are worried about. She is about 10 years old and from a registered show breeder - she has always been a quiet breather, quite active, quite trim normally between 8-9 kgs, healthy (no problems till now). In the last 6 weeks or so my parents have noticed that she is panting/breathing very heavily and is now unable to walk even short distances (i.e. around the block and she pants/breaths very hard). It's been a sudden development - possibly due to the heat but she still breaths heavily on cool days.

My parents are worried because previously she was very active - running around on the beach, happy to go on walks. Mom doesn't want to push her if its going to hurt her. She did hurt her back about 14 weeks ago - but she doesn't seem worried by it now.

When we went to the vet yesterday the vet couldn't hear a heart murmur or anything wrong and said "it's just old age, just let her hang out in the house all day and don't take her on walks longer than a block". Would age have such a profound affect in a matter of 6 weeks? Could excess weight be the culprit? Is it normal for pugs to develop heavier breathing as they get older?

My main concern is how they keep her "trim" and healthy without exercise given that she is already a little overweight (9.6 kgs) and if excess weight could be causing the breathing how do they get the weight off her without exercise? She is generally fed light or senior eukanuba (not the best brand but they won't listen to my advice and change to something else) - lately she has been getting the "Joint" formula diet (Dad bought 2 x 20kg bags of food for 2 toy dogs ).

Does anyone have any tips for helping her out/making her breath easier?

Kylie

[Loraine]

If her meal quantity has not suddently changed she should not be gaining weight. Has her appetite suddenly become ravenous? has she started to drink more water? has she developed a pot belly?

These are some of the signs of Cushing's disease, which is often, wrongly, put down to old age. If you suspect this ask the vet to run a blood panel whihc includes and ACTH.

[Pug Hugger]

This is about my Parents pug who they are worried about. She is about 10 years old and from a registered show breeder - she has always been a quiet breather, quite active, quite trim normally between 8-9 kgs, healthy (no problems till now). In the last 6 weeks or so my parents have noticed that she is panting/breathing very heavily and is now unable to walk even short distances (i.e. around the block and she pants/breaths very hard). It's been a sudden development - possibly due to the heat but she still breaths heavily on cool days.

My parents are worried because previously she was very active - running around on the beach, happy to go on walks. Mom doesn't want to push her if its going to hurt her. She did hurt her back about 14 weeks ago - but she doesn't seem worried by it now.

When we went to the vet yesterday the vet couldn't hear a heart murmur or anything wrong and said "it's just old age, just let her hang out in the house all day and don't take her on walks longer than a block". Would age have such a profound affect in a matter of 6 weeks? Could excess weight be the culprit? Is it normal for pugs to develop heavier breathing as they get older?

My main concern is how they keep her "trim" and healthy without exercise given that she is already a little overweight (9.6 kgs) and if excess weight could be causing the breathing how do they get the weight off her without exercise? She is generally fed light or senior eukanuba (not the best brand but they won't listen to my advice and change to something else) - lately she has been getting the "Joint" formula diet (Dad bought 2 x 20kg bags of food for 2 toy dogs ).

Does anyone have any tips for helping her out/making her breath easier?

Kylie

As pugs get older they do feel the heat more - it could be the warming weather is starting to affect her. I would recommend that your parents invest in a cool mat for her to lie on if she is feeling the heat.

Weight is a huge factor to pugs health overall. Excessive weight will almost certainly make it harder for them to breathe. I would urge your parents to move her onto a better quality dry food formulated for seniors, eagle pack has one, I don't know who else does but orijeen would also be good. Honestly, she sounds quite overweight. Louie is a good size male and I keep him at 8.8kg, Evie is a small female and I think hr ideal weight will be 7 to 7.5 kg once she loses her excess baggage. I would suggest she loses the weight if possible, it will make summer more comfortable and take pressure off of her aging joints.

Have they considered chiro to check that her back is okay? It might be worth it to be sure.

She is old as well - pugs have a life expectancy of about 12 or so, but I would look at the weight issue first. As far as exercise goes perhaps some swimming would help her out, not so much pressure on the joints and nice and cool after all!

[~Anne~]

I'd be checking out the possibility of a collapsing trachea. If that is the case, then she will go down hill the minute the heat hits as well and she will not be able to breathe. She will effectively be starved of oxygen.

Get her to another Vet or take her back to the same Vet and tell him to check the trachea, palate and laryngeal saccules and do it without delay.

Check out this site for some furhter info to help you. She needs to get back to a Vet and she needs to be examined further. Not all dogs do the coughing first.

Brachy Syndrome - Trachea

[puggy_puggy]

Pugs can live to 14 so she has a few years ahead of her.

1. Get her back checked out again. Panting can be a sign of pain so maybe she still is in pain from her back.

2. Get the weight off her. Pugs should have a clearly defined waist on them. If she was on a BARF/RAW food diet I would say only one or two chicken necks a day and vegtables but because your parents feed dried then feed only 1/4 of a cup of the dried food and the rest in vegtables. Take her for very short walks.

if getting the weight off her doesn't seem to have helped

2. Check that she doesn't have an Elongated Soft Palate or that her trachea isn't collapsing. She would have to be sedated for them to check these things out.

[MalteseLuna]

I have passed on this information and the thread URL to my parents - I think they are going to work on her weight and see how that helps and will try to get the vet to look at her trachea next week.

I do think she is a bit overweight - not as bad as alot of pugs we see out and about but definitely compared to what she used to be; what sort of vegetables are good to add to her diet?

Thanks you guys,

Kylie

[Bully]

This is about my Parents pug who they are worried about. She is about 10 years old and from a registered show breeder - she has always been a quiet breather, quite active, quite trim normally between 8-9 kgs, healthy (no problems till now). In the last 6 weeks or so my parents have noticed that she is panting/breathing very heavily and is now unable to walk even short distances (i.e. around the block and she pants/breaths very hard). It's been a sudden development - possibly due to the heat but she still breaths heavily on cool days.

My parents are worried because previously she was very active - running around on the beach, happy to go on walks. Mom doesn't want to push her if its going to hurt her. She did hurt her back about 14 weeks ago - but she doesn't seem worried by it now.

When we went to the vet yesterday the vet couldn't hear a heart murmur or anything wrong and said "it's just old age, just let her hang out in the house all day and don't take her on walks longer than a block". Would age have such a profound affect in a matter of 6 weeks? Could excess weight be the culprit? Is it normal for pugs to develop heavier breathing as they get older?

Hi Kylie,

Panting can be a sign of pain. I'd get the back checked out again. Maybe check the heart again.

Don't take the vet's word that "it's just old age, just let her hang out in the house all day and don't take her on walks longer than a block" That's a load of bollocks Old age does not happen over night

[MalteseLuna]

I agree it didn't sound right to me - hence me posting on this site - I figured there would be more knowledgeable people who have dealt with pugs particularly

It's more than just panting - but it is true her back could be causing her to pant.

Thanks for the advice Guys - hopefully they will figure out whats happening with Nu-Nu and she can get back to her normal self!

[raz]

I wouldnt exactly consider 10 to be old age for a pug. What puggles said - change vets and get her x-rayed

[Charles Kuntz]

Your pug probably has brachycephalic airway syndrome. The most common component is an elongated soft palate. The issue is that these dogs can get secondary changes like collapse of the larynx (not the trachea- tracheal collapse is uncommon in pugs- congenital narrowing of the trachea is more common) and everted laryngeal saccules. These saccules are an evolutionary remnant that serve no purpose but to cause brachycephalic dogs strife. The secondary changes can cause rapid progression of clinical signs. Excessive weight is certainly a contributing factor. I would suggest a laryngeal examination with the aim to correct any problems which may be present. Recognise that laryngeal collapse cannot be treated easily and is quite serious. We do find that when the other issues are resolved, the laryngeal collapse can improve.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Charles

[raz]

Interesting. My pug has pretty severe narrowing of the trachea.

[eugene]

I would be getting the excess weight off asap.....but at 10 years I would expect to have a far lazier pug than a 7 or 8 year old. Excess weight will make her huff and puff....get it off, because it is also putting unnecessary strain on her heart and on her joints!

Your parents could change her diet to a light dry food or simply cut back what they feed her now and fill the bowl with grated carrot or similar to make her feel full!

grandkids aren't treating her too much when they come to visit are they?

too many treats are usually the cause of extra weight, whether on the dog or us!...LOL

[~Anne~]

Thanks Charles.

Raz a little rescue I had, Mollie, also had a very narrow trachea. With her, long term respiratory distress actually caused her to develop fluid on the lungs. When she came into my rescue she was on fluid tablets for an 'assumed' heart condition. I took her off to the Specialist Hospital at Nth Ryde and it turned out it was all part of brachy syndrome.

We operated on her palate, larayngeal saccules and nares and she was great after that.... sadly, she passed away only 6 months after the op with pancreatic cancer though.

[raz]

We operated on her palate, larayngeal saccules and nares and she was great after that.... sadly, she passed away only 6 months after the op with pancreatic cancer though.

Damn that's sad, Puggles. I remember Mollie. Cakes' trachea isnt just narrow - it's pretty screwy. The x rays were quite shocking. If Charles is interested there is a thread in Breeders forum about it all by Warley. Fortunately obesity will never be an issue for her - Little rat runs off all the calories. Yep yep yep - get the weight off and fast, ML. Fat dogs are not healthy dogs.

[~Anne~]

Pugs are quite energetic as youngsters Raz but by the time they hit about 3 - 4 years they start becoming sloth like.

I am very determined to keep my Pugs slim. In my view, they should come in at the waist...although there are some who feel that if mine come in at the waist then they are too thin. They're are far from thin that's for sure. Obviously it would be different for a show Pug but mine are only pets and so lean is preferable.

I have seen far more fat and obese Pugs then I have Pugs in good shape or thin. I'll pm you a clip Raz of a rescue in the US, you should see how skinny one of the Pugs is in it.

Edited to correct grammar.

Edited October 6, 2008 by PugRescueSydney

[MalteseLuna]

There are no grand kids in the picture - but my siblings who still live at home might be giving her extra food She was on light food till very recently when they put her on the special joint formula.

Thank you Charles I will pass the info onto my parents and hopefully something can be done for her.

She has always been a cuddly dog and likes to laze around the house but at the same time she always used to LOVE walkies

[raz]

I'll pm you a clip Raz of a rescue in the US, you should see how skinny one of the Pugs is in it.

PM'd you back, Puggles. Not sure I can watch it. I'll probably flip out.

Yep I'm with ya on keeping them slim. My BILs pug is grossly overweight and I keep hammering him to get the fat off.