Keeping My Future Pugs Young And Healthy

[Queen Maeby]

****I changed the title of this thread because I was worried that it sounded too preachy, like I was expecting other people to do the same as me. I would like to know what I can do to give my future Pugs the best chance at a long and healthy life. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.****

Because of my experience with mast cell tumours, and Grover dying so young, I'm interested in finding out what I can do to give my future Pugs a long, healthy life. Ideally, I would like all my Pugs to live to at least 15.

I thought I'd post this conversation, which is from a Pug forum I belong to... What do you think about the suggestions mentioned by the second poster? Do you agree/disagree with any of them? Is there anything else you would add that you think would help keep dogs young and healthy?

Poster 1 asking a question:

I am asking this question because I have seen posts where Pugs have lived to be 17, 18 years and even older. None of my Pugs even reached fifteen. Chinto, who I got as a puppy, lived to be 12 and 1/2, and died of a brain tumor. Marris, who I rescued at four years, lived to be just a month shy of 14, and died of a fatal seizure. Darcy, Chinto's granddaughter, who I adopted at seven years, died at 11 and 1/2 of breast cancer, which spread to her lungs. Now, we have Napoleon, who we rescued at 5 years, and would like to live a long life with us.

So, what am I doing wrong? We give them tons of love, regular vet care, heart worm and flea and tick meds, take them for walks, and feed them what we believe to be premium quality food.

Poster 2's response (poster 2 is very experienced with Pug rescue):

Luck and genetics play into the equation heavily and for the most part those cannot be controlled.

What you CAN do:

1. Maintain your pug at optimum weight. I would rather see them be a little underweight than a little overweight.

2. After the puppy shots, if at all possible, stop vaccinating. Wing-N-Wave Labradors Vaccines, Infectious Diseases and the Canine Immune System

3. Feed a species appropriate diet of the highest quality possible. Minimize carbohydrates. Eliminate empty calorie, processed and flavored treats. Give age appropriate supplements.

4. Address health concerns immediately. Have an annual exam and annual bloodwork and urine done when they are under 8. At 8-12 have it done twice a year. Over twelve, ideally 3-4 times per year.

5. Keep them out of extremes of temperature.

6. Address breathing issues as young as possible, before deficits cause more or worse problems. Same goes for eyes.

7. Have regular dentals done by a good vet with good anesthesia protocol and familiarity with pugs or brachycephalic breeds.

8. Keep them out of areas where herbicides and insecticides are regularly used, especially things like RoundUp, weed & feed, etc.

9. Have a good fence that keeps them in and anything else out.

10. Touch them a lot. Not only is it good for them and for you, but it allows you to notice growths, swellings, bare spots and other problems while they are still small.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Queen Maeby

[JulesP]

Come to terms with the fact that animals can be fragile and may break your heart. I've lost 2 young pets in the last couple of years and have one that is terminal. Prior to that both my dogs lived to 15yo and never went to the vets. You can take all the precautions but sometimes things happen.

[Danois]

Wrap them in cotton wool??

Dogs are a living and breathing thing - no matter what you do or don't do, there is no way of ensuring that your dog stays 'young' and healthy.

All you can do is ensure that you purchase a dog from a reputable and responsible breeder who health tests so you have a good foundation - but this is no guarantee and sh*^t still happens despite this.

[Queen Maeby]

Come to terms with the fact that animals can be fragile and may break your heart. I've lost 2 young pets in the last couple of years and have one that is terminal. Prior to that both my dogs lived to 15yo and never went to the vets. You can take all the precautions but sometimes things happen.

I know what you mean, and that is very good advice, but I would like to know what I can do to give them the best chance. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.

[Queen Maeby]

I guess I see it like a fun game with the goal being having my Pug live to 15+.

[BoxerB]

Great question!

Not sure i can really add any value, and don't think its one you'll get a definite answer on, but for what its worth, I'm doing my best to stick to an all natural diet with unprocessed foods, and adding supplements when needed.

Have read in a lot of forums the same advice you got on the Pug forums.

Keep dogs lean, keep food natural, keep them fit and happy.

When it comes to medication/vaccines, I'm also starting to ask the vet is it really necessary to get him on medications straight away after visiting for a whatever issue, and you might be surprised how many times they may say using medication will accelerate healing, but there's no issue with letting it sort itself out - NOT ADVICE FROM ME, speak to your vet :)

I learned with my kids, that sometimes you don't need to rush straight for antibiotics, and knock on wood, since i have taken that approach, they seem to have developed stronger immune systems.

[denali]

I think that is good advice, but sometimes its not something you can control, genetics can also have a part to play.

My previous cav died at the age of 7, from a suspected stroke or heart attack. He was kept a good weight, walked daily, fed good food and given supplements, never had fleas, slept indoors on my bed, wore coats in winter etc.

Essentially, there was no shortage of love, but sometimes things just happen.

in a way I am glad he went the way he did, though it was sudden and heartbreaking. Genetics werent an issue in this case either, his parents and grandparents were still alive at 15ys.

The only thing i do differently is keep my new dogs even slimmer again, and i feed them a raw food.

I also havent been vaccinating yearly. But i dont know how much of a difference this actually makes. I also teach them more tricks etc. as i have started agility and know a bit more now. My previous boy was purely a pet.

[JulesP]

My first 2 border collies mainly ate supercoat & natures gift. They were always vaccinated. They both got to 15. My first cat only ate Whiskers cat food and passed away at 20!

I feel like the more I have fussed the more stuff has gone wrong!

[Queen Maeby]

I'm definitely going to feed a homemade diet, and I will never buy dog food again. I've thought of going organic (that's what I did with Grover when he was diagnosed with cancer), but I think the most important thing is to minimize carbohydrates.

I'm going to titre test after the puppy shots.

I will definitely be reducing the amount of chemicals I was using, ie. for the last 18 months of his life, Grover was on a herbal worming treatment and when I had his faeces tested he didn't even have one egg, let alone a worm.

eta

Sorry Jules, I just saw your post :)

Edited June 20, 2014 by Queen Maeby

[denali]

My first 2 border collies mainly ate supercoat & natures gift. They were always vaccinated. They both got to 15. My first cat only ate Whiskers cat food and passed away at 20!

I feel like the more I have fussed the more stuff has gone wrong!

Funny you say that actually, we had a cat live to 20 (almost 21!) fed purely on whiskas and snappy tom.

And our GSD's lived to a good old age on supermarket brand dog food too.

ETA: I tried herbal flea things with my guys, and they ended up infested and took months to finally get it under control. So it seems thats something I can't not give chemically.

Edited June 20, 2014 by denali

[Diva]

For me the 4 biggest issues are genetics, regular exercise into old age, not letting them get fat, and getting any health issues checked out properly as soon as they arise. Theoretically diet should be on that list but I have seen plenty of dogs grow old on diets I would consider pretty poor. I haven't seen many fat underexercised dogs age well though.

[Queen Maeby]

For me the 4 biggest issues are genetics, regular exercise into old age, not letting them get fat, and getting any health issues checked out properly as soon as they arise. Theoretically diet should be on that list but I have seen plenty of dogs grow old on diets I would consider pretty poor. I haven't seen many fat underexercised dogs age well though.

Yes, I agree with keeping them lean and fit. Grover got regular exercise but I fed him too much, and a lot of crappy treats when he was younger. He was overweight for half of his life. When I changed to a homemade, high protein diet he started losing weight. I will be much more rigorous with my future Pugs.

[Leah82]

To me there is a difference in keeping your dogs young (obviously not forever) and keeping them alive. Although they are related

To me giving my dogs a high quality of life is more important than making sure they live a long time, so obviously balanced diet and exercise but also treats from time to time and lots of trips which means they get vaccinated occasionally (not as much as my vet would like though).

You can wrap them in cotton wool, keep them away from any potential hazards and have overly regular check-ups. This might mean they live a long time but for me that sounds very limiting and usually they end up turning into a old dog years before they pass away. My inlaws old dog was a perfect example of this, lived a very sheltered life and was roaming around the house like an old dog at 10, she didn't pass away till nearly 16.

[Queen Maeby]

Great question!

Not sure i can really add any value, and don't think its one you'll get a definite answer on, but for what its worth, I'm doing my best to stick to an all natural diet with unprocessed foods, and adding supplements when needed.

Have read in a lot of forums the same advice you got on the Pug forums.

Keep dogs lean, keep food natural, keep them fit and happy.

When it comes to medication/vaccines, I'm also starting to ask the vet is it really necessary to get him on medications straight away after visiting for a whatever issue, and you might be surprised how many times they may say using medication will accelerate healing, but there's no issue with letting it sort itself out - NOT ADVICE FROM ME, speak to your vet :)

I learned with my kids, that sometimes you don't need to rush straight for antibiotics, and knock on wood, since i have taken that approach, they seem to have developed stronger immune systems.

I can see that there's a big difference between my current vet and how she does things compared to previous vets. She is more likely to let things work themselves out/heal on their own while previous vets prescribed cortisone for every single thing.

I wouldn't say my vet has a holistic approach but she is definitely more progressive thinking and less traditional than previous vets. I'd say she has a more gentle, balanced approach, and I like it that she treats me like an equal. I think it really helps to have a good vet who's on the same page as you.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Queen Maeby

[Dogsfevr]

To me there is a difference in keeping your dogs young (obviously not forever) and keeping them alive. Although they are related

I so agree with this ,for me 12 is a milestone anything after that is a bonus providing they are functional dogs.

I now plenty of people who our proud about the age there dogs lived to but infact they where sickly ,frail dogs with no quality of life at all & brought tears to your eyes watching them struggle.

Personally i think anyone who doesn't question there vet on treatments is crazy ,i would presume people question there doctors but by the same token many people don't want to put effort in just want a quick fix for the problem

Here we do what we can & they enjoy each day ours generally live to 12/13 which i think is very realistic but we also won't let any dog suffer to meet an age

Edited June 20, 2014 by showdog

[Queen Maeby]

I changed the title of this thread because I was worried that it sounded too preachy, like I was expecting other people to do the same as me. I would like to know what I can do to give my future Pugs the best chance at a long and healthy life. In hindsight, there are things that I would have done differently with Grover and I will be doing these things with my future Pugs.

[Queen Maeby]

Here is a tip that my vet gave me, which I thought was quite good...

If you live in a low-risk heartworm area near the beach, and you choose not to treat for heartworm, take your dog for a walk on the beach first thing in the morning, before heaps of other people and their dogs walk there, after the tide has gone out and washed the beach clean. Make sure you walk your dog along the shore line and don't go anywhere near the dunes where they can catch some fox-related disease (I can't remember what it's called). And stay away from the beach at high peak tourist times like Christmas. That's when all the tourist dogs come to visit.

[Bjelkier]

We have a cat that has been fed nothing but whiskas or another cheaper brand who had four homes before he came to us, he was in terrible shape both mentally and physically and he's now 18 years old and showing no signs of slowing down.

Where as we lost a 6 year old cat who was fed premium diet and had lived with us his whole life to cancer.

Our Labrador, Lestat is 12 now and he's slowing down. He's going blind and deaf, he has a tumour on his stomach and his hips aren't getting any better. And yet he still gets up easily every day with a smile on his face and wag of his tail. He'd still come hiking with me all day if I allowed him too. He came from a well know puppy farm, he has no hips, a terrible bite and he was fed Supercoat for most of his life. I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon.

I think you can try to keep them 'young' as they get on and we do the best we can for our dogs, they want for nothing but in the end when their time is up, it's up and most of it comes down to genetics and luck.

[Queen Maeby]

Maybe I'm just being a control freak and I'm still feeling guilty about Grover's death...

I guess you just have to enjoy them while you have them.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Queen Maeby

[pie]

My first 2 border collies mainly ate supercoat & natures gift. They were always vaccinated. They both got to 15. My first cat only ate Whiskers cat food and passed away at 20!

I feel like the more I have fussed the more stuff has gone wrong!

I agree - our family dog was never fussed over and lived on Go Cat biscuits her whole life (didn't like dog biscuits) and lived to 18!

I know people who spend so much time and money taking their dogs to holistic people, specialists, only the finest raw diets etc and these dogs seem to have the most health issues - I wonder if it's just that they aren't picked up in the dogs where care is more 'relaxed'?

I think you have to find the balance between being neurotic and spending your whole life freaking out about things that could happen, and preparing specialised meals for your dog and wrapping them in cotton wool - or you can relax and just make the most of the time you have with your dog and face the fact that shit happens