About the Pug

A small dog known for its short nose, wrinkled face, curly tail and huge personality, the Pug is one of the world’s oldest dog breeds with a history dating back more than 2,000 years. If you have a Pug and you’re looking for the best diet for a Pug, do please read on.

A big dog in a little body, the Pug was originally from China where the breed was developed during the Han dynasty as a companion dog to royalty. Believed to have ancestral ties to the Pekingese and the Shih Tzu and considered as a symbol of status and good fortune, Pugs were highly thought of, heavily guarded and lived in absolute luxury. Adored by emperors and pampered by aristocrats, the breed sadly lost its connection to its Chinese heritage in 1949 when the Communist Party came to power in China.

The Pug was first brought to Europe by Dutch traders in the 1500s via the Dutch East India Company. In the Netherlands, the breed became the official dog of the House of Orange after a Pug reportedly saved the life of Prince William of Orange by alerting him to an assassination attempt. The breed subsequently became extremely popular in France, Italy and England. Napoleon’s wife, Josephine, even had a Pug named Fortune who, it is said, bit her husband on their wedding night!

Queen Victoria adored pugs and helped popularise them in the UK. She even bred them herself, favouring the fawn coat and black mask look we see today.

As a result, Pugs were frequently featured in royal portraits and paintings, and this no doubt contributed to the breed being further refined in England around the time.

Pugs arrived in the United States in the late 19th century and were recognised by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1885. Today, they are ranked consistently in the top 30 most popular dog breeds in the United States.

Pugs are charming, friendly, affectionate, companionable, funny and energetic. They’re small in stature, big in personality and, subject to their known health dispositions, relatively easy to maintain. They’re also playful and confident, loyal and adaptable, happy to fit in with more or less any lifestyle making them perfect for individuals, families and those with other pets. Pugs also have a unique, endearing appearance that so many people find irresistibly appealing.

But owning a Pug is not without its challenges. Selective breeding to enhance their appearance has, over time, resulted in a dog beset with a multitude of potential health issues. Every Pug owner should expect to spend a considerable about of time and money on veterinary care.

The rationale behind this guide is to help you minimise that expense and to improve both your Pug’s health span and its lifespan as much as humanly possible with sound and proven dietary and nutritional advice.

The best diet for a Pug

1. BOAS. If your Pug suffers from BOAS, limit exercise to short, slow walks. Strictly control your dog’s weight as obesity worsens this and many other Pug health conditions. Use a harness instead of a collar. Feed multiple small meals a day rather than two large ones. If reflux is an issue, try introducing a good quality probiotic. Perhaps consider a light meal just before bed and top it off with a little homemade ginger root tea.

2. Overall Pug health. A fresh food diet rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients can support overall Pug health. Focus on high quality, lightly cooked or raw protein and lightly cooked fresh fruit and vegetables. Regularly incorporate fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel into your Pug’s diet. Or supplement daily with omega-3 fatty acids in the form of a fish body oil such as salmon, mackerel, sardine or anchovy oil. (You could also use a plant-based omega-3 option such as ahiflower oil or algae oil).

3. Skin Problems. If your Pug suffers from skin problems, do not rely on veterinary medication for the solution. Drugs simply create further issues without dealing with the root cause. Feeding your dog a fresh food diet, supplemented with a good quality omega-3 oil should go a long way to overcoming any kind of skin problem. And that includes ear infections by the way. Remember, both skin and ear infections are effectively inflammatory responses. The best way to remedy an inflammatory response is with a high quality, omega-3-rich diet.

4. Joint Problems. A fresh food diet along with targeted nutrition, supplementation and exercise are your best weapons in the fight against Pug joint problems. Feed plenty of anti-inflammatory foods including omega-3-rich fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. Feed these together with antioxidant rich fruits including blueberries and cherries, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, nuts and seeds for healthy fats and antioxidants, turmeric and olive oil for their anti-inflammatory properties, and bone broth for its beneficial collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin. Some of these are available in synthetic supplementary form, but as with any artificial supplementation, their bioavailability is very much in question.

Regular, low-impact exercise is also exceptionally important for any Pug, as is maintaining a healthy weight in order to reduce joint stress. Try to minimise jumping, especially from the likes of furniture or in and out of cars.

5. Dental Problems. The best way to avoid dental problems is to regularly feed your Pug raw meaty bones (fully consumable bones). These can include chicken backs, necks, wings and feet, all of which will also provide your Pug with the perfect ratio of calcium to phosphorus, essential for maintaining healthy bones. This method provides natural abrasion which helps keep teeth clean and gums healthy.

Chewing on RMBs can significantly reduce dental calculus and promote oral health as well as helping release endorphins, otherwise known as happy chemicals.

It’s important to ensure that any bones are raw (never feed your dog cooked bones), and appropriately sized for your Pug to prevent any risk of tooth fractures or other complications.

Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly can also help maintain dental hygiene as can Dr Brady’s Dental Pro Clean which helps fight tartar and bad breath and works to reduce gum disease. It even comes with a money-back guarantee if you are not happy with the results of the product.

6. Immunity. If you are at all concerned about your dog’s immunity to the standard core diseases, ask your vet about running an antibody titre test, a simple blood test to ascertain whether or not there are antibodies in your dog’s blood. If there are antibodies present, no vaccination is required. That is far, far safer than playing Russian roulette with your dog’s future health by unnecessarily subjecting it to “so-called” booster vaccinations!

7. Calorie Control. Improve the quality of your dog’s diet at the same time as reducing calorie consumption. Provide better nutrition and ensure that the number of calories your dog burns is more than it consumes on a daily basis.

If you feel your dog is overweight, consult a qualified dog nutritionist who will help you devise a weight-loss plan for your pet. Naturally take your dog to the vet if you believe there is a medical reason.

Don’t feed starchy commercial dog food. Most Pug health problems can be created or made worse by canine obesity. Commercial diets are typically low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Exactly the opposite of what your dog needs to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise too plays a major part. As does physical and mental stimulation.

8. Vaccinations. Avoid routine so-called booster vaccinations which are both totally unnecessary and potentially highly dangerous.

9. Chemical parasite treatments. Stop all chemical parasite treatments unless absolutely necessary.

10. Weight management. Carefully manage your Pug’s weight. Quite aside from the extra strain on its joints, being overweight is one of the biggest determinants of longevity in Pugs.

The best diet for a Pug is unquestionably a fresh food diet for toy and small dogs. You could of course feed your Pug dry, wet or cold pressed commercial dog food. That said, studies show that the best diet for a Pug is a fresh food diet. A diet that is high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and rich in beneficial nutrients.

However you choose to feed your Pug, it is important to understand what it’s best to feed a Pug and what is not healthy in a Pug’s diet. Like any dog, Pugs can eat a wide variety of foodstuffs. But it’s important to know exactly what is safe and what isn’t. Just as importantly, it’s good to know what food ingredients are beneficial for a Pug’s health. What supplements in particular are most beneficial for a Pug.

For further detailed advice, contact a qualified canine nutritionist!

Pug health challenges

Pugs face a great many health challenges. These include brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), various eye and skin problems as well as joint problems such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation and pug myelopathy. The best diet for all of these is a fresh food diet, a pug feeding guide created by a dog nutritionist.