Pugs suffer from a variety of skin disorders during their life. Their skin structure of layers is auspicious for bacterial and fungal infections, and not only. Some skin problems can be determined by food-related issues. In order to avoid further complications, these issues should be detected in the early stages and treated.
You should be aware of any change in their normal behavior and regular checks should be undertaken. Taking cautious measures will help reduce their discomfort and guard against worsening the symptoms along the way.
Ringworm
Ringworm or mycosis is an infection caused by fungi and it usually appears in a ring shape on the skin. Since the hair follicles get infected, the hair shafts fall off, making the spots look bald and patchy. Ringworm is not common for adult pugs in good shape, however, it depends a lot on how strong the immune system is.
If your pug has high immunity, it is very likely that he would not get infected with fungi. A pug can get ringworm from places like parks or anywhere in the soil. A warm and moist environment is friendly for fungus to breed and when reaching the skin it starts to play.
One thing you need to be aware of is that ringworm is very contagious and transmissible to humans as well. Hence you should be very cautious and keep your skin clean and dry, especially when getting into contact with your pet. Also, the entire environment in which your pug is active needs to be disinfected, such as toys, bed, and other stuff he’s touched in order to prevent the spread of the fungus. Treating this infection depends mainly on how severe it is, although you should take your pug to a veterinarian who can prescribe the appropriate medication.
Allergies
Most young pugs are susceptible to allergies that can be contracted from insects, foods, or the environment they live in. During seasonal changes and notably spring, they can get allergic to pollen, which produces itching and sneezing reactions. In order to comfort the affected areas, they scratch and bite their skin and this can even lead to bald spots and injuries.
This sign should not be ignored, but rather treated by way of medication, as stopping them from scratching by any means won’t work. Another type of allergy pugs can have is from insect bites, such as fleas, flies, or mosquitoes. Just like in our case as humans, their skin is sensitive and may have certain reactions, but luckily there are sprays and other products that you can buy so as to prevent allergies from occurring.
Pugs can also be allergic to foods and this is usually the case with dog food additives that can be contained in the meat or grains. It is very important to know the ingredients of the meals/snacks you give to your pet, as some may provoke intestinal distress.
Food allergens can be synthetic preservatives, milk, and proteins in meat or eggs. If there’s any sign showing that your pug is allergic to food, the best thing to do is to serve high-nutritional food that doesn’t contain a lot of ingredients.
Demodectic Mange
Mange is a parasitic skin issue that can be common with pugs. It is principally caused by microscopic mites living under the skin (sarcoptic mange) or in the hair follicles (demodectic mange). The parasitic mite that brings about Demodectic Mange is Demodex Canis and it is most frequent among dogs.
The occurrence of mange is fairly related to a weak immune system, which can also signal severe issues like cancer. Most pugs have mites on their skin, but these mean no trouble if they have strong immunity. In some cases, the immune system doesn’t mature properly and this is due to genetics and hereditary causes.
Demodectic mange appears as lesions that can be spread all over the skin or in tiny areas. The areas are bald and swollen with open cracks and thick fluids flowing from them. Even though these are not too itchy, they cause a lot of distress and even loss of appetite.
This skin issue should not be overlooked and taking your pug to a vet clinic in order to undertake some skin tests under the microscope can determine if there are lesions affecting the skin if the immune system is compromised and how to improve it. There are also several actions that you can take such as shaving the hair from the infected spots, using a special shampoo when bathing, or applying products that remove mites.
Usually, most skin problems result from food allergies and bad immunity but all these three skin conditions listed here are the most frequent pug skin problems. It is always very important to determine their root cause in order to be able to avoid their occurrence.
