Seasonal Hazards for Pugs

What to watch out for throughout the year!

Each season brings its own hazards that could potentially be harmful for your pugs. We’ll break them down below to give you an idea of the things to keep in mind…

Spring

Spring brings drier, brighter and warmer days, along with its temptations inside and out. Here’s a run-down on what to look out for…

For more information on Spring hazards, have a look at out post here

Flowers & plants

Many different plants commonly found in the home, garden and outdoor areas can make your dog ill. Some of these are highly poisonous, while others may only cause a mild tummy upset. Incidents of poisoning from spring bulbs are most likely to occur from dogs eating the bulbs in spring when they begin to flower, or autumn when they are planted.

The following plants are generally considered to be poisonous for dogs:

These plants, on the other hand, are generally considered to be safe for dogs:

As always, we would recommend that you do your own research before letting your pugs eat flowers and plants!

Click here for more information on plants from The Kennel Club

Easter

Easter and Bank Holiday celebrations often include feasts and treats, which can lead to overeating and digestive issues for pugs. Be mindful of the types, and amounts, of food your pug consumes to prevent obesity and gastrointestinal problems. There are many food items listed in this article from The Kennel Club that are hazardous to our pugs, so take a look to find out more.

If you suspect your dog might have ingested something that seems to be making them ill, contact your vet immediately

Summer

Some of the items on the Summer list might seem quite obvious, but pugs are very sensitive to heat and can easily suffer and get themselves into trouble as the temperatures start to rise…

Shade and cool surfaces – Remember to move sources of shade as the sun moves around gardens. Cooling jackets and shallow paddling pools will help your pug to cool down. Cooling mats will help your pug to keep cool when indoors, swapping them regularly for a spare cool mat will help them to stay cool. Don’t rely on fans alone to cool your pugs inside, they’re not as effective on pets as they are on us!
Planning your walks – Walk your pug in the early morning or late in the evening if the temperatures are cool enough and try to stick to shaded areas. If it’s still warm at these times, DON’T walk your pug!, particularly if they are overweight, have health issues, are elderly or very young. Remember, no dog has ever died from missing a walk, but they can die from being walked in high temperatures.
Access to fresh water – Make sure they have access to water day and night. Fresh fruit, chilled or frozen, makes ideal refreshing & healthy treats to help keep them hydrated.
The Seven Second Test – Tarmac, pavements and even artificial grass can get very hot in the sun – so hold your hand on it for 7 seconds. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws. DON’T walk your pug as they could burn their paw pads.
NEVER leave your pug in a car on a hot day – Even if it’s just for a couple of minutes, or even if you have left the windows open. Pugs can die in hot cars in minutes!!!

Temperature guide to when it's safe to walk your pug

Below 12°C – Perfect walking weather! Your dog will be comfortable and ready to explore.
12-19°C – Safe for most dogs, but keep an eye out for signs of overheating if they’re running around a lot.
20-23°C – Start to take precautions. Stick to shaded areas, keep walks short and bring water.
24-26°C – This is risky territory. Only take your dog out if it’s absolutely necessary, make it a quick, shady stroll, early in the morning or later in the evening.
Above 27°C – It’s too dangerous to walk your dog. Stay indoors or let them relax in a cool, shaded area instead.

Each dog is individual & different to others, so always monitor how yours reacts to the heat and adjust their activity accordingly.

Heatstroke

This is an extremely dangerous condition that can develop if a dog gets too hot. Pugs are particularly sensitive to over-heating which can be extremely dangerous for them. With limited ability to sweat and little or no nose/muzzle they will struggle to lose heat through panting alone, more-so if they are overweight or have other health problems. Very old and very young dogs are most at risk.

Normal body temperature for a dog tends to be between 38-39°C (100.4-102.2°F), this can rise a bit if they are unwell with a fever.

Heat exhaustion typically occurs when a dog’s body temperature rises above 39.4°C, when they are at risk of heatstroke. Thich can cause seizures, organ damage, internal bleeding or a coma, and be critical for them.

Nearly three quarters of heatstroke cases develop while playing and exercising, though it can also be caused by simply sitting somewhere too warm, or being trapped somewhere hot, such as a car, conservatory or room without proper ventilation.

It’s important to know what to look for, where HEATSTROKE is concerned. Signs can include:

If your pug experiences any of these symptoms, please seek the advice of your Vet immediately.

What to do if your Pug has Heatstroke

Heatstroke is more dangerous the longer it lasts, so the quicker your pug is cooled down and treated by a vet, the better their chance of a full recovery.

In an emergency...

1) Immediately move your pug to a cooler area, a cool, darkened room or into the shade

2) Cool them down straight away

Calmly and quickly use cold water (water from the cold tap is fine) over their whole body, or use wet cloths or towels.
Be extremely careful they don’t inhale any water by keeping it away from their nose and mouth.
Offer them a drink of cold water but don’t force them to drink if they don’t want to. Wet their tongue with water instead.
Create a breeze by opening doors and windows or turning a fan/air-conditioning on.
Put them on top of a cold wet towel.
Don’t cover them with a wet towel or cuddle them, as this will make them even hotter.

3) Take your pug to your Vet as soon as possible

Transport them in an air-conditioned car or with the windows open (ensuring they can’t get out)
If possible take someone with you to keep cooling them down while you travel

Click here for more advice from the PDSA about heatstroke, including first-aid

Ticks

Although Ticks are a summer hazard, they’re actually something that we need to keep an eye out for all year round. If you’re walking your pug in grassy areas, be sure to keep a look out for these parasites.

For more useful advice on Ticks, take a look at our post here

Lungworm

During wet weather, slugs and snails are more active, which increases the risk of them passing on the lungworm parasite to our pugs. There are many slugs and snails around so be extra vigilant when out walking your dog and always pick up and safely dispose of your dog’s faeces.

Lungworm is a dangerous parasite that can be ingested by your pug is it licks or eats infected slugs, snails, or their trails.

Signs of Lungworm infection include..

Consult your vet as soon as possible if your dog becomes unwell. Remember, not every snail or slug carries the disease and lungworm’s geographical limitations means infection is relatively uncommon, but when it does appear, it is potentially extremely serious, often a chronic disease, lasting months, even years.

Killing lungworm is relatively simple and ensuring you keep to your monthly routine will help. Regular preventative anti-parasite treatments administered to your pug are appropriate. Once diagnosed and treated, most dogs make a full recovery and, like all diseases, the key to successful treatment is taking action early.

You can find more information from the PDSA here about lungworm & its treatment

Autumn

Some of the things that can be hazardous for pugs around the Autumn season might surprise you…

Not only do piles of leaves hide what’s beneath them, they can also develop bacteria and mould. If your pug ingests these it could lead to gastrointestinal upset.
Likewise, mouldy discarded foods can contain lots of different toxins, in particular dairy products, bread or nuts, which can cause pugs to quickly develop muscle tremors or seizures.
Fermenting fruit produces a natural alcoholic compound, which is toxic. If your pug eats fruit in this state, it may suffer from sickness and diarrhoea, and also, may run the risk of having a toxic reaction to the natural alcohol produced by the fruit as part of its fermentation process.
Fruit stones such as cherries, damsons, plums, or similar, produce cyanide if chewed. If swallowed whole, they can cause choking or obstruction within the intestines.
Acorns or horse-chestnuts (conkers) can lead to sickness and diarrhoea, and if ingested in large quantities are toxic. They are also a choke hazard or can potentially become lodged in the gut causing a blockage, so make sure that your pug doesn’t eat any!
Dangerous mushrooms can be hard to identify, where signs of poisoning vary dramatically from stomach upset or blood in the stools, to neurological effects, such as hallucinations or fits, kidney or liver failure. The symptoms may present very suddenly or be delayed by days.
Poisoning from spring bulbs like daffodils, tulips or crocus are most likely to occur from being eaten in autumn when they are planted, or when they begin to flower in spring.

More useful advice

If you’d like to see more Autumn advice, take a look at these trusted links:

Poisons in Your Garden – The Kennel Club | Are Acorns Bad For Dogs? – The Kennel Club | Toxic Autumn Plants – PDSA

Winter

Winter and low temperatures can be a particularly testing time for pugs. Here’s some useful advice to help you through…

If your pug shows signs of hypothermia, which includes, shivering, drowsiness, confusion, clumsiness, pale gums and loss of consciousness or collapse, get out of the cold immediately and contact your vet straight away. Dry & warm them up gently, never intensely & too quickly, as this can be dangerous.

Below is a useful guide to deciding if it might be too cold for your pug to go outside:

More useful advice

If you’d like to see more Winter advice, take a look at these trusted links:

If storms are forecasted in your area, you can find useful advice from the PDSA here

The PDSA also has advice on hypothermia here

For more detailed advice on your pugs and dealing with the cold weather, take a look at our post here

More advice on general Pug health

If you’d like to read more on the various health issues that pugs might be prone to, just take a look at our ‘Pug Health’ page…