by Yasmin | 25 Jul, 2024 | Blog, News, Fundraising
Pug lover and PDWRA supporter, Jayne, creates handcrafted cards and illustrations. Her inspiration for her online business, onelittlepug, was pug Henry, who sadly passed last year.
Henry – his legacy lives on!
Her lovely range of cards, with many featuring pug illustrations, can be found at her Etsy shop: onelittlepug – Etsy UK
A portion of all proceeds is donated to PDWRA, so you’ll also be helping out Pugs in Need!
Last summer Jayne raised * £150 * for PDWRA in a fundraiser to mark Henry’s 15th birthday.
Since then, Jayne went on to adopt Arlo and Nora from us, nearly 6 months ago already!
So, to celebrate this anniversary, and what would have been Henry’s 16th Birthday, Jayne has added a few new designs to her collection to raise funds specifically for PDWRA.
Tomorrow, Friday 26th July, Jayne is having a sale of exclusive illustrations, cards & bookmarks, none of which are available in her Etsy shop.
All proceeds will be donated to @pdwra to support the wonderful work she feels we do to help pugs like Arlo and Nora.
Everything available will be listed on Friday from 8am, so do take a look at: https://www.instagram.com/onelittlepug/ Please pass on this information to anyone who may be interested.
Jayne is very grateful to PDWRA for helping pugs like hers, Arlo & Nora, to find their forever homes!
We hope you will support us (as well as getting yourselves some original illustrations and cards).
Jayne & PDWRA pugs, thanks you!
#onelittlepug #fundraiser #beamermaid #illustration #cards #sale #adoptdontshop #shopsmall #supportsmallbusiness #lovehandmadecommunity
To find out why PDWRA needs to fundraise, also to see how you could get involved, like Jayne, please see:
Fundraising & Events 2024 | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
by Yasmin | 21 Jul, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
Rebekah’s Story – Part 1: Skye!
We first heard about PDWRA when out walking our two pugs Betsy & Bella 14 years ago. We had bought them both as puppies from a not so good breeder (we knew we shouldn’t but we couldn’t leave them behind, we even went back for her breeding bitch when the breeder was ‘done’ with her & gave her a lovely home with a friend).
Anyway, one day out walking we bumped into a lady who stopped to fuss our pugs. We got chatting about pugs, as us pug people do & she told us about PDWRA. We thought you sounded amazing, but having two poorly pugs ourselves we already had our hands full.
When Betsy was just age 7, she sadly passed away & Bella became very lonely.
We wrote a sincere letter to PDWRA explaining the many health issues we had encountered with our pugs (epilepsy, cancer, vision loss, eye ulcers, food allergies etc) & how we felt that we had enough experience to take on another. We also shared how lonely & withdrawn Bella had become.
We received a phone call from a lovely member of PDWRA who said she would do her best to find us a pug. A little while went by & we didn’t hear anything.
Then on 14th April 2016 I had a dream that we had a new pug. I woke up the next day so sure that today was THE DAY! I kept my phone in the back pocket of my jeans so that I didn’t miss the call. Sure enough, at 4pm, PDWRA contacted me to say that a pug had just come in who needed a home & would we be able to collect her that evening at a half way point between where she was & us. By 6pm we were in our car waiting for our new family member!
I will never forget the lovely Rachel who pulled up with a very scared pug in her car. She told us that the pug was called Skye & that today was actually her 1st birthday. She told us a little bit about her back story, how she had been kept in a crate (which she filled end to end) & was already on her third home. We were told that she wasn’t toilet trained. That she didn’t love a walk or to socialise. That she mostly just loved her crate & considered that her safe space.
We transferred her from Rachel’s car to ours, keeping her in her crate to begin with. On the journey home, Skye became increasingly anxious. Her panting became so extreme that we pulled over & took her out of her crate.
I tried to calm her on my lap but she continued to pant & whine. Eventually, she turned to see our 4 year old daughter sitting in her car seat. She fought to get across to her. I will tell you at this point as parents you are always careful of introducing small children with a new dog! Skye gently sniffed her face, allowed herself to be stroked & then rested her head down on our daughter’s lap & settled down to sleep. She stayed there for the rest of the journey home.
When we got home we put her crate in the living room with the door open so that Skye could enter it whenever she wanted to. She never even glanced at it again.
The settling in period between her & Bella was a bit tetchy. Our Bella was tiny (5kilos whilst Skye came weighing 9kilos) but mighty. Skye had to learn that Bella was the boss but once she’d learnt to ‘ask’ if she could enter the dog bed, play with toys etc all was fine.
Learning to settle with humans was a little harder. Skye was wary. She had a broken rib which had reformed oddly & was (is still) very nervous of roads. We are unsure if there is a link there.
She would allow us to touch her but would cower to the ground. With our daughter however, she was a different dog. They instantly became best friends. With love & careful coaxing from our daughter she learnt to cuddle & be cuddled. We learnt quickly that she was always supposed to live with children. We have a woodland behind our house & we swear she can sniff out children playing in it. She will always go over & sit patiently by them awaiting a fuss.
Skye LOVED a walk from very early on. We just think she hadn’t been walked! Grass was a novelty & she couldn’t get enough of it. She would sit by the front door & ask for another walk multiple times per day. She still loves a walk in the woods daily. There is a little stream in there & she has also been known to jump in & have a swim. She loves to race with our daughter & also learnt to pencil roll on command – something which is now her favourite activity & being the grass obsessed dog she is, she cannot see a patch of grass without dropping into a roll.
She was also toilet trained in a matter of days. We think that no one had previously taken the time or patience to show her. In fact, she is the most trainable, well behaved pug we’ve ever had! Our daughter taught her to jump through a hoop, over a skipping rope & through a tunnel. She is also partial to a bit of fancy dress on special occasions.
Skye has seen 4 pugs come & go through our family home. She is always the biggest & accepts her fate in the ‘pug tower’ as they all climb on top of her & use her as a pug pillow.
We just celebrated Skye’s 9th birthday. The walks are less frequent (now 1-2 per day) & she has moulded the top of our sofa to perfectly squish around her body for her daytime snoozes which have gotten longer.
But once out in the woods she is still like that 1 year old puppy who can run super fast (faster than any pug we’ve known, even keeping up with a local greyhound!).
She loves us whole heartedly & has even slowly learnt to trust strangers & now loves a chin tickle.
Here’s to many more years with our lovely Skye!
Rebekah.
Please see Part 2: Mabel & Pixie!
Rebekah’s Story – Adopting Mabel & Pixie! | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
by Yasmin | 10 Jul, 2024 | Blog, News, Pug Health
Written by Malcolm McKee.
PDWRA Vet Advisor.
Pictured here with his grumble, before the loss of Lily (February ’23) and Missy (May ’23).
Most orthopaedic problems in pugs affect the hind limbs (back legs) rather than the fore limbs (front legs). Fortunately fractures (broken bones) and tumours (cancers) are very uncommon.
The two conditions that most commonly cause lameness and stiffness in pugs are hip dysplasia and medial patellar lunation.
Hip dysplasia
This is an inherited condition that causes the ball-and-socket hip joint to develop abnormally (excessive laxity) and leads to secondary osteoarthritis (also referred to as degenerative joint disease).
Lameness and/or stiffness involving one or both hind limbs may be evident and affected Pugs are often reluctant to exercise and have difficulty jumping. Common features on examination include muscle atrophy/wastage (especially the gluteal muscles around the hip) and pain when the hip joint is extended (limb pulled backwards).
Radiographs (X-rays) are necessary to confirm a diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Typical abnormalities include deformity of the femoral head (ball) and pelvic acetabulum (socket) and changes consistent with osteoarthritis (such as new abnormal bone formation – referred to as osteophytes).
Pugs that are lame/stiff will generally warrant medical treatment. Key aspects include: (1) weight control (2) exercise regulation and (3) analgesics (pain killer medications).
Dogs that are overweight should be placed on a diet, with calorie intake restricted, and their weight regularly monitored. The likes of a piece of cucumber should be given as a treat, rather than biscuits or table scraps.
Exercise should be regulated in a semi-controlled manner. Twisting, turning, jumping and climbing should be avoided. Small, frequent, regular walks, on the likes of a flexi-lead are preferable to long walks tearing around off the lead. Dogs will often have a threshold regarding the duration and type of exercise, beyond which lameness and stiffness will increase. It is important to recognise these limits and stay within them.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most common medication used in dogs with hip dysplasia and secondary osteoarthritis. If they are effective (less lame/stiff), the dose of drug should be reduced to the lowest possible to maintain the benefit, and if possible halted.
Paracetamol may also be considered in more severe cases, as well an the injectable Librela.
The majority of pugs can be managed satisfactorily with medical/conservative treatment. Those that aren’t may be candidates for surgery. Replacing the arthritic hip joint (referred to as a Total Hip Replacement, or THR), is preferable to cutting the head (ball) off the top of the femur (referred to as an Excisional Arthroplasty). Hip replacement surgery is a very specialised (and expensive) procedure – in experienced hands, it has a high success rate.
Medial patellar luxation
Also referred to as “slipping of the knee cap” (medial refers to the fact that the patella or knee cap dislocates onto the inside of the stifle/knee joint).
Affected pugs typically have a hopping gait/lameness, especially if the patella is slipping in and out of the groove in the femur (thigh bone), within the joint. A careful examination enables the abnormal movement of the patella to be detected. The severity of the condition is graded from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most severe.
The reason the patella luxates (dislocates or slips) out of the groove on the femoral bone is that the femur is deformed (referred to as femoral varus) and the hind limb bow-legged to some degree.
Radiographs (X-rays) are not necessary in order to diagnose medial patellar lunation – as mentioned previously this is based on a thorough examination. The main reason to obtain radiographs is to assess the degree of deformity of the femur bone, in dogs where surgical correction/“straightening” is being considered.
Many pugs with medial patellar lunation may be managed conservatively with weight control, exercise regulation, and if necessary NSAIDs (as low a dose as infrequently as possible). Dogs that fail to respond satisfactorily may be candidates for surgery.
Surgery aims to stabilise the patella within the femoral groove using one or more techniques. In dogs with mild deformity of the femur (and associated low-grade patella luxation), it is not necessary to correct the deformity (straighten the femur). In contrast, pugs with severe deformity of the femur (Grade 4/4 patella lunation), require the deformity to be corrected by cutting and straightening the bone (a bigger and more expensive operation).
All patellar luxation surgeries in dogs are intricate, especially in dogs as small as pugs, however, the success rate is good when performed by experienced surgeons. Following surgery it is important that exercise is severely restricted until bone and soft tissues have had a chance to heal.
Unfortunately hip dysplasia and patellar luxation are not uncommon in pugs. Both conditions are relatively easy to diagnose and the majority of dogs do not require an operation. The outlook in those pugs that have surgery is generally good, albeit the training and skill of the surgeon are important factors.
Malcolm McKee
BVMS MVS DSAO MACVSc MRCVS
Another very interesting article by Malcolm about spinal conditions common in pugs should be read, at:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/spinal-conditions-in-pugs/
by Yasmin | 25 Jun, 2024 | Blog, News, Pug Health
The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday 26th June, as yellow heat health alerts remain in place for millions around the country.
Temperatures peaked at 28.3C (82.9F) in Wisley, Surrey, and could rise to 30C (86F) in some spots this week, forecasters say.
Scotland and Northern Ireland also recorded their hottest temperatures so far this year – although Wales did not break its previous record set in May.
So here are our usual reminders & tips to help you & your pugs get through it comfortably & safely!
- Make sure your pug has constant access to fresh water – day and night.
- fresh fruit, chilled or frozen, make ideal refreshing & healthy treats to help keep them hydrated.
- Make sure your pug has constant access to shade and cool surfaces.
- Remember to move sources of shade as the sun moves around gardens.
- Provide cooling jackets and shallow paddling pools to enable your pug to cool down, and remember that carpets do not help pugs cool down, so indoors, provide cooling mats and swap them for a spare cool mat regularly to ensure they are cool.
- DO NOT rely on fans alone to cool your pugs down as they are not as effective on pets as they are on us.
- Plan 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 the mornings/evenings are still warm – DO NOT walk your pug!
- Particularly if they are overweight, have health issues, are elderly or very young.
- The Seven Second Test
- Tarmac can get very hot in the sun – hold your hand against the tarmac for 7 seconds. If it’s too hot for your hand DO NOT walk your pug as they could burn their paws.
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!!!
It is important to know what to look for, where HEATSTROKE is concerned, also what to do in an Emergency!
For more information on this, please see: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/seasonal-hazards-for-pugs/
Also, so far this year the grass & tree pollen count has been very high, so this may also be having an impact on allergic pugs.
Atopic Dermatitis (Itchy skin!).
by Yasmin | 23 Jun, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
Our pugs play such special roles in our lives. And on pug parents’ Stef and Tom’s Wedding Day this week, Frank couldn’t help but share the spotlight!
Congratulations!
It melts our hearts seeing adopted pugs having their best lives in their very best homes.
Frank has happily been part of their lives for years already, overcoming the dreaded cancer through their love and devotion.
Stef adopted Frank from PDWRA after sadly losing her young pug Baby, at the tender age of 6, following a lifetime of illness and complex conditions. She naturally hoped that adopting an older pug who was fit and healthy would be free of the health troubles he previously faced with Baby. However, less than a year after his adoption she noticed a large lump on the side of his leg and so a similar round constant vet trips and sleepless nights began again.
Frank faced multiple operations to remove the tumour that sadly kept re-appearing, leading to several rounds of chemotherapy that were unsuccessful. So, the tough decision to remove Frank’s Leg was made and recovery was slow for him but Frank has proved that she made the best decision.
He is the true definition of a fighter and not once during his countless rounds of chemo and treatments did he feel sorry for himself. Stef has always felt blessed that she was chosen to take care of Frank after he was rescued from his previous life.
Nothing has prevented them from having a full and adventurous life together and they always will.
For other Rescue & Adoption stories please go to: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/category/rescue-stories/
If you would like to adopt, please see: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
