How Agonizing Is It to Be a Pug?

Some 200ish years ago, before we fully understood genes, people began selectively breeding pets. They’d already been doing it with livestock and agriculture, both of which had been relatively successful, so why not start building dogs and cats from scratch? That, and a Victorian obsession with purebred species, produced a centuries-spanning tradition of inbreeding and breeding for particular traits that’s given us hundreds of modern varieties of pets. And, incidentally, made them a lot sicker.

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Spine Problems

Dachshunds

Thanks to shorter limbs and squatter bodies, they are predisposed to bowed legs and chronic elbow dislocation. About a quarter experience disc damage in their spines, which can lead to paralysis.

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Hard to Breathe

Pugs

They are famously bred to have smaller and flatter faces, which has created breathing and dental issues and made them prone to hernias from heavy panting. Also, their signature bulging eyes get infected, their curly tails make it difficult to communicate with other dogs, their wrinkled skin can get itchy and sore, and they’re genetically predisposed to a fatal brain disease.

French and English bulldogs

These freaky little bug dogs deal with many of the same ailments as pugs and often suffer from respiratory issues. They have inherited bad knees and hips, an increased proclivity for ear infections, and “cherry eye” — a condition in which a dog’s third eyelid gland prolapses.

Persian cats

Like pugs, they have been bred to have tinier and tinier faces, making it difficult to breathe and exercise. Their eyes may water excessively, leading to infection.

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Allergies and Infections

Chow Chows

Thanks to an ’80s boom in popularity, selective breeding for a “teddy bear” look led to joint and hip problems. Their thicker double coats make them prone to skin issues, like allergies, infections, and hot spots.

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Eye Problems

Bloodhounds

The wrinkles around their droopy eyes sometimes rub against their corneas, causing infection and potentially blindness. Their unusually large upper lids also predispose them to conjunctivitis.

Cocker spaniels

Overbred in the 20th century, they have inherited a range of genetic disorders, including kidney disease, glaucoma, cataracts, and a Cronenberg-y–sounding disorder called distichiasis — a genetic mutation that results in extra or abnormally positioned eyelashes.

Boston terriers

Cherry eye is common, as are cataracts, glaucoma, corneal ulcers, corneal inflammation, and progressive retinal atrophy.

Siamese cats

They’re prone to retinal atrophy, and breeding to make them look more like ancient Egyptian cats has led to skeletal deformations.

Shih Tzus

They have a hereditary predisposition for retinal detachment, which can lead to blindness. They are known to suffer from entropion, in which the eyelid folds inward, and corneal ulcers.

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Skin Problems

Poodles

After becoming fashionable in the 1950s, inbreeding led to a severe genetic bottleneck that predisposed poodles to sebaceous adenitis — a disease that leads to dry, flaky skin and hair loss, maybe even alopecia — and a hormonal disorder known as Addison’s disease.

Sphynxes

One of those lucky creatures we invented on the principle of “Why not?,” they were developed through selective inbreeding of hairless cats. Their skin is easily irritated and sunburned, and they are especially susceptible to respiratory issues. They have a much higher rate of heart disease.

Sharpeis

Their signature loose skin is especially prone to infections, as bacteria gets in between the folds. Breeding for heavier, smushier faces has led to a condition known as “tight lip” syndrome in which the lower lip curls over their front teeth, causing an underbite.

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Messed-up Skulls

Cavalier King Charles spaniels

All living members of this breed can be traced back to the only six spaniels that survived WWII, so, yeah, they have some issues. Their skulls are too small for their brains, causing abnormal pressure that can lead to a severely painful disorder known as syringomyelia. They’re prone to ear infections and breathing problems and are 20 times more likely to carry the gene for degenerative mitral-valve disease, a heart condition.

Burmese cats

Selective breeding of their dome-shaped heads has led to craniofacial defects, which, if severe enough, can be fatal in kittens.

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Cancer

Greyhounds

Large dogs are especially susceptible to osteosarcoma — a kind of bone cancer — because of rapid growth during early development and weight strain. It’s particularly prevalent in retired racing greyhounds, likely thanks to inbreeding. Other dog breeds commonly affected include Saint Bernards, Bernese mountain dogs, Irish wolfhounds, Rottweilers, and Scottish deerhounds.

Scottish terriers

They are now genetically predisposed to bladder cancer — some studies show them to be 18 to 20 times more at risk than mixed-breed dogs.

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Ear Problems

Scottish folds

The same genetic mutation responsible for their crinkly ears can lead to osteochondrodysplasia, a disorder that causes abnormal cartilage development.

Australian cattle dogs and English setters

Deafness is common among them both, and it might be related to coat color. Several studies have shown a correlation between mottled white coats — a desirable trait for purebred cattle dogs and setters — and the gene for deafness.

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Epilepsy

Beagles

They have a high prevalence of idiopathic epilepsy, meaning there is no observable cause — like a tumor or brain injury — and therefore it is most likely genetic.

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Bad Bones and Arthritis

German shepherds

Bred to have increasingly sloped backs, they’re prone to hip dysplasia, which can lead to arthritis, and degenerative myelopathy, a weakness in the limbs that can eventually cause paralysis. They’re also known to suffer from bloat and inflammatory bowel disease.

Munchkin cats

Specifically bred to have small legs, they are widely susceptible to osteoarthritis.

Rottweilers

Like German shepherds, they are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia and are also three-to-seven times more likely to develop cruciate ligament ruptures — tears in the knee joints. Plus they struggle with abnormalities in their ankle cartilage and osteoarthritis.

Labrador retrievers

In addition to the usual suspects — hip dysplasia, arthritis — Labs have a greater prevalence of luxating patellas, meaning their kneecaps have trouble staying in place.

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Nerve and Heart Problems

Dobermans

Their narrow neck canals are especially prone to “wobbler” syndrome, a neurological condition that limits their ability to walk. Later in life, they and other deep-and-narrow-chested dogs often suffer from bloat.

Great Danes

They too suffer from wobbler syndrome, hip dysplasia, and bloat. They are especially prone to a heart disease known as dilated cardiomyopathy — which basically means their hearts grow too big for their bodies — as well as joint problems and bone cancer.

Photo: Getty Images

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