Learn More About Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE) and How to Recognize This Heartbreaking Disease

by sierrag on in Health 46

Thankfully there is ongoing research going on for this disease, making it easier for pet parents to recognize it. If your pug gets diagnosed with PDE, you can learn more and educate others. Here's more information about PDE from Pug Love below:

You may have heard of Pug Dog Encephalitis or PDE if your a Pug lover, this disease is heartbreaking for Pug Owners.

If you have a Pug that has been diagnosed with PDE it is very important to notify your breeder, this will enable the breeder to make ethical changes to ensure no further puppies are bred from parents of the Pug diagnosed with PDE.

PUG DOG ENCEPHALITIS
Pug Dog Encephalitis is an inflammatory disease of the brain affecting Pug dogs of either sex. The disease is considered unique to the Pug breed. Similar symptoms have been reported recently in Maltese, Pekingese and Yorkshire Terrier breeds but do not seem to be the same disease.

PDE is an invariably fatal disease in the Pug which generally affect Pugs between 6 months and 7 years; however, the majority of Pugs affected are between 9 and 19 months of age.
Specific symptoms of PDE include: seizures, pressing of the head against a wall or furniture, a staggering walk, apparent blindness, lethargy, depression, and neck pain. When first presenting symptoms, most pugs simply quit jumping on or off furniture as they once did casually and they appear to have a “stiff neck”.

It is believed to be a genetic condition, as litter mates and closely related dogs are often affected, but it also occurs in Pugs born from non-related lines. The disease has no cure.
What causes PDE?

The most recent research information on the disease tends to be found on the home page of the Pug Dog Club of America as they are the primary funding underwriter for the ongoing studies of PDE.

How can I prevent PDE in my Pugs?

Since we do not know the cause of PDE, no one knows how to prevent it. If it turns out that PDE is a genetically inherited disease, then Pugs are born with it and the only prevention will be not to breed the parents who are carriers of the disease.

Now that you know more about PDE, you can use the knowledge you have from Pug Love to educate others. Who knows, you even know a few pet parents that have pugs who are experiencing seizures. Perhaps their pug has a disease like this, and they aren't even aware of it.

PDE is undoubtedly a heartbreaking disease, but with a lot of love and care any pug can live out the rest of his life feeling loved and receiving the best treatment.



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46 thoughts on “Learn More About Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE) and How to Recognize This Heartbreaking Disease”

  5. Nathan Ray Harmon

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    My pug, Hank, was diagnosed with rapidly progressing PDE today and we had to have him put down. This is an important thing to read for all pug owners. It’s an awful disease for such wonderful little creatures.

  8. Lisa Shimamoto

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    We lost jack week before thanksgiving this year do to a seizure he didn’t recover from. Vet said this disease could of been the reason. I will have another pug someday. Jack lived a wonderful life.

  11. Evette Sliko

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    Now I know what my 4 yr old pug died from. He was healthy & happy & this came on fast. He took several seizures. By the time I got him to the vets, he died in my arms in the vet’s parking lot 4 yrs ago.

  16. Kari Sanborn

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    Lost my 2 yr. old Dale to this…had 3 pugs before him that lived long lives. Losing my sweet Daley at such a young age was more than heartbreaking. I researched and found he died from this. My vet hadn’t heard of it.

  20. Casandra Assels

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    I lost my baby girl Masey to this. She was 22 months old. She was diagnosed 6 months before she died. I’m so glad my vet knew what it was right away and sent us to WSU veterinary school to start treatment. Even though there is no cure she was started on steroids and a seizure medicine. Both of these helped and she was back to her happy playful self up until a week before she died. I hope that some day there will be a cure for this horrible disease.

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