The following article is written by
Jim Clark, DVM
Pet Emergency Clinic of East County (San Diego)
(619) 462-4800
and is excerpted from the Ask the Vet article in the April '95 issue of Pug Press Newsletter.

Emergency Care for Your Pug
Hopefully, you will never find yourself in an emergency situation with your pug. In reality, however, animal emergencies can and do occur occasionally, even with the best of care at home. Preparing yourself to handle an emergency situation will make the real thing less stressful and could even save your pug's life.

An important question to consider is, what constitutes an emergency? Just as for humans, it can be very difficult to identify a true emergency situation without an examination by a trained medical professional. Certain situations, however should ALWAYS be assumed to have emergency potential. If your pug has respiratory difficulty, automobile trauma, eye pain, or may have ingested a poison, an IMMEDIATE exam by a veterinarian is essential for all cases. Other medical conditions may be less critical, but could still have the potential to be life-threatening.

Let's look at several of the more common medical conditions seen in our emergency clinic. A better understanding of these conditions will improve your ability to recognize and act on an emergency yourself:

1. Automobile Trauma: If your pug is hit by a car, immediate action is essential. Shock, internal or external bleeding, or chest trauma may be rapidly fatal. Establish an airway. This means that you must ensure that your dog is able to breathe by carefully extending the neck and clearing any fluid or vomitus from the mouth and throat (use caution to avoid being bitten) [which injured dogs--even pugs--are prone to do when they're in pain].

As you check for breathing, feel for a pulse at the same time. The best place to check is on the inside of the rear leg near the body. You should practice finding a pulse on your pet BEFORE you need to locate one in a crisis. The normal pulse rate for a dog is 100-120 beat per minutes.
(article is continued in April /July '95 issue).

Copyright 1998 -Pug Press-All rights Reserved.

Some actual letters and email we received from our subscribers which were (or will be) published in the Pug Press (letters will be updated here periodically):

Thrilled to See Your Story About Allergies

We just received our first copy of Pug Press and were thrilled to see your cover story about allergies. We are parents of an apricot Pug (Lucy) who is suffering the same symptoms you describe in the article. We have taken her to several doctors, several times already . . . yet nothing seems to help. We will try the recommendations outlined in your article and let you know the outcome.

Our money for a year's subscription seems to have already paid off! Thanks so much . . . and we'll keep you posted.

--suederm@aol.com

Pug Press Caresheet Helps Reader

Catch Pug's Eye Problems

I just ordered your pug Caresheets a few days ago and received them in the mail yesterday. They are very useful, especially taking care of the pugs' eyes (in-home eye test).

Puggle has had regular vet checkups all of his life (6 1/2 years old) and unfortunately, none of the vets have noticed the pigmentation problem. After giving him your in-home eye test, I have just learned of this problem with Puggle.

I will take him to a veterinary ophthalmologist right away. Thanks for the information and the quick service!

--Julie Segal, Thousand Oaks, California

Canadian Pug Owner Wants to Hear from Pug People

If there are any pug-lovers who would like to communicate with a Canadian Puglet and his human, we'd be thrilled to hear from them, so please share our address.

I have some experience with Legg Perthes disease and elongated soft palate problems. If anyone needs support or advice, add me to the resource list.

I can be reached by mail at: Marie O'Neill, 85 Beech Ave., #12, Toronto, Ontario, M4E 3H5, Canada, or by email.

--moneill@ctv.ca

Our Pug Has a L-O-N-G Tongue!

Please renew our pugscription. We are learning so much through your publications--things that our vets have severely limited knowledge of (cow doctors, mostly).

Example: When we first got our Daisy-pug we couldn't help but notice she was a very hyper puppy and happened to have an extremely L-O-N-G tongue. When we asked our veterinarian about the tongue he said, "She'll grow into it." Now she's almost 6 years old and the tongue is still (and always will be) very long--so much so that most of the time it hangs out of her mouth while she sleeps, plays, even eats and chews with it hanging out of just the one side.

I'm sure it's a birth defect, but it makes her just a little more unique. (Her puppies were the cleanest little pups because of it, too! Their tongues were normal.)

We've changed vets since then, but always keep your pug information handy. Even with a newer vet--you never know. Keep up the excellent work!

--Kristi Dettwiler, Abbyville, KS

Pug Doesn't Complain About Her Owner's Singing

I really enjoy my pugscription. The information is great and the pictures are so cute! What talented piano-playing pugs (Pug Press, Oct. '97 issue). I can only get my little darling to dance to the doorbell, on and off TV. Oh, she does "Getcha Toy" so she can sit with me on the couch.

I recently drove to New Mexico for a visit with my son and family. It is about a 16-hour trip one way. "Ginger" was my traveling companion, and she was just great. She never once complained about my country music or singing. We ate at fancy outdoor restaurants all the way. I have enclosed a shnapshot of Ginger's bed while we were there. (Photo shows Ginger sleeping inside an open suitcase full of clothes.)

I have to make a confession: Ginger is not really my Pug-girl. She was a Christmas present for my husband, who had fallen in pug-love with a friend's pug. My husband says Ginger will consent to sit with him only after she has searched the house for me.

I'm enclosing a question on itching for your Ask the Vet column, and want to add my request for a sequel to your novel, Clan of the Pug Bears. Just great!

--Shirley Roberts, Chula Vista, CA

Love the Pug Press!

I'd like to renew my pugscription. You do a top quality, top fun newsletter!

--Michael Fair, New York, NY