Abnormal gait can be the result of musculoskeletal and/or neuromuscular conditions. The Pug breed is predisposed for specific orthopedic conditions and neuromuscular problems in the Pug breed has become increasingly recognized in the last few years. Lameness, as the result of musculoskeletal problems, and spinal cord disorders, characterized by paresis and ataxia, were reported in a British study in 2.4% versus 1.4% of the Pugs attending primary veterinary care. The prevalence of spinal cord disorders presented from the United Kingdom poorly corresponds to a Swedish insurance data report suggesting a seven-fold increase in mortality rate for ataxia, paresis and collapse in Pugs compared to other breeds. Adding the attention 'wobbly Pugs' are given on the internet suggests a need to investigate the prevalence of gait abnormalities in the Pug in a systematic way. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the prevalence of gait abnormalities in a cohort of Swedish Pugs by using an owner-based questionnaire targeting signs of gait abnormality and video footage showing the dog´s gait. The study also aimed at evaluating associated conditions of abnormal gait; including other health disorders prevalent in the breed. The owners reported gait aberrations in 20.2% of the Pugs with a prevalence increase with increasing age. Adding the Pugs that were reported to show indirect signs of gait abnormalities (wearing their nails and dorsal aspect of the skin on their paws) increased the prevalence of gait abnormalities in the breed from 20.2% to 30.7%. These results suggest gait abnormalities to be a more significant health problem than previously reported. Indeed, the single, listed, most common cause for death/euthanasia, reported by the owners, was a gait abnormality. In conclusion, gait abnormalities were a common finding in the Pug breed. Wearing of the nails and/or skin on the dorsum of the paws, predominately in the thoracic limbs, were frequently found and from a comparably young age. The result of the questionnaire and the video analysis suggest neurological disorders are predominately responsible for the high prevalence of gait abnormalities in the Pug breed. The prevalence of abnormal gait was significantly associated with age and with dyspnoea. The gait abnormalities were not associated with overt signs of pain but were associated with reluctance to go for walks.

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