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  • ABOUT PDCA
    • PDCA Volunteers >
      • Club Officers & Board of Directors
      • Club Committees
    • PDCA Purpose >
      • Mission Statement
      • Code Of Ethics
    • Local Chapter Clubs
    • Membership >
      • How To Join
  • THE PUG
    • About the Pug >
      • Pug History
      • Get To Know Pugs
      • Colors of Pugs
      • The Pug Standard
      • Illustrated Standard
      • Pug Statistics
    • Pug Health >
      • Pug Health Guide
      • Pug Myelopathy
      • Brachycephalic Syndrome
      • Health, CHIC, and Research
      • Health Fund Donors
      • Survey
    • Education >
      • Books
      • Judges Education
      • PDCA Mentors
    • Pug Breeders >
      • Breeder Selection Tips
      • Beware of Scams
      • Breeder Directory
    • Pug Rescue >
      • PDCA HOPE Rescue Committee
      • Pug Rescue Directory
  • EVENTS
    • Chapter Club Specialties
    • Meet The Breeds
    • National Specialties >
      • 2019 National Specialty Show
      • Past National Winners
    • Points and Ratings >
      • Competition Ratings
      • AKC Points Schedule
  • Members Only
    • Announcements
    • PDCA Remembers
    • MOTIONS
    • Club Rosters >
      • Full Roster
      • Lifetime Members
      • Hall of Fame
      • Local Chapter Clubs
      • Sponsored Rescues
      • Join the Breeder Directory
    • Committee Reports >
      • Meeting Minutes
      • AKC Delegate
      • Breeder Referral
      • Chapter Club Reports
      • Ethics
      • Health
      • Historian
      • H.O.P.E. Rescue
      • Illustrated Standard
      • Judges Education
      • Meet The Breeds
      • Treasurer
    • Forms and Applications
    • Rules and Guidelines >
      • Code of Ethics
      • Constitution and By-Laws
      • Mission Statement
      • Policies
      • Standing Rules
    • Awards >
      • Annual Club Awards
      • Good Sportsmanship Award
      • Therapy Dog Award
      • Versatility Award
      • CHAPTER CLUB AWARD
    • Publications
    • Extra Information >
      • Ballots and Voting Results
      • PDCA Regions
    • What's New On The Website
  • Membership Dues 2019

Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE) - BACK TO GUIDE

Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)

This is a problem unique to Pugs which strikes terror in the hearts of those of us who know and love them. PDE is a fatal inflammatory brain disease. We don’t know exactly why Pugs get it. We are beginning to explore ways to treat it. There is no way to determine with accuracy if your Pug has it except on the brain tissue of dead dogs. The Pugs who are affected are usually young. The dogs will have seizures, circling, blindness, coma and death, all in the space of a few days to a few weeks. The Pug Dog Club of America, along with the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, has contributed to studies which has directly led to the creation of a test for the genetic marker for PDE – or NME, Necrotizing Meningoencephalitis as it is scientifically called. This is the first step towards identifying, understanding, treating and possibly eradicating this horrible disease from our Pug population.        

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Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)​
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Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)
Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)​
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Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)
Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)
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Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE)
If you would like to make a monetary donation for ongoing research in Pug health, you can send a donation to:


Canine Health Foundation
251 West Garfield Rd. Suite, 160
Aurora, OH 44202
Please specify that your donation is for the “Pug Club Donor Advised Fund.” You can also donate to the Pug Dog Club of America health fund by sending a contribution directly to the PDCA Treasurer.

Diagnosis: Pug Dog EncephalitisThe Pug Dog Club of America recognizes how devastating the diagnosis of PDE can be and it has been our goal to support and fund research so that we can see an end to this fatal disease. We thank you for your interest in participating in this research at this most difficult time.


While a genetic marker and test are available to identify those dogs which may be carriers, there is still ongoing research which you can help with.
Dr. Renee Barber is currently conducting research at the University of Georgia. The scientific name for PDE is now necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) because as research has progressed, we now know that not only is the Pug breed at risk, but also the Maltese, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Boston Terrier, Papillion, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier and West Highland White Terrier breeds. This is a disease that causes inflammation in the brain which can lead to seizures, blindness, coma and death very quickly. Learning more about what causes this devastating disease is critical for helping advance diagnosis, treatment and hopefully eradication of NME. Dr. Kimberly Greer has been instrumental in finding a region of DNA that is often different in Pugs that get NME, allowing for development of a genetic test. However, there is a still a subset of Pugs that don’t have this genetic difference that will succumb to NME. Dr. Barber has devoted her current research to trying to determine why this happens.


Additionally, Dr. Barber has also identified a second region of DNA that may contribute to Pugs getting NME. She is currently working to learn more about this region. Dr. Barber is always looking for additional samples from healthy Pugs or Pugs with NME to help with their research efforts. If you have a healthy purebred Pug that is over 3 years old and would be interested in participating, your veterinarian would have to verify that your pet does not have any evidence of autoimmune or neurological disease and we will send you a kit to collect a small amount of saliva. If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Renee Barber at rbarber1@uga.edu and she will help coordinate sample collection and shipping.


Also, if you believe your Pug may be suffering from NME, please let Dr. Barber know. If your pet passes away from PDE, arrangements can be made for a veterinary pathologist to examine the brain tissue and confirm a diagnosis of NME while still allowing your pet to be cremated and returned to you.
Information about specific ongoing studies may be found under the sub-tab for “PDCA Supported Research” under the Health tab.


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Dr. Renee Barber, DVM
​Dr. Renee Barber, DVM
Neurology Resident
Veterinary Medicine Graduate Assistant
Small Animal Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-2331
(706) 542-3221
rbarber1@uga.edu
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