Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
A new study has found that pugs face such serious health conditions that they can "no longer be considered as a typical dog from the perspective of its disorder profile."
The study, conducted by The Royal Veterinary College in the U.K., found that the breed has "diverged substantially" from other dogs in suffering from increased health risks affecting the airways and the eyes, which can be detrimental to the overall health of pugs.
The popular small breed is known for its flat face, bulging eyes and wrinkled forehead. However, breeding pugs for their appearance has created major health problems for them, ranging from respiratory issues to seizures.
According to the study, pugs were found to have an increased risk for 23 disorders as well as a higher risk of skin infections.
"Pugs are almost twice as likely to experience one or more disorders annually compared with other dogs," the study's authors wrote.
The findings were published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Canine Medicine and Genetics.
To better understand the health impacts, researchers analyzed 4,308 pugs and 21,835 dogs of other breeds in the U.K. The study compared their health profiles and odds of developing 40 common disorders.
According to the findings, pugs are 54 times more likely to have brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (a breathing condition due to their short noses), 51 times more likely to have narrowed nostrils, 11 times more likely to have skin fold infections, and nearly 10 times more likely to experience ear discharge.
"These findings suggest the pug can no longer be considered a typical dog from a health perspective and urgent action is required to reduce the high rate of health issues associated with the breed," the study's authors wrote.
In addition, the study found than more than 17 per cent of the pugs evaluated were obese, compared to less than seven percent of other dogs.
The study noted these health conditions result in "severe welfare consequences for affected dogs, including shortened life span, reduced quality of life and increased risk for osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and neoplasia."
Researchers found that pugs did have a reduced risk for some conditions, such as heart murmurs, aggression and wounds, but despite this, concluded that the breed’s predisposition to disease significantly outweighs its protections.
The study's authors say dog owners should be aware of the health conditions common in pugs before purchasing the popular breed.
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.