How do you treat brachycephalic syndrome in dogs?
Mild cases can be treated conservatively. More severe cases require surgical correction. Earlier intervention leads to better outcomes. Stenotic nares can be treated by removing a small wedge of tissue to make the openings larger. Surgery is the treatment of choice whenever the anatomic abnormalities interfere with the dog’s breathing. Stenotic nares can be surgically corrected by removing a wedge of tissue from the nostrils, allowing improved airflow through the nostrils.Procedure & treatment: BOAS: – stenotic nares: a small area of the outside, visible part of the nose is removed, after which the edges are sutured. This will widen the opening and increase airflow. This can be excess length, or excess width as well.Treatment for BOAS Management includes weight loss, reducing exposure to heat, and using a harness rather than a collar. Surgery concentrates on shortening the elongated short palate and enlarging the stenotic nares, which can collapse inwards on brachycephalic dogs.
How is brachycephalic syndrome diagnosed?
Diagnosis of brachycephalic syndrome is based on visual examination of the nares and evaluation of the oropharynx under light anesthesia. Cervical and thoracic radiographs will confirm a hypoplastic trachea. Virtually all anesthetic drugs relax the muscles of the upper respiratory tract. Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) BOAS is a lifelong and often progressive disorder that affects an animal’s ability to live comfortably and engage in normal animal behaviours. In general, BOAS-affected breeds have and often suffer from unprovoked coughing, sneezing, and snoring.Brachycephalic Syndrome” refers to the combination of elongated soft palate, stenotic (narrowed) nares, everted laryngeal saccules, and hypoplastic trachea, most of which are commonly seen in these breeds.Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is treated with partial resection of the soft palate (staphylectomy), nares, and laryngeal saccules. These procedures reduce the amount of tissue blocking the flow of air to the lungs and improve the quality of life of BOAS patients.Dogs with significant BOAS have more difficulty breathing, may have difficulty exercising and/or sleeping and ultimately may develop life-threatening breathing problems. These problems tend to worsen as they get older as secondary problems develop or if they put on weight.
How to treat brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome?
Surgery is the treatment of choice whenever the anatomic abnormalities interfere with the dog’s breathing. Stenotic nares can be surgically corrected by removing a wedge of tissue from the nostrils, allowing improved airflow through the nostrils. BOAS is not curable. Nevertheless, upper airway corrective surgery can provide a better quality of life. Regular post-operative rechecks are suggested. Revision surgery might be required in some severely affected dogs.Many dogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome will often prefer to sleep on their backs, as this position may help keep their airway more open. We often see these dogs at the vet hospital when they are in severe respiratory distress or suffering from heatstroke when they may have collapsed.As with most conditions affecting dogs, the sooner they are diagnosed, the sooner they can be treated, which usually results in a better prognosis. With brachycephalic airway syndrome, the most common form of treatment is surgery to correct the abnormality and improve the airflow and breathing abilities of the dog.Brachycephalic syndrome in dogs is caused by deformities in the upper airway. These can lead to breathing difficulties, an inability to cope with exercise, respiratory infections, and overheating. As a result, surgery may be necessary to help your dog enjoy a better quality of life.The usual recovery time for brachycephalic airway surgery in dogs is three to four weeks. Some dogs can feel well enough to eat the same afternoon they come home, and others may take some more time to feel comfortable enough to resume normal day-to-day activities.
What are the four components of brachycephalic syndrome?
Brachycephalic airway syndrome includes stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules and laryngeal collapse. Brachycephalic airway syndrome refers to the condition of airway distress attributable to anatomical abnormalities. Commonly affected breeds include English bulldog, Boston terrier, pug, Pekingese, French bulldog, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and Persian and Himalayan cats.The technical term for breeds like pugs, French bulldogs (“Frenchies”), Boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Shih Tzus and others is “brachycephalic. The structure of their bodies means that these breeds often suffer from health problems like breathing issues, skin fold infections, eye issues, back and joint issues .Brachycephalic dogs have an array of health concerns intrinsically linked to their conformation, ranging from eye disease, respiratory disease, dystocia (difficulty giving birth), spinal disease, heat stroke and pneumonia to name but a few.Brachycephalic syndrome is a term used to describe a combi-nation of primary and secondary anatomic abnormalities found in brachycephalic breeds that leads to varying degrees of upper airway dysfunction and obstruction. The primary abnormalities include stenotic nares, enlarged tonsils, and an elongated soft palate.Generally, most dogs with a short, scrunched nose or flat face are brachycephalic—you can probably already picture multiple breeds. Some of the most common include: English, French, and American Bulldogs.
How to determine if a dog is brachycephalic?
How do I Know my Dog or Cat Has Brachycephalic Syndrome? They have noisy breathing, especially during respiration. They may retch/gag, have exercise intolerance, can turn blue from a lack of oxygen, and even pass out. Periods of overactivity, excitement, heat, and humidity are most problematic for these patients. With high resistance in the airway, extreme effort is needed for brachycephalic dogs to expand their chests to increase airflow into their lungs. This extra-strong expansion of the chest can cause stomach content or the stomach itself to be sucked into the chest, which often leads to vomiting and regurgitation.Brachycephalic dog breeds, like Boston terriers, boxers, and pugs, have ‘squished faces’ or shortened snouts, which increases their risk of developing breathing problems. Pet owners should closely monitor these breeds for signs of increased respiratory effort.Brachycephalic dogs often have a thickened tongue base, a long and/or thickened soft palate, and hypertrophied nasal turbinates, which can obstruct the airway during closed-mouth breathing when the dog is sleeping.Causes of Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome Their anatomically shortened heads lead to structural changes to their throats and airways, which can cause trouble breathing and make these dogs prone to overheating.What are the signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome? Common signs include snorting, noisy breathing, excessive panting and exercise intolerance. Some dogs have frequent sickness and regurgitation from reflux of stomach acid. Heat, stress, or excitement can often make signs dramatically worse.
What are the dangers of brachycephalic dogs?
The technical term for breeds like pugs, French bulldogs (“Frenchies”), Boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Shih Tzus and others is “brachycephalic. The structure of their bodies means that these breeds often suffer from health problems like breathing issues, skin fold infections, eye issues, back and joint issues . Brachycephalic dogs can suffer from a range of health and welfare issues including breathing problems, digestive issues, eye diseases, difficulty giving birth, spinal malformations, exercise and heat intolerance, sleeping difficulties, skin and ear diseases, as well as dental disease (1).These breeds are at risk for a variety of health conditions and often require specialized veterinary care. Owners with brachycephalic dogs should pay extra attention to their animals in the heat and during exercise as they are prone to breathing problems.