Brachycephalic (short muzzled) breed include Pugs,
Pekinese, Boston Terriers, English Bulldogs, Shi-tzus Lhasa Apsos
etc. These dogs have been bred through the ages
for their cute looks. Unfortunately, the chronic inbreeding has led
to a number of problems related to breathing and respiration in
these pets. As a result, many of them become
respiratory cripples at even an early age.
The
“brachycephalic airway syndrome” involves one or more of 5 clinical
problems:
(Click here to see a presentation on this syndrome)
-
Narrow (stenotic) Nostrils
-
Overly long soft palate (soft part of the roof of
the mouth)
-
Swelling of the Larynx
-
Swollen Laryngeal Saccules
-
Collapse of the Larynx
-
Inappropriately Small Tracheas
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| Narrow "stenotic" Nares |
Elongated Plate frontal
view |
Closeup of long palate |
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| Swollen larynx |
Everted Laryngeal
Saccules |
Demonstration of narrow
trachea |
Each of these problems causes the airway
through which they breathe smaller than normal. This makes breathing
much more difficult for them and leads to the symptoms
associated with the syndrome which include:
How do
we diagnose this syndrome?
Diagnosis is made though
identification of the problems listed above. During
the physical examination, the size of the nostrils, the sound of the
breathing, and the amount of labor involved in breathing become obvious
to the doctor. Radiographs (x-rays) of the chest and
neck can tell us whether the trachea is abnormally small for the size of
the dog. To fully diagnose the internal components
of the syndrome, we must anesthetize the pet and do a visual or
endoscopic examination of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx.
Brachycephalic breeds can
be high risks for anesthesia; therefore, if we are going to
anesthetize them, we should be prepared to correct the defects that we
find at the same time!
How do
we treat this syndrome?
Surgery is the only
treatment to help these pets. We can do corrective
surgery to open up the nostrils, reduce the length of the soft palate
and remove any of the swollen laryngeal tissue.
Currently, Laser Surgery is the treatment of choice for this
syndrome because the laser cuts with a minimal of bleeding, swelling and
pain. We have this modality available at our facility and we are finding
exceptionally good results with its use.
It is important to
understand, that the earlier these surgeries are performed, the better
the prognosis for the dog becomes. If we fail to
treat the pets early, even the most aggressive surgery may not be enough
to help them. We recommend having these surgeries
done as early as 3-4 months of age in order to minimize the degeneration
of the airways and to improve the quality of life for these pets.
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| Repair of right nares |
Repair of Both Nares |
Preparing to cut palate |
Cutting Palate with laser |
Are their risks involved with the surgery?
Any surgery of the airways
has risks involved. Each case has a different risk
factor, generally related to how bad the problem is as we go into
surgery and how long it has been going on. We
encourage you to discuss the risks for your pet with our surgeons if you
are considering having the procedure performed.
What is the prognosis with this surgery?
Again, much of the
prognosis depends on how badly the dog is affected prior to surgery and
at what age we do the surgery. Most of the pets that
undergo this procedure will breathe much easier within 24 hours of
surgery. They will make substantially less noise
when at rest. They should develop better exercise and heat tolerance.
In general, every brachycephalic pet should be evaluated and
treated for this problem at the earliest opportunity to ensure a long
and productive life. |
