Brachycephalic Syndrome

Brachycephalic breed (pug)

Who is usually affected?
-Dogs with relatively wide skulls and short muzzles
-Most common breeds include bulldogs, pugs, and Boston terriers

What is happening?
-Upper airway passages are most commonly partially blocked at the nose (stenotic nares), soft palate (elongated soft palate), and/or larynx (everted laryngeal saccules)
-In severe cases the trachea may be too small or the larynx partially collapsed

Clinical signs you might notice in your pet
-Noisy breathing, particularly when inhaling (inspiration)
-Unusually loud snoring
-Decreased ability or willingness to exercise, particularly on warm days
-In severe cases breathing efforts may become severely distressed, causing possible collapse

*SEVERE DISTRESS OR COLLAPSE SHOULD BE HANDLED AS AN EMERGENCY. KEEP YOUR ANIMAL AS CALM AS POSSIBLE, IN A COOL ENVIRONMENT, AND TAKE THEM IMMEDIATELY TO THE CLOSEST VETERINARY EMERGENCY CLINIC.*

Diagnosis
-Careful visual inspection of the nose to evaluate for sufficient external nasal passageways
-Anesthetized examination of the palate and larynx (laryngoscopy)
-X-rays are frequently used to evaluate tracheal size and condition of the lower respiratory system

Surgical treatment
-Surgical modification of the airway to increase air flow, most commonly by various surgeries are:
    -Widening the nares
    -Shortening the soft palate
    -Removing the laryngeal saccules

Special postoperative care
-Avoiding excitement and heat stress is important for the first 2 weeks after surgery
-You will be asked to feed your animal soft food for 2-3 weeks following surgery
-We recommend the use of a harness

Expected results after surgery
-Improved ability to breathe
-Generally, much less noise is heard when breathing/sleeping
-Increased ability to exercise