Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome

If you are not familiar with the term Brachycephalic and you own a Shih Tzu, English or French Bulldog, Pekingese, Pug or Boston Terrier - you should become familiar with this term. The term Brachycephalic actually means “short head”. Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Pugs, Pekingese and Boston Terriers are the most common breeds having a shortened skull when compared to other breeds of dogs. Brachycephalic dogs have been bred to have a normal lower jaw in proportion to their body size and a compressed upper jaw. Although these features make these breeds have the cute, short-nosed appearance we adore, it does make it common for these breeds to have a unique condition called Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome affects different areas of the respiratory tract resulting in an increase in airway resistance . When left untreated, this can lead to chronic breathing problems.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome includes stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, laryngeal collapse and a high incidence of narrow trachea, which contributes to airway distress.

Stenotic Nares - is the technical term for narrowed nostrils. Certain dogs may have such narrow nostrils that they require surgical correction to widen them. Your dogs' nostrils can be assessed in an office visit without anesthesia.

Elongated Soft Palate - It is difficult to fit all the tissues of the canine mouth and throat in a short-nosed dog. As a result, the soft palate - which separates the nasal passage from the oral cavity - flaps loosely down into the throat creating a snorting sound. Excess barking or panting may cause these tissues to swell, leading to more serious problems. Virtually all dogs with Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome suffer from an elongated soft palate. Your veterinarian will assess your dogs' soft palate under anesthesia. The soft palate surgical correction procedure is performed with a laser as it is safer, offers less pain and limits swelling and bleeding.

Both procedures, stenotic nares and elongated soft palate correction, are safe and have short recovery times when performed in young animals. Either procedure, or both if needed, can be performed at the same time your pet is spayed or neutered to avoid more than one anesthetic procedure.

Secondary anatomic components of Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome include everted laryngeal saccules, laryngeal collapse and a narrowed trachea.

Everted Laryngeal Saccules & Laryngeal Collapse - will typically only become a problem when the preceding conditions are not corrected and your dog gets into a situation of severe respiratory distress.

Hypo-Plastic Trachea (Narrowed Trachea) - can cause significant distress in the breeds noted above and other toy breeds like Poodles and Chihuahuas . Diagnosis is achieved by radiographs, which can often be accomplished without anesthesia. Both medical and surgical treatments can be difficult.

Identifying the aspects of Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome that may affect your dog and surgical correction, at an early age, is the best way to prevent airway disease from progressing to serious respiratory problems .