Piglet the frenchy suffered from a Narrow Nose (Stenotic Nares) & Throat Blockage (Elongated Soft Palate)

Airflow & Oxygen should NOT be considered “OPTIONS” for our Flat Faced Fur Babies !

Imagine living with an lungs AIRWAY BLOCKAGE

The SOFT PALATE= soft part in the back of the roof of the mouth that separates the nasal nose passages from the mouth

It SHOULD NEVER HANG in the throat in front of the windpipe (trachea) lungs

In FLAT FACED dogs PANTING causes SWELLING which leads to BREATHING 🫁 ISSUES & RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.

Those adorable SMUSHED faced dogs paw (Frenchies, Pugs, English Bulldogs, etc) all have something in common: they are #BRACHYCEPHALIC BREEDS

These breeds possess the flat face, pushed-up nose, narrow nostrils, & large see .

Unfortunately, because of this peculiar anatomy, brachycephalic dogs often have a hard time breathing & have respiratory 🫁 abnormalities.

This condition is known as BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) & is characterized by index pointing or more of the following:

An elongated soft palate
Stenotic nares
Everted Laryngeal Saccules
A narrow trachea

Stenotic nares is the term referring to narrowing of the nostrils. This limits the airflow, making breathing through the nose difficult. When the nostrils are narrow corrective surgery helps patients to breathe better.

Some dogs have only a partial improvement of their symptoms & can have ongoing snoring & heat intolerance.

A small % will have no improvement in snoring, or recurrence of snoring.

Even with airway surgery, BOAS is a progressive condition, as there is only a certain # of things that we can address surgically.

Short noses, large tongues, redundant pharyngeal muscosa, laryngeal collapse & hypoplastic trachea can’t be surgically corrected.