14/10/2024
Meet Bruno!
Bruno recently visited us for an airway (BOAS) assessment under general anaesthetic and to see whether there was an indication for surgery.
He was seen by our two vets working towards their postgraduate surgery qualifications: Chloe and Andre and along with one of our registered nurses, Sean who is working towards his postgraduate anaesthesia qualification, they performed surgery on his airways.
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is common in ‘flat faced breeds’- English/French Bulldogs, Pugs, Shih-Tzu’s etc and can unfortunately be life-threatening depending on the degree of obstruction.
Years of selective breeding has shortened the skull, however, the soft tissues (such as tongue and soft palate) have not seen the same decrease and so are squashed into the same amount of space as a dog with a ‘normal’ length nose.
These dogs are at risk of respiratory disease and collapse, especially during hot weather or intense exercise.
BOAS surgery aims to decrease the resistance to airflow as much as possible, and each dogs’ disease is slightly different.
In Bruno’s case, he had a nasal wedge resection to widen his nostrils and increase the amount of air which can enter them. He also had his soft palate at the back of his mouth shortened to reduce the risk of obstruction.
We’re pleased to say he is doing well and healing up nicely! 🐾