13/03/2020
Did you know that dogs will not open their mouth to breathe when asleep if they have nasal obstruction?
Dogs can breathe through either the oral cavity or nasal cavity when they are awake. However, they are obligate nasal breathers when asleep. Therefore, if their nose is blocked, dogs will wake up, open their mouth to breathe and subsequently go back to sleep.
Obstruction within any part of the nasal airway (i.e. from the external nostrils to the end of the nasopharynx) can lead to interrupted sleep or sleep apnoea in dogs. Affected dogs will often wake up multiple times during their sleep, and they may sleep in certain positions that will open up the nasal airway to relieve the obstruction. Some dogs may hold a toy in their mouth when asleep so that they can breathe through their mouth. Nasal airway obstruction can result from many conditions, not just BOAS, however brachycephalic patients are often more severely affected.
Long-term, interrupted sleep due to nasal obstruction causes fatigue and a reduced quality of life. Severe airflow obstruction can also be life-threatening. If your dog shows any of the above signs frequently, investigation into the cause of obstruction is recommended.
