Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, commonly known as BOAS, is a condition that occurs in certain breeds of dogs, where their shortened nose causes narrowing of their airways, an overly long soft palate, laryngeal collapse, and various other problems with their breathing. The syndrome ranges in severity, from mild snorting, to severe, and sometimes fatal, breathing issues. If you are buying a puppy as a pet from a breed that is prone to BOAS, take time to carefully assess the breathing and nose length of the mother and if possible the father as well.

Symptoms

At its most mild, BOAS in dogs causes noisy breathing, snorting and snoring, which doesn’t require surgery. Sadly, these are considered “cute” breed traits for Pugs, French Bulldogs, and English Bulldogs, to name a few of the brachycephalic breeds. In more severe cases, BOAS can cause dogs to vomit, and collapse due to lack of oxygen. Keep an eye out for dogs that overheat quickly, seem to take longer to recover after exercise, or seem reluctant to exercise. If your pet is being adversely affected by the conditions, then consult your veterinary professional for advice.

Causes and Risk Factors

Poor breeding, and a tendency to prioritise looks over health, have led to these pronounced breed traits. Breeds at risk include:

  • English Bulldog
  • French Bulldog
  • Dogue de Bordeaux
  • Boxer
  • Pug
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Shih Tzu
  • Pekingese

The biggest risk for your brachycephalic dog is being overweight, so it is vitally important to keep your dog’s weight at a healthy level. Brachycephalic dog breeds are far more susceptible to the heat, as they can’t pant enough to cool themselves down. So be extremely vigilant of your pet during hot spells.

Diagnosis

Initial diagnosis will be carried out from your description of symptoms, and your vet’s examination of your dog. Unfortunately, the only area that is visible without a general anaesthetic is your dog’s nostrils and nasal area, the internal airways can only be examined under general anaesthetic or sedation. Often, the dog is examined, before the vet immediately proceeds to surgery, rather than subject the dog to two general anaesthetics. Brachycephalic breeds are more at risk during general anaesthetic due to their breathing issues, so we like to keep the amount of anaesthetic that they are subjected to, to a minimum.

Treatment

Corrective BOAS surgery can be carried out to address the various conditions that can occur. There are two main types of procedure that we perform during surgery, these are; nares resection (widening of the nostrils) and palatoplasty (shortening and thinning the soft palate) . Many dogs require both of these procedures during their surgery. Additionally some patients might require laryngeal saccule resection, tonsillectomy and only rarely laryngeal resection. It is important to note that there are some components of the BOAS syndrome that can not always be addressed by a simple procedure, such as hypoplastic trachea (smaller windpipe) or aberrant nasal turbinates ( bigger chunks of cartilage inside your dog’s nose)

Prognosis

Surgery can help to drastically improve the life of affected dogs. However, even after successful surgery your dog will never have the breathing capabilities of a longer-nosed dog, and you will need to care for your pet accordingly. You will need to be careful about how far your dog is walked, and pay particular attention to your pet during hot spells.

Preventive Measures

Be very careful when choosing a brachycephalic puppy as a pet. Make sure you examine the mother, and ask about her breathing. If she has had any nasal or breathing surgery, there is a high risk that these conditions have been passed onto her puppies. Ask to see photos of the father, so that you can get an indication of the shape of the nose. Whilst the outside won’t perfectly reflect what is happening inside, the longer the nose looks, the less chance there is of your puppy having a problem. While all dogs should maintain a healthy weight, it is even more important to keep your brachycephalic dog at a healthy weight, as carrying extra weight places further strain on their breathing and can drastically increase their symptoms.

What Age Do Dogs Get BOAS?

The problems will have been present from birth, but generally, dogs don’t start to show symptoms till between one and three years old. In more severe cases, your dog may begin to show signs of difficulties from as young as four months old.

What Breeds Get BOAS?

Breeds of dogs that have been bred with a pronounced short or squashed face are prone to BOAS. These include:

  • English Bulldog
  • French Bulldog
  • Dogue de Bordeaux
  • Boxer
  • Pug
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Shih Tsu
  • Pekingese

It is worth noting, however, that many of these breeds have now been cross-bred. So, your cute cross-breed pet, may have inherited the poor facial structure from one of its parents, and still be at risk from BOAS.

When to Request a Referral for Your Dog?

Always consult your veterinarian if you have concerns that your pet may be affected by BOAS. Not all veterinary practices have the facilities or expertise to carry out the surgery needed to correct the BOAS conditions in your pet. Here at Northwest Referrals, we are experts in soft tissue surgery and have successfully treated many dogs with these conditions. Our experienced surgery team will support your pet throughout the process, and give him the care that he needs.

Why Should You Bring Your Pet to Northwest Referrals for BOAS Surgery?

Here at Northwest Referrals, we hold the welfare of animals at the heart of all that we do. We want to improve the health of every pet that we have in our care. We work with other veterinary practices, accepting referrals for surgery, or directly with pet owners. We can treat insured and non-insured animals, and will always work with you, to make the process as affordable as possible. Beware of your insurance, as some insurance companies won’t cover certain brachycephalic surgeries. Whatever your situation, we will always keep the health and happiness of your pet at the centre of what we do, and work with you to ensure that your pet can have a long and happy life. If you are a referring vet, or a pet owner, and want to learn more about what we do, take a look at our soft tissue surgery page.