Brachycephalic syndrome refers to elongated soft palate, stenotic nares and everted laryngeal saccules. It usually affects “short-headed” or brachycephalic dogs. These are the English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Pekinese and Boston Terrier. These breeds because of the shape of their head, muzzle and throat are often presented with noisy-difficult breathing. Other clinical signs can be exercise intolerance, bluish discolouration of the gums and occasional collapse. When the aforementioned clinical signs are seen on dogs, surgery should be performed in order to widen the nostrils and to correct the shape of the soft palate (palatoplasty). This way, the airflow through the nostrils will be improved and the length of the soft palate will be normalized, leading to better breathing. Both surgical techniques are performed in our clinic and patients normally show great clinical improvement.
