Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Bob Russell — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 12:26:46 GMT

As an update the dog disappeared from our books without trace. No request for a history. Nothing!

I do wonder if it made a magical recovery or whether the owners have figured out a way to get an insurance company to pay the bill.

If the dog had been euthanased somewhere else there would be little reason not to request a history.

Hey-Ho!

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Craig Reilly — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 09:42:44 GMT

Airway/laryngeal oedema is a component of the distress - reportedly managed well by fluticasone delivered by AeroDawg spacer/inhaler. Obviously thoughthese dogs dislike teh face mask, so initially at least need leave space between facemask and nose! They do get used to it though.

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

David Mills — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:51:32 GMT

[quote user="Alistair Graham-Evans"]Latest information I have from a recent conference for definition of hypoplasia is ratio of tracheal diameter / thoracic inlet width (measured on lat X-ray) <0.16 = hypoplasia.[/quote]

Been around for a while this, used to be 0.2, provenance unknown.

I suspect its as useless as VHS.

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Alistair Graham-Evans — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:10:08 GMT

Pugs don't seem to suffer from tracheal collapse but they do have small tracheal diameters, as do most brachycephalic breeds.

Latest information I have from a recent conference for definition of hypoplasia is ratio of tracheal diameter / thoracic inlet width (measured on lat X-ray) <0.16 = hypoplasia. Not sure what study produced that figure but quoted by a respected specialist.

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Dinu Catilina — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 11:44:37 GMT

I can't back up my statement with any data, sorry, but I did see quite a few, subjectively more than in frenchies or bulldogs.

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Rob Loxley — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 07:29:29 GMT

[quote user="Dinu Catilina"]Pugs can frequently have hypoplastic or/and collapsing tracheas[/quote]

My understanding was that tracheal hypoplasia was very uncommon in pugs?

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Alistair Graham-Evans — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 22:11:09 GMT

I think you have to X-ray chest to check for non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema or aspiration and exam throat to see whether further soft palate problem / everted laryngeal saccules / laryngeal collapse. If nares are still stenosed that's simple and can make a big difference.

If it survives weight loss is obviously mandatory - level of obesity dictates surgical success.

Good luck!

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Beats — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 20:20:24 GMT

could it lose weight?

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Dinu Catilina — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 13:37:50 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]What are my options for short, medium and long term management?[/quote]

Without taking some radiographs and performing a tracheoscopy it's difficult to give them a prognosis. Pugs can frequently have hypoplastic or/and collapsing tracheas and that's not something you can manage in house. Check also of aspiration pneumonia.

What type of noise when breathing? Is it nasal, laryngeal or pharyngeal, stertor or stridor?

RE: Brachcephalic Airway Disease management

Braden Collins — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 11:33:10 GMT

Might be something as simple as the laryngeal saccules everting, causing an acute worsening. They can be done pretty quickly and easily in first opinion practice so I would consider examine under GA and do what you can.