Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Breed-specific airway problems linked to breathing issues in pugs
By Liu, Nai-Chieh et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2025·Institute of Veterinary Clinical Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Breed-specific anatomical risk factors of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome: A comprehensive computed tomographic study from nares to cervical trachea.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs were studied to understand breathing problems related to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The researchers found that certain physical traits, like the size of the airway and the presence of laryngeal collapse, were linked to more severe breathing issues in these breeds. For example, pugs with more soft tissue in their airways and bulldogs with smaller tracheas had higher BOAS scores. Unfortunately, some of these airway problems can't be fixed with surgery, highlighting the need for careful breeding practices to reduce these issues in the future.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · pug airway issues · French bulldog BOAS treatment · bulldog laryngeal collapse · brachycephalic dog surgery options
Abstract
The severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) can vary in dogs with similar external traits. This study aimed to identify breed-specific upper airway lesions measured on computed tomographic (CT) images and their associations with the BOAS index (a measure of airway obstruction). This was a prospective cross-sectional study including 40 pugs, 52 French bulldogs, and 21 bulldogs. All subjects underwent whole-body barometric plethysmography respiratory function testing to obtain a BOAS index and CT of the head/neck. Eleven validated CT measurements were recorded from nares to cervical trachea. Multivariate linear regressions were used to assess the associations between the breed-specific upper airway lesions and BOAS index. Pugs with a higher soft tissue proportion at the rostral nasopharyngeal meatus (β=0.639, p < .001) or with Grade III laryngeal collapse (β=15.099, p = .009); French bulldogs with a smaller nasopharyngeal index (β=-0.142, p < .001), or with Grade I (β=18.939, p < .001) or Grade II (β=26.503, p < .0001) laryngeal collapse (when compared to Grade 0); and bulldogs, with a smaller trachea perimeter (β=-1.46, p = 0.012), or smaller nasopharyngeal index (β=-0.119, p = 0.041) or higher skull index (β=247.525, p = 0.004) were associated with higher BOAS indices. The contributory lesions of BOAS are different between the three breeds. Some of these lesions are unfortunately not amenable to surgical correction. While breed specific surgical considerations are required, lesions such as the hypoplastic trachea in bulldogs should be eliminated by breeding selection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41242601/