Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bronchial problems found in 40 brachycephalic dogs with breathing
By De Lorenzi, Davide et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2009·San Marco Private Veterinary Clinic, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Bronchial abnormalities found in a consecutive series of 40 brachycephalic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 40 brachycephalic dogs, including Pugs, English Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs, were examined for breathing problems and found to have significant bronchial collapse, which is a narrowing of the airways. Most of these dogs showed severe bronchial issues, particularly in the left side of their lungs. Interestingly, while many dogs had both laryngeal collapse (a condition affecting the voice box) and bronchial abnormalities, the severity of these bronchial problems did not impact their recovery after surgery to correct breathing issues. Overall, the findings suggest that bronchial collapse is common in these breeds, but it doesn't necessarily affect their long-term surgical outcomes.
People also search for: brachycephalic dog breathing problems · pug bronchial collapse treatment · bulldog respiratory distress surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To detect abnormalities of the lower respiratory tract (trachea, principal bronchi, and lobar bronchi) in brachycephalic dogs by use of endoscopy, evaluate the correlation between laryngeal collapse and bronchial abnormalities, and determine whether dogs with bronchial abnormalities have a less favorable postsurgical long-term outcome following correction of brachycephalic syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective case series study. ANIMALS: 40 client-owned brachycephalic dogs with stertorous breathing and clinical signs of respiratory distress. PROCEDURES: Brachycephalic dogs anesthetized for pharyngoscopy and laryngoscopy between January 2007 and June 2008 underwent flexible bronchoscopy for systematic evaluation of the principal and lobar bronchi. For dogs that underwent surgical correction of any component of brachycephalic syndrome, owners rated surgical outcome during a follow-up telephone survey. Correlation between laryngeal collapse and bronchial abnormalities and association between bronchial abnormalities and long-term outcome were assessed. RESULTS: Pugs (n = 20), English Bulldogs (13), and French Bulldogs (7) were affected. A fixed bronchial collapse was recognized in 35 of 40 dogs with a total of 94 bronchial stenoses. Abnormalities were irregularly distributed between hemithoraces; 15 of 94 bronchial abnormalities were detected in the right bronchial system, and 79 of 94 were detected in the left. The left cranial bronchus was the most commonly affected structure, and Pugs were the most severely affected breed. Laryngeal collapse was significantly correlated with severe bronchial collapse; no significant correlation was found between severity of bronchial abnormalities and postsurgical outcome. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Bronchial collapse was a common finding in brachycephalic dogs, and long-term postsurgical outcome was not affected by bronchial stenosis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19793013/