Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Respiratory problems in Norwich terriers linked to brachycephalic
By Koch, D A et al.·Published in Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2014·Clinic for Small Animal Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparative investigations on the upper respiratory tract in Norwich terriers, brachycephalic and mesaticephalic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Norwich terriers was examined for breathing problems, which are common in this breed. The tests showed that some of these dogs had features of brachycephalic syndrome, a condition that affects dogs with short noses and can lead to respiratory issues. The findings indicated that while some terriers showed signs of this syndrome, others had mixed traits, suggesting the breed is evolving towards having shorter snouts. The study highlights the need for breeders to take action to reduce these respiratory problems in Norwich terriers.
People also search for: Norwich terrier breathing problems · brachycephalic syndrome in dogs · dog respiratory issues treatment
Abstract
For some time Norwich terriers have been known to suffer from respiratory problems. In order to assign this weakness to a pathophysiology, 23 terriers were examined clinically, with laryngoscope and with rhinomanometry. In addition their skulls were dimensioned on radiographs. Widened nostrils, overlong soft palates and the everted laryngeal pouches were consistent with brachycephalic syndrome. Resistance values in the nasal passage corresponded to the appearance in brachycephalic dogs. Skull measurements gave inconsistent results, because length to width ratios and craniofacial angles denoted mesaticephaly, whereas the facial to cranial length ratios (S-index = 0.65) lay in the brachycephalic sector. It can be concluded, that the Norwich terrier breed is in transition towards brachycephaly with some individual dogs already suffering from the brachycephalic syndrome. Breeders are requested to introduce necessary counter measures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24568805/