Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Epinephrine nebulizer treatment helps breathing in bulldogs and pugs
By Franklin, Phil H et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2021·Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Nebulization of epinephrine to reduce the severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of pugs, French bulldogs, and English bulldogs with breathing problems due to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) were treated with nebulized epinephrine before and after surgery. The treatment significantly improved their breathing, especially in dogs with more severe symptoms. While some dogs experienced nausea as a side effect, overall, the use of nebulized epinephrine helped reduce the severity of their airway issues. This suggests that nebulized epinephrine can be an effective option for managing BOAS in these breeds.
People also search for: bulldog breathing problems treatment · pug airway issues · epinephrine for dog BOAS
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the preoperative and postoperative effect of nebulized epinephrine on brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) severity in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Thirty-one client-owned pugs, French bulldogs, and English bulldogs with moderate to severe BOAS. METHODS: Whole body barometric plethysmography was used to determine BOAS severity (BOAS index; 0%-100%) prior to and after nebulization with 0.05 mg/kg epinephrine diluted in 0.9% saline preoperatively. The same protocol was repeated postoperatively (within 24 hours of surgery). RESULTS: Five dogs were excluded because they did not tolerate nebulization, and postoperative data were available for 13 dogs. Epinephrine nebulization resulted in a decreased BOAS index across all breeds of dog both before (9.6% [3.1% to -30.2%], n = 26) and after surgery (14.3% [0.9% to -24.3%], n = 13). The preoperative reduction in BOAS index was greater (17.3% [1.8% to -27.4%]) in dogs with a baseline BOAS index >70% (P = .006) and in pugs (16.9% [0.8% to -27.4%]) compared with French bulldogs (5.2% [3.1% to -30.2%], P = .03). Simple linear regression was used to identify a positive relationship between baseline BOAS index and reduction in BOAS index for pugs (n = 10, P = .001). Nausea was noted as a side effect in four dogs. CONCLUSION: Nebulized epinephrine reduced the BOAS index of dogs in this study. This effect was clinically significant in preoperative dogs with a BOAS index >70% and in dogs recovering from surgery. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides evidence to support the use of nebulized epinephrine in the perioperative management of BOAS-affected dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33044024/