Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why some non-brachycephalic dogs snore more due to airway collapse
By Noh, Daji et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2024·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Non-brachycephalic dogs with stertor have higher nasopharyngeal collapsibility compared with dogs without stertor and foramen lacerum level is ideal for evaluating nasopharyngeal collapse on dynamic CT.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of non-brachycephalic dogs showing stertor (a noisy breathing sound) was studied to understand their airway issues better. Researchers found that these dogs had more significant nasopharyngeal collapsibility, meaning their airways were more likely to obstruct, compared to dogs without stertor. They recommended using a specific area in the throat called the foramen lacerum for evaluating this condition, as it provided clearer results. This study suggests that the size of the soft palate may not be the main cause of breathing problems in these dogs.
People also search for: why is my dog making a snorting sound · non-brachycephalic dog breathing problems · nasopharyngeal collapse treatment in dogs
Abstract
Stertor, a clinical sign associated with obstructive airway syndrome, is often observed in non-brachycephalic dogs. This prospective, case-control study aimed to compare soft palate dimensions, nasopharyngeal cross-sectional area (CSA), and nasopharyngeal collapsibility at various locations in non-brachycephalic dogs with and without stertor. A total of 50 dogs were recruited and stratified into control (n = 34) and stertor (n = 13) groups. Static and dynamic computed tomography was conducted without tracheal intubation, and the following variables were calculated: normalized soft palate length and thickness, normalized maximum and minimum nasopharyngeal CSAs (rCSAmax and rCSAmin), and nasopharyngeal collapsibility at the level of the cranial end of the soft palate, pterygoid hamulus, foramen lacerum, bony labyrinth, and caudal end of the soft palate. The stertor group demonstrated significantly lower rCSAmax and rCSAmin, as well as higher nasopharyngeal collapsibility compared with the control group, while no significant differences were noted in the soft palate dimension. Evaluating nasopharyngeal collapse at the foramen lacerum level was recommended due to the clear presence of identifiable bony landmarks and lower overlap in the nasopharyngeal collapsibility between dogs with and without stertor. Physical dimensions of the soft palate may not be the primary contributing factor to nasopharyngeal collapse and clinical signs in non-brachycephalic dogs.
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/38608172/