Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pharyngeal muscle tightening after collapse in flat-faced dogs
By Hara, Yohei et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2020·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Pharyngeal contraction secondary to its collapse in dogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of flat-faced dogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) was studied to understand their breathing problems better. Researchers used advanced imaging to observe how the throat area moved while the dogs breathed. They found that during inhalation, the throat would collapse and contract, which likely worsened the dogs' breathing issues. This suggests that the throat's movement plays a significant role in the respiratory symptoms seen in these dogs. Understanding this can help veterinarians provide better treatment options for affected pets.
People also search for: dog breathing problems brachycephalic · flat-faced dog airway issues · treatment for dog pharyngeal collapse
Abstract
Brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) is a common disease in certain "flat-faced" dog breeds. This syndrome includes stenotic nares, elongated and thickened soft palate, laryngeal collapse, and tracheal hypoplasia. Pharyngeal collapse is also commonly observed, but it is unclear if laryngopharynx motions are merely sequelae or actually contribute to BAS respiratory symptoms. Laryngopharynx motion was imaged using dynamic four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) during spontaneous respiration in four dogs with different BAS types. Dynamic 4D-CT showed laryngopharynx motion in the following order during inspiration: pharyngeal collapse, contraction, and laryngospasm. We concluded that dynamic 4D-CT is a highly-detailed diagnostic approach for detecting laryngopharynx motion. Pharyngeal contraction during inspiration appears to contribute toward the worsening of clinical respiratory signs of BAS.
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/31839650/