Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pug with sleep apnea treated successfully with ondansetron
By Villedieu, Erika et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2022·From the Department of Soft Tissue Surgery, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnea Successfully Treated with Ondansetron in a Pug.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A pug was brought in for breathing problems during sleep, which were suspected to be caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Despite treatment for a related condition called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), the pug continued to have episodes of OSA. The veterinarian prescribed ondansetron, a medication that helped improve the pug's condition significantly. After three months of treatment, the pug showed almost complete resolution of the breathing issues.
People also search for: pug sleep apnea treatment · breathing problems in dogs · ondansetron for dog sleep issues
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been uncommonly reported in dogs and is often associated with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). OSA independent from BOAS has been rarely reported. Treatment of OSA with ondansetron has only been reported in one dog and has not been reported in a breed commonly affected by BOAS. Here, we report the case of a pug with episodes of OSA despite appropriate treatment of BOAS. Administration of ondansetron led to a rapid and near-complete resolution of the clinical signs, with a follow-up of 3 mo. OSA independent of BOAS should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs that present for sleep-disordered breathing without exercise intolerance after appropriate treatment for BOAS. Use of certain serotonin antagonists may be useful as a treatment option for these cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35576395/