Internal medicine

Hard palate

Population

Airway

Surgery

Vomiting

Clinical significance

Medicine

Environmental health

Journal of Small Animal Practice

Objectives To assess the breed‐specific prevalence of, and effects of corrective airway surgery on, gastrointestinal signs in French bulldogs, English bulldogs and pugs presenting with brachycephalic airway syndrome to a referral teaching hospital. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, ptyalism, regurgitation and vomiting were graded at presentation using a previously established scoring system. Staphylectomy and nares resection were performed on all dogs. Gastrointestinal signs were re‐assessed via telephone follow‐up at least 6 weeks after surgery. Results Ninety‐eight dogs were included: French bulldogs (n=43), English bulldogs (n=12) and pugs (n=43). Overall population prevalence of all gastrointestinal signs was 56%. Breed‐specific prevalence for French bulldogs was 93%, English bulldogs 58% and pugs 16%. There was post‐surgical clinical improvement in gastrointestinal signs for the whole study population, especially in French bulldogs. Clinical Significance The prevalence of gastrointestinal signs in dogs presenting with brachycephalic airway syndrome and improvement in these clinical signs following corrective surgery may vary between breeds.

Relationship between brachycephalic airway syndrome and gastrointestinal signs in three breeds of dog