BOAS Surgery

For any brachycephalic breed of dog, this relates to the breed of dogs that have a flat face essentially,

the nose is pushed into the face this is known as the brachycephalic form which essentially causes an obstruction of the airways which is why you will see most of these breed snorting, snoring heavily and finding it hard to breath and regulate their temperature soif they over heat which is very common this can be fatal as well as needing to keep them warmer than the average pooch. I would seriously recommend BOAS surgery, all 5 elements.

*canine stenotic nares repair (no suture)* canine stenotic nares repair (with sutures)* elongated soft palate resection *everted laryngeal saccules excision* Removal of tonsils

As my breeder stated we correct or modify anything for our children to breathe better or remove anything that might obstruct their airways to give them a better quality of life, why not do it for our furbabies.

After conversation with our breeder and Valeries (our french bulldog pictured at the start of this story) Vet team (the wonderfully amazing and talented guys here at the bulldog clinic, Southern Animal Health) and investigating on our behalf our findings all led to the same conclusion, it was a matter of need vs benefit, which both led to our first question we asked as soon as we embarked (pardon the pun) on this quest, what gives the opportunity for our Valerie to have a better quality of life? To say the least we were chuffed to have a conclusion sit at need vs benefit of all the possibilities.

So to break it down Need: in my opinion all brachycephalic breeds need this surgery, some individuals may not as breeders are trying to correct this syndrome through a selection processes which will eventually breed it out (a shout out to our breeder Our World of Bulldogs)

Snoring like in humans is an obstruction of the airways to which the quality of sleep deminish, also meaning less air gets into the bloodstream thus affecting the brain. There is evidence about the syndrome in which a brachycephalic specialist can inform with other relating symptoms all in all severely affect the quality of life.

My partner has been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea when he sleeps on his back, he has on average over 30 interruptions to his breathing every hour, when the tests came in and i saw the amount of red lines which defined the interruptions and how long they went for some for over a minute, lets just say it was a no brainer into training him from sleeping on his back to his side. Im not saying Valerie and Petes are the same but our Valerie snored when she slept coupled with the other symptoms and what potentially will come out of these issues when they develop later in life, then, if what i have to offer Valerie is a better quality of life cause she needs it then its a no brainer. Then there is the extra few years added to her life cause her breathing has improved after benefit and benefit, to say the least she has gone from sounding like a literal construction site snorer and breather to the lull of a dishwasher, walks are longer and without exhaustion, boy can she run now compared to other dogs she is like a wombat but she thinks she runs like the wind. the list goes on of what she will gain cause of this surgery.

Our Valerie at 5 months old had her BOAS surgery as well as de-sexing, all 5 surgeries are encouraged is because it gives their bodies the best way to develop with the syndrome for optimal breathing and minimal obstruction. Valerie needed this surgery so early due to the physical signs she displayed of how much effort it took her to breath, vomiting and always communicating with her vet about her breathing and our concerns. It’s the number 1 piece of advice I cant give to anyone, be as open with your pup/dogs health as you can, if you got a concern ask the question but don’t ask a chat room or a friend who has 5 dogs cause like us they are all different ask the ones that your trust their lives with, their Vet and if there is a specialist with that breed like bulldog clinic then it’s a no brainer again ask them, Ultimately its ok to share experiences with one another but if you are making life changing decisions to the health of your furbaby contact their Vet.

While the initial recovery was a bit hard to get through, i cant praise her surgeon Karen enough and the rest of her vet team for the amazing job whilst in their care, Do your research speak with a specialist cause then you know you are making an informed decision. On Conclusion its a no brainer, So all in all this testimonial is about the no brainer cause Valerie and Pete and my family their quality of life matters most to me .