Brachycephalic airway syndrome: a comparative study between pugs and French bulldogs

OBJECTIVE To compare clinical features of brachycephalic airway syndrome and long-term surgical outcomes between pugs and French bulldogs and evaluate the influence of laryngeal collapse. METHODS This retrospective study included 72 dogs that underwent wedge rhinoplasty and folded flap palatoplasty for brachycephalic airway syndrome. Epidemiological data, clinical signs, postoperative complications and owners’ responses to a questionnaire at least six months after surgery were compared between pugs and French bulldogs. Spearman's rank correlation tests were used for associating laryngeal collapse with age and respiratory signs before and after surgery. RESULTS On the basis of the results of the owners’ questionnaires (available in 52/72 dogs), French bulldogs presented with lower activity levels and more severe digestive signs than pugs. Owners perceived clinical improvement in 88 · 5% of all dogs. The grades of respiratory and digestive signs were not different between the breeds in the long-term follow-up, and the grade of laryngeal collapse did not influence the grade of respiratory signs or surgical outcome. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Surgical treatment resulted in improved clinical signs in pugs and French bulldogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome, with a high owner satisfaction rate. There were no correlations between the severity of laryngeal collapse and overall respiratory signs or prognosis.