My dog's breathing: Is throat flap surgery safe and effective?

A staffy is a brachycephalic breed, which means the snout is short, but the rest of the head did not get smaller. So the structures in his mouth stayed the same as if the head was longer. This results in an elongated soft palate, which covers the airway and cuts off the air reaching the lungs. This can be repaired with surgery, ie, the soft palate is cut to a smaller size. It is possible that from the inhalation anesthesia, there is a slight irritation of the soft palate, which should go away soon. Here is some information on the problem: https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/brachycephalic-syndrome

Your dog may have an elongated soft palate that causes an intermittent obstruction of air flow. Usually it is self limiting and doesn’t cause issues but if this is happening consistently there is a surgery that can be performed to help open up the airway. I would recommend talking to your vet about the issue and having them perform an oral exam. They may recommend surgery. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are really no contraindications to this procedure. I would agree with the other veterinarian that this may improve quality of life now or in the future. This is a fairly straightforward surgery and as long as she does well under anesthesia which is very likely, she will do great. Best of luck!

Hello! No, this procedure should not kill a dog with a collapsing trachea. The anesthetic tube would keep the trachea open and prevent it from collapsing, allowing for better breathing during the procedure. Sometimes, the tube can cause a small amount of local inflammation that could exacerbate a cough, but this generally resolves on its own quickly. I hope you find this helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is never safe to do a non-anesthetic dental, and it should never be preformed on a dog. I can understand your concern, but Daisy does need that loose tooth removed and her teeth cleaned. PetCoach has a great article about why you should never chose non-anesthetic dentals that discusses if anesthesia is safe, and what happens when a pet's mouth is cleaned under anesthesia. I will link the article below so hopefully some of your concerns will be alleviated. As for her breathing, dogs who have a short snout typically breathe better with an ET tube (endotracheal tube) which is used during a dental procedure. I would recommend having it done if your vet feels it's safe, as it will make Daisy so much more comfortable. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-s-the-deal-with-anesthesia-free-dental-cleanings/0

Hello, sorry to hear about Blue. Laryngeal paralysis is a disease in which the arterytinoid cartilages of the larynx have a decreased function or completely stop moving. These cartilages are moved via contraction of the muscles that are innarvated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Several reasons may cause this nerve to stop working and thus lead to laryngeal paralysis. Causes include trauma, a neck mass, hypothyroidism, or most commonly we cannot determine a cause and it’s termed idiopathic. Complications from having laryngeal paralysis include coughing, voice tone changes, and respiratory obstruction that could lead to death. The tie back procedure permanently tacks one of these aretynoid cartilages in an open position. The surgery relieve respiratory distress and most often decreases or stops the coughing all together. The surgery itself is very successful, however you pet permanently had an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. Any signs of coughing warrant an evaluation by a veterinarian and chest x-rays. Your dog will not be allowed to swim and should be kept in a low stress, low exercise environment to avoid him getting worked up or inhaling water while swimming as his air way will be permanently partially open. Hope this helps and I wish Blue a speedy recovery

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Another surgery can be considered and there are always options to try before considering euthanasia. I would highly recommend you consider meeting with a board certified surgeon so that all the options can be considered. At that time they can discuss with you the pros and cons of these options and you can then make an informed decision. I really hope they can help Dexter!!!