Soft Palette Resection

Soft palate resection is the removal of the distal (end) area of the soft palate and is performed to allow a dog to breathe normally or near normally. Some dogs, especially short nosed (brachycephalic) breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Bulldogs have overly long soft palates for the length of their mouth. This leads to the soft palate interfering with the epiglottis during breathing. If the soft palate extends into the epiglottis, it is essentially causing obstruction of the airflow through the epiglottis, into the trachea and lungs during the act of inspiration (breathing in).

The harder the dog then tries to breathe in the more the soft palate is pulled into the epiglottis and the more difficult breathing then becomes. In mild cases it is seen as marked snoring, in severe cases it can even be seen as collapse due to failure to be able to bring sufficient oxygen into the lungs. 

Our clever Orthopaedic Surgeon Gary performs these surgeries at the clinic as well as Dr Joh and Dr Rach. The surgery is performed by placing the dog into sternal recumbency (lying on its chest). The mouth is then held open so the soft palate can be viewed and grasped. The distal most portion of the soft palate is resected and then over sown to prevent any bleeding. This then keeps the end of the soft palate clear of the epiglottis during inspiration (breathing in).  

Recovery from the anaesthetic post-surgery is generally uneventful, however a nurse is present at all times monitoring for any breathing difficulties or excessive bleeding. All or almost all snoring when the dog is resting or sleeping is observed to have disappeared as a result of surgery. The dog is usually able to tolerate higher levels of activity as they are able to get air in and out of their body more easily. 

Reducing and stopping the interference with the epiglottis usually means that other pharyngeal structures are also not sucked inwards at the back of the throat at all or as much either, so further pharyngeal surgery can usually be avoided.

If you are concerned your flat face fluffy has breathing difficulties book a consultation for one of our vets to examine and diagnose the severity of their soft palette….It really is life changing and often a life saving procedure.