Pet conditions similar to sleep apnea | Pet Peeves
Sleep apnea is a well-known disease in people. It was first studied in the ’60s and ’70s, and the CPAP machine was developed in the early ’80s.
It would seem that there is no such correlation in animals, but I was thinking about it the other day, and, in fact, we do deal with this condition. We just do not call it “sleep apnea.”
For instance, stenotic nares, an elongated soft palate, and everted laryngeal saccules are all structural problems that reduce air flow to the lungs of the pet. The most common symptom of these is snoring when the pet is asleep. These conditions are most commonly seen in brachycephalic (short-headed) dogs. Because of this, it is often called brachycephalic syndrome.
With the popularity of French bulldogs, there are a lot of pet owners out there who are familiar with stenotic nares. This term refers to the nostrils being pinched so that air can’t flow easily when the pet breathes in through its nose. This also is seen a lot in Boston terriers and pugs.
Stenotic nares are corrected surgically. It is a form of plastic surgery that the veterinarian performs while the pet is sedated. Since these dogs are born with the condition, the surgery is often performed when the pet also is being neutered so that it does not have to be sedated twice.
At the same time the stenotic nares surgery is done, the pet is checked for elongated soft palate. This also is a congenital condition. The soft palate at the back of the throat is too long and hangs down like a curtain, covering the pharyngeal opening and blocking air flow in the back of the throat. It can be surgically corrected by being trimmed back to allow air movement.
Everted laryngeal saccules are a problem when the tissue just in front of the vocal cords is pulled into the trachea when the pet breathes in. They also obstruct air flow. This also can be surgically corrected when correcting the elongated soft palate.
A dog can have one or all three of these conditions and have significant loss of air flow to the lungs. The main symptom is snoring, but a dog with this also can wheeze or gag. Affected dogs also can get overheated when exercised due to the inability to move air to regulate core body temperature. They can get cyanotic and collapse simply from overactivity or excitement.
Another form of impaired air movement in dogs is laryngeal paralysis. This is seen in older dogs, usually labrador retrievers. The innervation of the laryngeal folds is impaired in this condition. When the laryngeal folds do not move properly, they hang like a drape over the opening of the throat, impeding normal air flow and causing the dog to wheeze and gag. These dogs are at risk for life-threatening hyperthermia on walks because they cannot move air sufficiently to allow cooling of the core body temperature. They also often have a sonorous snore.
Laryngeal paralysis is diagnosed while the pet is sedated so that the doctor can look at the laryngeal folds as the pet is breathing. If it is diagnosed, the fold is tacked back surgically at the time of diagnosis.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Pet conditions similar to sleep apnea | Pet Peeves
