Patient Profile: "Brutus", a 2-year old, male castrated English Bulldog.

History: "Brutus" presented to the surgery service on 9/28/98.   He had been previously diagnosed with brachycephalic syndrome 2 months earlier.   He had an elongated soft palate, stenotic nares and a serous nasal discharge.   He suffered from exercise intolerance, collapse and cyanosis.  He was arriving for corrective surgery.

Physical Examination:  Heart rate = 140/minute.  Pulse rate = 140/minute.  Respiratory rate = 24 breaths/minute.  Body weight = 31.6 kg. "Brutus's" gait, hydration status, heart sounds and abdominal palpation were normal.  He was experiencing moderate respiratory distress but lung sounds were normal. 

Laboratory Findings:  CBC and chemistry panel were normal.

Questions:   

• If "Brutus" was in severe respiratory distress, what emergency treatments would you institute?
• What are the 6 components of brachycephalic syndrome and how do you confirm their presence in the patient?
• What surgical procedures do you use to correct these problems?
• Since surgery usually results in a large amount of swelling, what procedure might you do to ensure a patent airway and what drug might you administer to decrease edema?

Answers and Discussion:

Return to Introduction:

Copyright Wayne E. Wingfield, DVM and Brenda McClelland, DVM, Colorado State University, 2000. All rights reserved.
This page was last edited:  08/24/00