page_title: Brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome
section_title: Other health problems
hierarchical_section_title: Brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome / Other health problems
caption_attribution_description: English: Exophthalmos in a nine year old Pug with accompanying exposure keratitis.
context_page_description: Brachycephalic syndrome is a pathological condition affecting short nosed dogs and cats which can lead to severe respiratory distress. There are four different anatomical abnormalities that contribute to the disease, all of which occur more commonly in brachycephalic breeds:- an elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, a hypoplastic trachea, and everted laryngeal saccules. Because all of these components make it more difficult to breathe, in situations of exercise, stress, or heat, an animal with these abnormalities may be unable to take deep or fast enough breaths to blow off carbon dioxide. This leads to distress and further increases respiratory rate and heart rate, creating a vicious cycle that can quickly lead to a life-threatening situation.
  Brachycephalic dogs are more likely to die during air travel and have been banned by many airlines.
  Dogs experiencing a crisis situation due to brachycephalic syndrome typically benefit from oxygen, cool temperatures, sedatives, and in some cases more advanced medical intervention, including intubation.
context_section_description: Non-airway problems associated with brachycephalia may include
  Inflammation in skin folds
  Mating and birthing problems
  Malocclusion - misalignment of the teeth.
  Dental crowding
  Brachycephalic ocular syndrome
  Ectropion/entropion - inward/outward rolling of eyelid
  Macropalpebral fissure
  Lagophthalmia - inability to close eyelids fully
  Exophthalmos/eye proptosis - abnormal protrusion of the eye
  Nasal fold trichiasis - fur around the nose fold rubs against the eye.
  Distichiasis - abnormally placed eyelashes rubs against the eye.
  Poor tear production.
  Gastrointestinal problems
caption: Exophthalmos in a pug
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