Stenotic nares is part of the brachycephalic syndrome of short-nosed dogs (Brachycephalics) breeds such as Boxers, Bulldogs, King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, etc. Stenotic nares means that the nostrils are pinched, or narrow compared to that of other breeds. As many people are aware, short nosed breeds often have difficulty in breathing - this is called ‘Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome’ or BOAS.

Stenotic nares can be corrected by corrective surgery. If performed early, surgery can prevent development of secondary changes associated with BOAS and, therefore, help prevent the need of more invasive and more high surgery.

Signs of stenotic nares are:

• Increased respiratory effort

• Exercise intolerance or panting when exercising

• Vomiting/regurgitation of food

• Salivation

• Loud snoring noises

• High pitched wheezing sound

• Difficulty breathing

About the surgery

All animals need a general anaesthetic, and they will spend the day with us. A wedge resection using a surgical blade removes a section of tissue from the stenotic nares to widen the nostrils. This widens the airway and helps to improve the animal’s ability to breathe through its nose.

The photo below demonstrates the before and after appearance of stenotic nares surgery.

As you can see, the nostril in the side (of the dog’s right) after surgery is wider than the left. This is a simple and effective surgery that can be performed at neutering.

We hope that this information is useful. As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01665 0252 250 or email us at info@coquetvets.co.uk