BOAS with Dr Boaz Man

In 2022, for the first time in 31 years, the Labrador retriever was dethroned as the most popular by the French Bulldog, and the French Bulldog continued on its winning streak into 2023. With the rise in popularity of the French Bulldog, there has been a rise in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) cases in veterinary clinics and clinical studies. In fact, in the last 10 years, there have been almost 200 clinical-focused studied on BOAS, when the 10 years before that, 2004-2014, there was a total of 30 studies.¹

In today's Vet Blast Podcast episode presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chats with Boaz Man, DVM, discussing his work on these BOAS patients, the role social media plays in bringing awareness and education to pet owners, plus how veterinary professionals can play their part in improving breed standards.

Below is a partial transcript

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: So share with the listeners about what happens when you have your typical BOAS dog, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome dog, that walks into your clinic and they have that breathing issue. Where do you begin?

Boaz Man, DVM: The first thing you hear, the sound, is the sound of an airway obstruction. You know, your dog can't breathe. Your dog is struggling. And imagine you living with an upper airway obstruction. That's what they're suffering through. Try to breathe through a straw. Try to pinch your nose and breathe. I have pet parents do this. Try it. Go ahead, hold them closed for about 30 seconds. Tell me how it makes you feel. You know, put yourself in the body of your pet.

You love your pet. You want the best for your pet. And they should not have to struggle to survive. They should not have to breathe with their mouth open. The reason they do that sound is because they can't breathe through their nose, so they're obligated to open their mouth to try to get some air in there, but they're not getting the air in there. They're not getting the air in their nose. They're not getting the air in their throat, because they have 2 main blockages. We're talking about the nose, obviously, and the throat, which is most commonly the elongated and the thick and soft palate.

Reference

1. Man B. Addressing brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in general practice. April 12, 2024. Accessed November 20, 2024. https://www.dvm360.com/view/addressing-brachycephalic-obstructive-airway-syndrome-boas-in-general-practice