Elongated Soft Palate in Bulldogs and French Bulldogs is one of the most common manifestations airway and breathing problems in the English Bulldog Puppy, French Bulldog Puppies , American Bulldog and Old English Bulldog as well as other breeds with a “smooched flat face” “Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome ” such as Boston terrier and pugs . The brachycephalic syndrome refers to a set of primary upper airway anatomical abnormalities that in addition to the elongated palate also include stenotic nares, and everted laryngeal saccules.
A secondary set include hypoplastic trachea, overly enlarged protruding tonsils and Laryngeal Collapse. Your bulldog puppy may be affected with a combination of one or more of these abnormalities. This french bulldog and English Bulldog “pushed in” appearance has a undesirable effect on the entire anatomy of the neck and head and its relation to the respective soft tissue and structures.
Elongated Soft Palate in Bulldogs and French Bulldogs as well as any of these upper airway narrowing of your bulldogs airways are abnormalities that can cause increased airway resistance, as well as an increase of negative intra-airway pressure. If this negative intra-airway pressure exceeds the resistance of the surrounding tissue, collapse, inflammation and edema will occur, which will further narrow the airways and further increase the effort required to inhale. Overtime this airway restrictive vicious cycle can lead to acute Hypertherima (as high as 106f) , hypoxia (Oxygen deficiency), cyanosis (blue- purple tongue due to oxygen deprivation), collapse, fainting (syncope), and possible asphyxiation, pulmonary edema, heart failure and death.
Since elongated soft palate always gets worse with the passage of time it’s critical that you take care of it in a timely manner, the sooner the better, in order to ensure your bulldog puppy’s longevity and good health. In addition, early correction of stenotic nares and elongated soft palate will significantly improve airway function and should prevent development of everted laryngeal saccules and other secondary airflow restrictive problems.
Dr. Roy Kraemer, is the founder of Vet4Bulldog.com and the owner of Vet4HealthyPet Advanced Medical Care(434 South Tustin St., Orange, CA 92866)
Dr. Kraemer is a Tufts Veterinary School 1991 Graduate (Boston, MA). He is a member of the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and the SCVMA (Southern California Veterinary Medical Association) and has been practicing veterinary medicine and surgery in Orange County, California for over 20 years. Dr. Kraemer has a special interest in Bulldog and other Brachycephalic breeds, and their unique medical and surgical needs, such as breathing and airway conditions, joint pain, ligament and tendon injuries, ear canal disease, skin and allergy problems, eyes and eyelid abnormalities, as well as other medical conditions related to the breed. Dr. Kraemer is also a leader in regenerative medicine and the founder of StemCell4Pet.com. Dr. Kraemer offers alternative non pharmaceutical therapies for pain relief, wound repair, inflammatory condition in the form of cutting edge healing modalities including a state of the art in house stem cell therapy, Cryobanking, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), class 4 cold laser and Pulse Electromagnetic Therapy (PEMT). He also has a large following of other dog breeds and cat owners, providing wellness and preventative care, a wide range of surgical and dental service, orthopedics, radiology, cardiology, ultrasonography, etc. Dr. Kraemer and his team have been working closely with the Southern California Bulldog Rescue (SCBR), providing shelter, medical and surgical services for over a decade.
