Soft Palate Surgery - Mandatory for All English Bulldogs

[Baxter Tiberius]

He is a 80lb boy.

Have you tried helping him lower his weight first?

You should be able to see a narrowing at the waist of an english bulldog if they are proper weight (no offense to anyone here promise!). But the weight issue will make the breathing 10x worse. I've kept Baxters weight down and he's still having these issues. If he was 80lbs he would literally have 25lbs to lose before I'd evaluate his health in any capacity.

This isn't baxter but its what i understand to be a healthy weight for an english bulldog.

 

[2BullyMama]

Hi All, I am new to the site. I have a 9 year old Olde English Bulldog, Dozer. We bought him when he was 3. We most likely 'saved' him from the previous owner who kept him outside...here in AZ. We have spoiled and loved him greatly, fed him better than we feed ourselves. I was told 2 years ago, he has collapsed trachea. He doesnt go on long walks . He is not getting better. The heavy breathing makes his snorting sound much louder and he is just getting exhausted (obviously) from little oxygen. I cant have guests over due to his anxities and demand of attention that is has naturally. He is a 80lb boy. I took him last year to consult for a surgeon. However due to his age, they dont think he would make it. And the surgury cost $6K.. IS that the cost ? I want to get a 2nd opinion and am seeking a bulldog specialist out here.
He too does the same if fed dry food, he will vomit and tip of hi tongue will turn almost black. He yawns alot, and started doing this new thing with his tongue and has started coughing a bit. So I in high need of getting some resolve for him. I will not see him suffer. I asked the vet to prescribe oxygen, he wont do that.

Lessening his weight could help until you find a bulldog vet get the second opinion and schedule. Cut his amount in half and make the other half amount green beans. Example, if you feed 1 cup per mean .... 1/2 cup kibble and other half is green beans to total the cup. I did this with my girl when she needed to lose 10 pounds and she dropped in what seemed like no time at all.

We have a list of member recommended vets. Here is the link

English Bulldog News Forums - English Bulldog News Recommended English Bulldog Veterinarians


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[helsonwheels]

Like everyone said weight loss first. Any dog or pet even humans, if you're over weight there is a big risk you'll have breathing issues. If dry food is a problem, try moisten the food with real broth which will give him calcium, minerals which he needs.

 

[cefe13]

[MENTION=15285]KimDe[/MENTION] is right - the article doesn't actually say that soft palate surgery should be mandatory. However, the writer says many bulldogs are likely to need it, and she's a vet with a vet surgeon boyfriend so of course she's in favour of doing this surgery.
[MENTION=14042]Baxter Tiberius[/MENTION] Castor went through the procedure (they widened his nares too) when he was 1.5 years old. I suggest you take your dog to a good veterinary hospital for an evaluation, and if they want to do the operation, compare the price with another place and perhaps ask for a second opinion if you are uncertain. The vet needs to be a good surgeon, obviously, but it's also important that the procedure is done at a hospital with 24/7 care as the dog might need to stay overnight because there is a risk of swelling and then they will need to perform tracheotomy (they shaved Castor's chest in case there would be these post surgery complications). Everything went fine, though, and we picked him up the following day. There are many dogs on EBN who have gone through soft palate surgery and there is a lot of information here.

At least in our case it wasn't a question of whether we should do anything about Castor's gagging and panting or not but rather what needed to be done to give him back the full and active life he had before the problems started at the age of 1.

Regarding weight, I'm not sure the problems per se have to do with weight - Castor is a slim guy and weighs about lbs 44 - but surgery I believe is more complicated.

 

[bullmama]

Well bred English Bulldogs do not need pallet surgery. I have never had it done on any of my bulldogs, nor have any of the pups we have had ever needed this procedure, and we live in one of the hottest places on earth!

But yes, there are a huge vast number of poorly bred bulldogs as well as bulldogs whose genetic predisposition will creep up on an unexpecting litter, and having pallet surgery can greatly increase their breathing.

Under precaution though, never 'dive' into a pallet surgery without getting xrays done, your bulldog who can't breathe well could have a very small treachea which could be the vast reason behind their breathing trouble. Make sure you get a well informed decision before doing ANY surgical procedure on your bulldogs.

 

[bullmama]

Lessening his weight could help until you find a bulldog vet get the second opinion and schedule. Cut his amount in half and make the other half amount green beans. Example, if you feed 1 cup per mean .... 1/2 cup kibble and other half is green beans to total the cup. I did this with my girl when she needed to lose 10 pounds and she dropped in what seemed like no time at all.

We have a list of member recommended vets. Here is the link

English Bulldog News Forums - English Bulldog News Recommended English Bulldog Veterinarians


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Definitely check out the Alma School Vet, I've compared prices with those here and Tucson and they are much better in Phoenix- and this vet did a lot of work with the English Bulldog Rescue in Phoenix over the years.

 

[Biscuitsmom]

I didn't really read the article just went off comments but no not all dogs are "one size fits all". My girl has ZERO health problems (knock on wood) but she can breathe fine, withstand the heat (within reason), doesn't really snort or drool, and because she has a little bit longer tail doesn't have a tail pocket (fine by me!). She also has no allergies so far. I probably just got lucky but she does have a decent lineage. She is almost 16 months. Also I do believe weight is a large factor and large nose ropes. While I do like the ropes I think they hinder a lot of their breathing. My girl has a much smaller "split" rope so that could be why she is ok. Here she is sleeping while sitting up lol

 

[oscarmayer]

Of course like any other English bulldog, he struggles for at least a half hour just to cool down. Also, any dry food, he will throw it up and gag. And if he gets into any really active play, he will sometimes vomit of just the foam.

Judging only from your detailed description I'd say he's a candidate. Have him evaluated by a competent "Bulldog" vet. Recovery is quick and the payoffs are immediate and well worth the $ spent.

 

[SweetDozer]

Regards to his weight, he is an OLDE English bulldogge . He is fed twice a day with prescription food and salmon.
" Olde English Bulldogge is generally 18-20 inches high for males and 17-18 inches high for females. Females typically weigh between 50-70 pounds whereas males typically weigh between 65-85 pounds"
His weight is not the issue. He sees a very good vet. Thank you.

 

[helsonwheels]

Well bred English Bulldogs do not need pallet surgery. I have never had it done on any of my bulldogs, nor have any of the pups we have had ever needed this procedure, and we live in one of the hottest places on earth!

But yes, there are a huge vast number of poorly bred bulldogs as well as bulldogs whose genetic predisposition will creep up on an unexpecting litter, and having pallet surgery can greatly increase their breathing.

Under precaution though, never 'dive' into a pallet surgery without getting xrays done, your bulldog who can't breathe well could have a very small treachea which could be the vast reason behind their breathing trouble. Make sure you get a well informed decision before doing ANY surgical procedure on your bulldogs.

Well said!

 

[helsonwheels]

Regards to his weight, he is an OLDE English bulldogge . He is fed twice a day with prescription food and salmon.
" Olde English Bulldogge is generally 18-20 inches high for males and 17-18 inches high for females. Females typically weigh between 50-70 pounds whereas males typically weigh between 65-85 pounds"
His weight is not the issue. He sees a very good vet. Thank you.

prescription food??? What is this prescription food?

By the way, Nyala "was" suppose to be a mini at 12-14" and she's 17" @ 40lbs for now. Still a pup. So when it comes to size or weight, you have to take it with a grain of salt. My GS suppose to be 75-85lbs male... and was 115lbs all muscles. My dobermans were the same. So it's either orijen for pups or fresh air we have in Canada lollll.. anyway I gave up on charts.

 

[cefe13]

Well bred English Bulldogs do not need pallet surgery. I have never had it done on any of my bulldogs, nor have any of the pups we have had ever needed this procedure, and we live in one of the hottest places on earth!

But yes, there are a huge vast number of poorly bred bulldogs as well as bulldogs whose genetic predisposition will creep up on an unexpecting litter, and having pallet surgery can greatly increase their breathing.

Under precaution though, never 'dive' into a pallet surgery without getting xrays done, your bulldog who can't breathe well could have a very small treachea which could be the vast reason behind their breathing trouble. Make sure you get a well informed decision before doing ANY surgical procedure on your bulldogs.

You are probably right, but I'm not sure it's as easy as that. On paper, Castor was not poorly bred (both his grandfathers were national champions (different countries) for instance) and as far as I know, no one else in his family had to have this done, but Castor ended up with a lot of excess tissue that was surgically removed and they widened his nostrils. One thing that I have wondered about, though, is whether this surgery is taken into account when dogs are shown? I mean, you cannot see whether a dog has gone through this surgery, and it's not written into his registration card. So could this be a disorder that is being passed on from one generation to the next because it is not kept on record whether the dog has gone through the surgery?

 

[oscarmayer]

So could this be a disorder that is being passed on from one generation to the next because it is not kept on record whether the dog has gone through the surgery?

Absolutely. Not to say they all would/do but, I imagine many breeders of Bulldogs would care way more about the $$$ than they would carrying on a healthy lineage. I also think that there are many breeders that would stop breeding a particular dog if they became aware of a heart defect, hip defect, or other genetic issue but wouldn't do so for a palate issue.
Money makes people do unscrupulous things all the time.

 

[bullmama]

Yes, as stated above just because a bulldog is a champion doesn't make it healthy. Edit: (but those who do show DO put a lot into their dogs, which they would likely/hopefully put into their breeding program as well)

Now with that being said, even two Bulldogs who have had 100% health and have had a litter of pups that are perfect can breed again and maybe 1 pup will get a genetic problem from generations past. This is with ANY person, dog, ect. Sometimes something just doesn't go right while they are in gestation.

However, the odds greatly increase if you breed a bulldog who does have a genetic problem- and this can happen no matter what measures you take, but is so much worse! But sadly many breeders and mills simply don't care.


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[BodiesMom]

I don't believe it's "mandatory" for all brachy breeds or EB's. If there's issues with ones quality of life or specific issues, than by all means, do it! But make sure that it's not just a money hungry vet telling you that your dog has these problems, but you don't seem to notice them! Get second, even third opinions if necessary!! My boy, Bodie, had his nares done at 3 months old when having his first surgery for urethral prolapse. Unfortunately, they grew back!! So, for nares, my opinion is to wait till their at least 1 year old, unless health requires it earlier. With that being said, Bodie doesn't have any issues with his breathing. At 7 months old, he had his 2nd surgery for urethral prolapse and at that time the vet checked the soft palate, ventricles, etc...there was some concern with his ventricles inverting, but we were advised to wait until after he turned 1, so his insides were done growing. His bday is the end of December, so when he turned 1, the vet suggested waiting till that summer to see how he did with the heat. Needless to say, he'll be 7 this December and, knock on wood, no surgery!! But, we're still dealing with urethral prolapses...😭

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