Elongated soft palate


An elongated soft palate is a congenital hereditary disorder that negatively affect dogs and cats breathing and eating. A soft palate is considered elongated when it extends past the top of the epiglottis and/or past the middle of the tonsillar crypts. When the soft palate is elongated, it partially blocks the throat thereby creating breathing and feeding-related issues. An elongated soft palate is a symptom of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome and is common in brachycephalic dog breeds and has been reported in brachycephalic cat breeds as well.  Some of the other BOAS related symptoms include stenotic nares, everted laryngeal saccules, and laryngeal collapse.

Signs and symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms of an elongated soft palate are loud and/or labored breathing and eating difficulties. Some of the breathing symptoms include stridor, snoring, wheezing, gasping, and reverse sneezing. Some of the eating symptoms include gaging and trouble swallowing. In extreme cases, the animal may be exercise intolerant and may collapse, when overly exerted.
Many brachycephalic pet owners may see these symptoms as “normal” for that breed.

Treatment

An elongated soft palate can be treated surgically by resection, meaning the excess soft palate tissue is removed. A few different methods can be used to perform an elongated soft palate resection including:
Early intervention and correction is recommended. The majority of patients show improvement after elongated soft palate surgery.