Successful correction of stenotic nares using combined Alar Fold Lift-Up and Sulcus Pull-Down Techniques in...

Describe surgical guidelines for a new technique to correct stenotic nares in brachycephalic cats.

8 client-owned brachycephalic cats with stenotic nares between April 2017 and July 2022.

8 brachycephalic cats with severe stenotic nares presented to the Angell Animal Medical Center with the patient age ranging from 2 years to 9 years of age. Surgical correction was performed on each cat with the combined use of the "Alar Fold Lift-Up" and "Sulcus Pull-Down" techniques.

Successful correction of the stenotic nares was achieved, enabling each cat to breathe normally.

The combined use of the "Alar Fold Lift-Up" and "Sulcus Pull-Down" techniques is simple to perform on an outpatient basis. Surgery is restricted to the adjacent skin and does not require the surgical alteration of the external nose or nares. Long-term follow-up indicates the procedure is effective in improving nasal breathing in each cat.