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Staphylectomy in nonbrachycephalic dogs: A retrospective study of 27 cases
Cameron J Himel1, Daniel S Linden1, Janet A Grimes1
1Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1130 Wire Road, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA (Himel, Matz); First Coast Veterinary Specialists, 301 Jacksonville Drive #1, Jacksonville, Florida 32250, USA (Linden); Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA (Grimes); Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 660 Raymond Stotzer Pkwy, College Station, Texas 77843, USA (Thieman Mankin); Veterinary Referral Center, Emergency Pet Care & Specialty Hospital, 340 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355, USA (J. Coggeshall); Smiley Data Analytics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (W. Coggeshall).
Objective:
To report the outcomes and complications associated with staphylectomy in nonbrachycephalic dogs.
Animal:
Twenty-seven nonbrachycephalic dogs with elongated soft palates and undergoing staphylectomy.
Procedure:
Retrospective study.
Results:
Increased upper airway noise (70.4%) and dyspnea (44.4%) were the most common presenting clinical signs. Concurrent upper airway abnormalities found in the study population included laryngeal collapse (25.9%) and laryngeal paralysis (14.8%). The most common staphylectomy technique used in this study was sharp excision (66.7%) with sutured oral and nasal mucosal apposition. The dogs in this study had an overall minor postoperative complication rate of 33.3%, with regurgitation/vomiting (11.1%) and coughing (11.1%) occurring most commonly. No dog required supplemental oxygen therapy or temporary tracheostomy.
Conclusion:
Staphylectomy was well-tolerated in nonbrachycephalic dogs and was associated with a relatively low rate of complications. Concurrent airway abnormalities were common among nonbrachycephalic dogs with elongated soft palates, similar to brachycephalic dogs.
Clinical Relevance:
Clinicians should be aware that elongated soft palate can occur in nonbrachycephalic dogs, and surgical correction can be achieved with rare major or catastrophic complications.
