Boston Terrier Tillie presented to VREC after experiencing episodes of respiratory concerns for the better part of a year. Signs including congestion, reversed sneezing, and respiratory noises (aka “loud breather”.) Her family was concerned about the episodes because she had never had trouble breathing prior.
Once qualified for the Angel Fund, Tillie saw our surgery department who scheduled an oropharyngeal (upper throat region) exam and skull radiographs to assess her sinuses. Surgical findings indicated an elongated soft palate and respiratory stridor, causing upper airway obstruction. A telltale sign of upper airway obstruction is the presence of an audible noise during breathing; in Tillie’s case, noise that is worse during inspiration, called stridor. Our surgery team performed a staphylectomy, or a surgical procedure to perform a resection of the posterior soft palate to remove tissue and open up the airway. Tillie recovered in hospital before being discharge to a very happy family.