French Bulldog breathing problems (BOAS)

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Not veterinary advice. This is general information gathered from veterinary schools and published research. It isn't a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk to your veterinarian about your own dog, and if your Frenchie is struggling to breathe, collapses, or overheats, go to an emergency vet now. Full disclaimer.

What BOAS is

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) describes brachycephalic syndrome as a combination of narrowed nostrils (stenotic nares), an elongated soft palate that hangs into the airway, and everted laryngeal saccules (tissue pulled into the windpipe opening). Some dogs also have a narrow windpipe or laryngeal collapse. All of these make it harder to move air, and harder to pant, which is how dogs cool down.

It's common in the breed. A UK study using whole-body plethysmography found 89.9% of French Bulldogs tested were affected to some extent, and 53.9% had clinically relevant disease (Liu et al. 2015, as summarized by O'Neill et al. 2018). The same review notes that only 42% of owners of BOAS-affected dogs think their dog has a breathing problem, which is why noisy breathing is so easy to write off as "just a Frenchie thing."

Signs to watch for at home

The Cambridge BOAS Research Group lists these signs owners should recognize:

• Breathing noise: snoring, snorting or a high-pitched wheeze, sometimes only when excited, playing, eating or stressed.
• Narrow nostrils that pinch closed when your dog breathes in. Cambridge reports French Bulldogs with moderate to severe nostril narrowing were about 20 times more likely to develop BOAS.
• Eating and stomach trouble: gagging, retching, regurgitation.
• Disturbed sleep: struggling to breathe or pauses in breathing while asleep. The ACVS notes many affected dogs prefer to sleep on their backs.
• Heat intolerance: tiring fast and overheating easily.
• Blue gums or tongue and collapse, especially after activity, excitement, heat or humidity. This is an emergency.

Tip: take a short phone video of your dog breathing at rest, after a short play session, and while asleep. It's much easier for a vet to judge noise and effort from a video than from a description.

Heat is the biggest risk

Cambridge explains that a dog's nose does a lot of the work of shedding heat, and an obstructed nose can't do it well. That's why BOAS-affected dogs are prone to heatstroke. Plan walks for the coolest part of the day, keep them short, skip exercise in heat waves or warm, humid weather, and never leave your dog in a car. Our heat safety guide covers the signs of heatstroke and what to do right away.

When to see a vet

How vets assess and treat it

Assessment. Narrowed nostrils can be seen on an exam. The ACVS notes that an elongated soft palate and everted saccules can only be confirmed with the dog under anesthesia. The Cambridge group also uses a functional grading scheme based on a 3-minute trot: grades 0 and I are considered clinically unaffected, and grades II and III are clinically affected and need management or treatment.

Management for milder cases (Cornell): keep a healthy weight, avoid excessive heat and humidity, control activity, minimize stress, and use a harness instead of a neck collar.

Surgery for more severe cases (ACVS, Cornell): widening the nostrils, shortening the soft palate and removing everted saccules. Cornell notes earlier intervention leads to better outcomes, and that surgery carries anesthetic risks plus bleeding and swelling. Ask whether a board-certified veterinary surgeon should be involved.

Gear that helps

No product treats BOAS. These just take pressure off the airway and help you avoid heat.