Brachycephalic airway problems

Flat-faced breeds breathe through an airway that is too small for the body. The shorter the muzzle relative to the skull, the steeper the risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome; neck girth and obesity add to it¹. In practices in England, Pugs, French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs had between four and seven times the odds of an upper airway disorder compared with a terrier control breed². In a UK study of 2,228 French Bulldogs, ear infection, diarrhoea, eye inflammation and skin-fold dermatitis were the most common problems recorded³.

The airway tends to worsen with age as tissues stretch and the larynx weakens, and any weight gain narrows it further. Signs are noisy breathing at rest, snoring, gagging and regurgitation, sleeping with the head propped up, exercise intolerance, and collapse in heat. Flat-faced dogs are at markedly higher risk of heat-related illness⁴.

Keep an older brachycephalic dog lean, walk in the cool of the day, use a harness, and take a fainting episode or blue gums as an emergency. Surgery to widen the nostrils and shorten the soft palate helps many dogs, and a vet can judge whether it is still worthwhile in a senior¹.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Your vet knows your dog.

Sources

1. Impact of Facial Conformation on Canine Health: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (Packer RMA et al.). PLOS ONE 10(10):e0137496, 2015 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
2. Epidemiological associations between brachycephaly and upper respiratory tract disorders in dogs attending veterinary practices in England (O'Neill DG et al.). Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2:10, 2015 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
3. Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013 (O'Neill DG et al.). Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 5:3, 2018 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
4. Dogs Don't Die Just in Hot Cars: Exertional Heat-Related Illness (Heatstroke) Is a Greater Threat to UK Dogs (Hall EJ, Carter AJ, O'Neill DG). Animals 10(8):1324, 2020 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.