About BOAS

Soft Palate

Differences in a bad soft palate

and a good soft palate

About: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) 

 The symptoms are:

1. shortness of breath, snoring, 
2. wheezing, 
3. gagging, regurgitation, 
4. exercise/heat intolerance.  

Anatomical abnormalities seen in many breeds are believed to be directly related to their skull conformation (shape). Reason is because there is not enough room for the  larynx and the soft tissue in the mouth .

1. The soft tissue blocks the larynx and restricts the passage of air.  
2. The nostrils of brachycephalic dogs are often narrowed (stenotic nares).

Other features that can help to influence the severity of BOAS that can be seen on the outside are:

1. to much loose or/and thick skin 
2. thick short neck
3. obesity

See the clear differences between these two Griffons, left is lean and dry one with a thinner skin, right dog is cloddy with thicker skin.

The 3 girls on the lowest row are of a leaner type with a thinner skin and longer skull than the girl above with her more molossian morphology and short head who has BOAS + CMSM.

More information about BOAS:

 Non-invasive Respiratory Function Assessment in Brachycephalic Dogs

click here

click here

click here

see the online flipbook

F3 male/ crossbreeding updated

Crossbreed page is updated, click here

BOAS a complecated issue of the skull.

Click on image for a bigger one.

One of the reasons why I am sure it is not all about not having a muzzle to have BOAS, or all short muzzled dogs should have BOAS is that dogs with a much longer muzzle than the Griffons can have  BOAS  while dogs with a much shorther muzzle can have a good breathing system.

1. Nose not pressed into the skull with no indented stop; 
2. wide open nostrils; 
3. short tight soft palate;
4. a skull with the eyes as smallest point of the skull; 
5. length in the mid section of the skull and enough back skull; 
6. long enough under jaw,

seems to help to prevent to have CMSM and/or BOAS. 
It is a misunderstanding to think that only to give them nose length will solve the problem because that is surely often not enough.

The outside/inside of a Griffon Head and the important parts in it when thinking about CM/Sm and Boas