Struggling with her breathing I had boas surgery done at a specialist centre when Victoria, my pug, was just under 2 years of age. There only seemed to be mild improvements after this surgery, that did not last that long before she was really struggling to go for a walk again.
At a little over 3 years of age, I got a second opinion from Melbourne Bulldog Clinic, who advised that they do revise many failed surgeries, often from Melbourne’s various specialist surgeons, and often with good results. They would need to assess her under anaesthesia to see.
Dr Karin Davids, the head surgeon, assessed Victoria and further shortened and thinned her palate from the first surgery, removed the tonsils that had been left, and advised that although the laryngeal saccules had been done in the first surgery, there was still a large proportion of both sides left, so these were also removed. Victoria’s nares were also widened and deepened much more than the first surgery.
Well the result was chalk and cheese. Before surgery Victoria could only manage 100 metres before she would need a pram for our walks. Just 4-5 weeks after the revision surgery by Dr Karin, she can walk briskly for 3km’s with hardly any effort at all, and is a much happier, quieter dog at home, sleeping better than she has in years.
I was advised that unfortunately Victoria was in stage 3 laryngeal collapse, which will put her at greater risk going forward. However at least now she has her very best chance by clearing out as much tissue as possible.
If you are considering surgery, please ideally do it early to prevent laryngeal collapse, and if you are in Melbourne, consider Dr Karin from MBC, rather than specialists, as one of the most experienced and expert surgeons. I wish I took Victoria to Dr Karin first up.
Patricia