34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

Obesity is a recognized risk factor for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs, yet the precise mechanisms linking obesity to BOAS remain unclear. Existing veterinary literature predominantly focuses on tongue fat, leaving other airway regions unexplored. This study aimed to investigate associations between body condition score (BCS) and fat volumes in various airway regions, examining their relevance to BOAS functional grading.

Methods:

This study enrolled client-owned pugs with BOAS functional grading, subjected to pre-operative head and neck computed tomography (CT) scanning. Airway fat volumes, including tongue (T/S), pharynx (P/S), larynx (L/S), and total fat volume (V/S) normalized to skull volumes were analyzed. Dogs were categorized as non-obese (BCS =5/9) or obese (BCS =7-9/9). BOAS grades included grade II (moderately affected) and grade III (severely affected).

Results:

Thirty-three BOAS-affected pugs were included (22 females and 11 males) with BCS ranging from 5 to 9 (10/33 non-obese and 13/33 obese). Median age was 36 months (range: 10-174 months). BCS showed positive association with T/S (p=0.013) and V/S (p=0.033). L/S was positively associated with higher BOAS functional grading (p=0.018) and aging (p=0.006) but not with BCS (p=0.2876).

Conclusions:

Weight control measures may be considered to alleviate upper airway obstruction in obese pugs. Treatment should particularly emphasize on addressing laryngeal fat, which significantly contributes to severe BOAS (Grade III). Further investigation is warranted to determine if genetic factors influence laryngeal fat distribution.