On 14th March, Tyler, my 6-year-old Frenchie, had surgery on his soft palate and had his nostrils widened. I'd often wondered about it without really knowing what I was getting into; I did quite a bit of research into this operation, which was stressing me out because he's my baby after all, and I wanted to know what would happen during and after. I couldn't find much about these operations or people's personal experiences. That's why I've decided to share my daily life with you since the surgery.
21st February
First visit to the vet clinic for this famous operation and to find out if Tyler really needed it (even though we were convinced he did because of his breathing). We were seen by our boy's future surgeon. He gave him a thorough check-up, mentioning that Tyler didn't have any heart problems, by the way. Everything was normal. Phew!! However, he definitely doesn't breathe very well, and the surgery was recommended.
We asked for a quote. The surgery will cost us around £550, with an extra £20 or so if Tyler isn't doing well or isn't eating when he wakes up. The price also includes his post-op follow-up.
So, we went ahead straight away and the appointment was booked for 14th March at 9am.
Translated from French
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Hi everyone, I’m bumping this thread because it’s Newton’s turn to have this surgery on Wednesday... Our usual vet doesn't perform this procedure, so he referred us to a large, state-of-the-art clinic that’s very well-equipped and has a great reputation around here.
The vet was very reassuring during the first appointment; he didn’t shy away from the fact that no surgery is ever zero-risk, but he said it’s like a plane crash—incredibly rare, but a tragedy when it does happen. He mentioned that he personally hasn’t had any issues with these operations.
Despite all that, I’m a total nervous wreck, constantly imagining the worst-case scenario. Anyway, I’ve come here to talk to people who have been through this before.
The stories on here are mostly quite reassuring, though there are a few less positive ones, and naturally, those are the ones that stick in your mind...
Anyway, sorry for the life story, but the stress is just building more and more every day!
Hi everyone,
My dog Lucky had an operation on the 4th of December and I picked him up that same evening. He got home and ate his dry food straight away without being sick. He’s back to his normal self now, but I’m keeping a close eye on him to make sure he doesn’t try to pull out the stitches in his nose. I don’t have a follow-up appointment scheduled, but he has to have 15 days of restricted activity so that his soft palate heals properly. Anyway, have a lovely day!
Hi everyone, my dog has just had surgery on his soft palate and nostrils at a specialist vet hospital on 19th October. The surgery itself went well, but there were complications when he was waking up. 15 minutes later he vomited and I was told he aspirated – it went down the wrong way. Has anyone else ever lost a Frenchie like this? I’m absolutely heartbroken, it’s just so hard. I’m struggling to accept it all, it’s just too much, he was my baby.
I had Junior operated on a year ago after hesitating for a long time because I was scared of the anaesthetic, and now I really regret not doing it sooner.
It has been life-changing for my dog. He breathes 100 times better, sleeps better, doesn't snore anymore, and his breathing difficulties used to stop him from being able to properly lie down. All that is a thing of the past now.
A few post-op tips from the vet who performed the surgery:
There is a risk of food going down the wrong way for about a fortnight while the palate gets back to normal: you need to hand-feed the dog in small amounts and give them soaked dry food (just add hot water and wait 30 minutes).
After that, stick to a wet diet if possible (soaked kibble). Junior had no trouble accepting it (he’s basically a bottomless pit!) and there were no issues with my other bulldog either, even though he's a very fussy eater. Plus, with the soaked dry food, there’s hardly any flatulence anymore, which is a definite bonus! ^^
Evening all, I wanted to get in touch as my Bulldog, Colette, had surgery this week on her soft palate and a rhinoplasty as a precaution to stop her issues from getting any worse. Everything went brilliantly. It’s been three days now and she’s whistling a tiny bit when she breathes, which is normal, and she isn’t snoring at all anymore.
Our vet is amazing; he isn’t just out for profit, he genuinely wants to help animals. To give you an idea, he didn't even charge us for the consultation with the surgeon who spotted the issue. We paid around £750 for the operation and were given several tins of wet food so she doesn’t have to eat dry food and to avoid any irritation.
We’re based in the Home Counties and our vet is Dr Israel in Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche. It might seem like a bit of a trek, but I can guarantee the care is absolutely top-notch and his team is wonderful.
Best, Kevin
Good evening, our Baxter, a Frenchie who is almost 2 years old, has just had surgery on his soft palate, his tonsils removed, and his nostrils widened. We picked him up at 6 pm and he was in better shape than we expected. He is still very tired but hasn't lost his appetite, the little greedy guts! Our vet advised us to blend some chicken slices with well-cooked pasta, and he wolfed the lot down lol. He is still breathing a bit heavily at times, which is normal as everything is still swollen. They told us that by this weekend he should be feeling much better. However, we had to call the vet back because he lost some blood—there was a patch about 10cm wide on the floor. You can imagine how panicked we were as we hadn’t seen him be sick. The out-of-hours vet told us it was likely just some discharge and not vomit, because if he’d been sick there would have been food in it. Baxter is getting up and going up the stairs as usual, which is quite a relief. On the vet's advice, we are watching out for any more vomiting during the night, making sure he can get up and isn't completely lethargic, and checking that his gums stay nice and pink. It’s definitely going to be an all-nighter for us as we’re so worried about our darling boy; fingers crossed the night goes smoothly. It’s a major operation but a vital one for all the pups who struggle to breathe.
Hi everyone, and sorry for being away for so long!!
Just to give you all an update:
Tyler is doing SO much better since his op! The follow-up care from the vet was absolutely brilliant; they were always so happy to see their little patient getting better and better!
We’ve clearly seen a massive difference, especially when he’s playing with Naya, our other Frenchie, who is much younger than him. He can actually keep up now, and since he doesn’t get out of breath like he used to, there’s been no vomiting or anything—he’s playing like a young dog again! Even in the heat, though it gets to him eventually like it does everyone else, he doesn’t get breathless anymore. It’s given him a new lease of life and honestly, we really don’t regret it at all!
For those who were asking which vet I use, they’re in Montendre in the Charente-Maritime region! They absolutely love Frenchies and flat-faced breeds in general. I’d highly recommend them!!
