Soft palate surgery and nostril widening

Karry2901

15/03/2019, 13:37

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Hi everyone!

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.

Soft palate surgery and nostril widening

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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Mel1

22/03/2019, 20:56

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Thanks for your reply.

My dog Odin doesn't have as many symptoms as yours. He's never been sick from running too much, and while he struggles with his breathing in the heat, it's not quite as bad as Tyler.

I'll ask the vet for their opinion; I'm due to see them this Tuesday.

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Karry2901

22/03/2019, 20:12

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I'm glad you're sharing your dog's experience. I'm wondering myself whether my dog needs this surgery or not. What made you think your dog needed this operation?

Hi there!

Well, Tyler has always had major breathing issues and very pinched nostrils. Even when it was just slightly warm, his breathing was awful... Honestly, you’d have thought he wasn't going to make it... Then Naya, our little Frenchie, arrived. He wanted to play with her, but every time, after barely a minute, he’d be sick and couldn't keep up... So that's when we made the decision!

Today is the 22nd of March and Tyler has completely changed. He still has to take it easy, but on a lovely day like today, he couldn't resist going out into the garden. He used to get so out of breath when it was a bit warm, but now he's doing great. He’s been running around with Naya and he’s like a new dog! And the most amazing thing: he doesn’t snore at all anymore!

It’s been life-changing for us, and especially for him!

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Mel1

20/03/2019, 03:00

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I’m really glad you’re sharing your dog’s experience. I’ve been wondering myself whether my dog needs this operation or not.

What was it that made you realise your dog needed the surgery?

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Fleur85

15/03/2019, 16:09

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Ah, I see, some extra skin around the larynx. So it's not quite the same as what I had then! ^^

I don't know if you can really compare the two, but for me, the worst of the pain was when I tilted my head forward; it felt like a rush of blood to the front of the roof of my mouth and under my nose. When I tilted my head back (or lay down to sleep, for example), I had some pretty unpleasant sensations.

That's why I thought of your pup—maybe keep an eye out to see if he seems uncomfortable eating from a bowl on the floor. But then again, he might be perfectly fine with it.

You can see he’s a bit swollen in the photos, but nothing too bad, I don't think.

I’m glad to hear he’s on the mend. I'm not allowed to take anti-inflammatories myself, but it was still bearable for me, so with his meds, he should be doing really well! :)

Wishing him a speedy recovery! :)

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Karry2901

15/03/2019, 14:44

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Hi! I had surgery on the 1st of February—a palate expansion. Did your little one have surgery on his soft palate too? Do you know exactly what they did for him? Either way, his nostrils look like they’ve been done really well; they’re much more open now. He looks absolutely precious in the photos. Is he on painkillers and anti-inflammatories? Hello! Well, Tyler actually had a lot of excess tissue removed from his larynx! The surgeon explained that he cleared out all that extra skin and put in some stitches. Then he performed the surgery on his nostrils! He’s done a brilliant job, really. It looks a bit swollen at the moment, but that will settle down over time. He’s also got some tiny stitches on his nose. The painkillers and anti-inflammatories he’s taking are Onsior 10mg! As I said, Tyler is recovering really well! He even wants to play, but we’re not letting him because we don’t want him to pop his stitches! We have to wait until Saturday to find out if he can play a little bit or not :)

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Fleur85

15/03/2019, 14:07

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Hi there, My little one had her operation on the 1st of February—a palate expansion. Was yours operated on for his soft palate? Was that an expansion too? Do you know exactly what they did to him? Anyway, his nostrils look like they’ve been done really well; they look much more open now. He looks absolutely adorable in the photos. Is he on any painkillers and anti-inflammatories?

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Karry2901

15/03/2019, 13:38

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14 March

I’m really stressed out and my partner is even worse. Naya and Tyler, our two Frenchies, have had something not quite right going on.

So, we dropped Tyler off at the vet at 9am with our hearts in our mouths.

The clinic called us around 2pm—he’s awake!

The operation went very well. The surgeon told us there was quite a lot to remove. Tyler is in great shape; he hasn’t eaten, but he can still come home because he’s acting completely normal. PHEW!!!

At 4:50pm, we’re at the clinic. Tyler is acting totally like his usual self. His nostrils look huge!! It surprised me at first, but he told me it’s completely normal. He’s snoring a bit too because his throat is sore and it’s swollen, which is also to be expected. We won't see the final results for about two months. The surgeon told us he can eat when we get home if he wants to, but he mustn't get over-excited or play with Naya or his toys. He shouldn’t be getting out of breath, which seems totally natural to me. He also mentioned that Tyler might be sick after his meals at first, but that it’s normal in small amounts. We’ll have to keep an eye on him. The first post-op check-up has been set for Saturday, 16 March.

Back home! He’s so happy to be back, you can really tell. We set up his blanket for him on the sofa. Once he was on it, the post-op exhaustion hit him, and he had a massive sleep.

In the evening, I prepped some cooked ham and blended noodles for him. He wanted to eat straight away, but too fast I think. He was sick immediately after the first few mouthfuls. So, I sat next to him and hand-fed him bit by bit, and that went perfectly. He went out to do his business as usual with Naya in the garden—nice and calm under my supervision so he wouldn't run or play.

I’m honestly surprised because he’s acting just as normal as he does without the surgery. As if nothing happened. But I’m still keeping a close watch. You never know.

That night he went into his bed as usual and fell asleep like a baby.