Overview:
When elongated palate is severe enough that a Pug's breathing distress interferes with quality of life, surgery is recommended. And, when considering surgery, it is important to remember that this condition often worsens as a dog grows older, including the risk of ligaments in the larynx stretching to the point of collapse.
Though most veterinarians don’t want to wait too long, surgery is typically held off until at least the 1-year mark when at all possible. This is because if surgery is performed while a Pug is still growing, and therefore the palate is also still growing in size, the procedure may need to be repeated in the future.
Surgical correction involves shortening the palate, and for some dogs, tonsils will be removed at the same time. Laser surgery is the most common method to do this; it cauterizes as it cuts, which keeps bleeding and inflammation to a minimum and shortens recovery time over other methods.
Prognosis:
Prognosis for Pugs have surgery for elongated soft palate varies depending on the extent of the condition. Those with moderate cases have the best chance of successful treatment and those with very extensive cases may have a poor prognosis.
Recovery:
Pain and swelling are most severe the first few days and then gets gradually better. A dog will be put on a soft-food diet such as rice or sweet potato with minced pieces of chicken for at least two weeks. Anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics will be given and pain medication will be given as needed. Healing time varies but typically is between 2 to 3 weeks.
Note:
If a Pug has both
stenotic nares
and elongated soft palate and these conditions are severe enough to cause difficulty breathing, surgery is almost always the answer.