Stenotic nares means the nares (nostrils) are pinched or narrow, making it more difficult for an animal to breathe, and resulting in a lot of open-mouth breathing and panting.[1] The condition is part of the brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome syndrome common to short-nosed dog[2] and cat breeds.[3] Dog breeds commonly affected by stenotic nares include Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, King Charles Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Pug, and Shih Tzu. Stenotic nares is a congenital trait, meaning an animal is born with it. Veterinarians can perform a simple surgery to help widen the nares, which can be done at the same time as a spay or neuter surgery.
Several resection techniques exist to help correct stenotic nares including alar wing amputation (Trader's technique), punch resection, vertical wedge, horizontal wedge, alapexy, and laser ablation.[4] CO2 laser repair of the stenotic nares is bloodless, allowing a clear view of the surgical field and more precise surgical incisions.[2][5]
Since stenotic nares is congenital, there is no prevention other than breeding the trait out over generations.[6]
A lenient way to ensure that the prevalence of BS [Brachycephalic syndrome] is reduced among French bulldogs would be to avoid using dogs with severely stenotic nares for breeding. This would lead to progress, albeit at a very slow pace since dogs with moderately stenotic nares would have a negative impact on the progress. However, slow progress must be accepted to avoid a devastating reduction in genetic diversity within the breed.
