Gastrintestinal evaluation of pug and french bulldog dogs affected with brachicephalic syndrome

• Grant number: 22/07174-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Paola Castro Moraes
• Grantee: Isabella de Almeida Fabris
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) consists of alterations that cause obstruction in the cranial respiratory system of these animals. As a result, a series of clinical signs and morphophysiological and functional abnormalities are described in the most varied organ systems. The gastrointestinal tract of brachycephalic dogs is affected by modifications secondary to respiratory obstruction. The main signs and alterations include vomiting, regurgitation, sialorrhea, dysphagia, hiatal hernia, gastritis, enteritis and gastroesophageal reflux. Imaging methods compose an important diagnostic tool for such alterations. Ultrasonography is an easily accessible technique in veterinary clinical routine and provides information on organ architecture, echotexture and echogenicity, layer stratification and peristalsis. The aim is to describe the ultrasound findings of the gastrointestinal tract of dogs affected by brachycephalic syndrome. We propose to carry out a prospective observational study in which at least 30 healthy French bulldog and pug patients, aged between 1 and 8 years, will be selected, in addition to 10 healthy beagle mesocephalic canines. Brachycephalic patients will be classified into different degrees of BOAS involvement by means of a validated submaximal exercise test. Classification of the clinical condition of gastroenteric signs will be performed through questionnaires completed by owners, physical and laboratory exams, in addition to B-mode ultrasound of the stomach and intestines, and quantitative evaluation of the echotexture and echogenicity of the gastric and duodenal mucosa. The results obtained will be compared and correlated to BOAS degrees and breeds, with a significance level set at 95% (p<0.05) for all statistical tests used. (AU)