Research
Brachycephaly in Dogs Under Scrutiny: What Austria’s Veterinarians Report
Brachycephaly - “short-headedness” caused by markedly shortened nasal and cranial structures - has long been a routine reality in Austria’s small-animal practices and remains a hot societal topic, driven by the popularity of these dog breeds and ongoing awareness campaigns. A new study from the Messerli Research Institute at the Vetmeduni provides the first systematic insights into how practicing veterinarians in Austria perceive and clinically manage these cases - and highlights where the greatest challenges lie.
According to a survey, snoring and breathing difficulties are very frequently observed in brachycephalic dogs in practice (95.7% and 91.5%, respectively), while collapse is reported in around 10% of cases. At the same time, many respondents estimate that brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is the official primary reason for presentation in only about 41-50% of affected animals - an indication of a gap between what is noticed at home and what is recorded as the main reason for the visit in the clinic.
“BOAS is very common, but comparatively seldom cited as the primary reason for presentation,” explains Marlene Hebenstreit of the Messerli Research Institute (MFI) at the Vetmeduni, contextualizing this discrepancy. The Austrian Chamber of Veterinarians (ÖTK) supported the study authors in recruiting participants. A total of 395 veterinarians took part in the survey; responses from 317 small-animal veterinarians were ultimately included in the BOAS analysis.
Many veterinarians recommend surgical procedures to relieve airway obstruction, yet these are implemented much less frequently: 46.1% report that only 1-30% of their recommendations actually lead to surgery. “Surgical interventions are recommended far more often than they are carried out,” emphasizes Assistant Professor Svenja Springer (MFI), drawing attention to this implementation gap. Those who operate themselves or work in a surgical setting both recommend and perform procedures significantly more often than colleagues who must refer. The main reasons cited against surgery are limited financial resources and doubts about necessity - both factors were frequently rated as highly influential.
Attitudes and need for communication
Beyond clinical experience, the findings also reflect attitudes within the profession: about half of veterinarians lack understanding for the ownership of short-headed dogs, while roughly a third are unsure whether they find treating them medically interesting. This tension underscores that, in addition to medical facts, the issues also involve attitudes, expectation management, and solid conversational footing with animal owners.
Symptom severity, communication, and the limits of surgery
In case vignettes, varying the clinical signs from mild to severe did not lead to a significant change in surgical recommendations. “The severity of clinical signs had no significant impact on the recommendation for surgery in our vignettes,” explains Marlene Hebenstreit. Surgical measures can often alleviate symptoms and improve affected dogs’ quality of life, but they do not cure the breeding-related underlying causes. The approach aims at symptom reduction and must be tailored to the individual dog. Decision-making occurs within a field of tension between the patient’s welfare, owners’ expectations, and available expertise - clear, evidence-based, yet respectful communication remains essential to constructively align different perspectives.
“In sum, the survey makes it clear: good education, realistic expectations, and an individualized treatment plan are crucial to improving quality of life - even though surgery cannot cure the breeding-related causes,” conclude the study’s authors.
The Article "Veterinarians’ attitudes towards the treatment and surgical management of brachycephalic dogs – a survey among small animal veterinarians in Austria" by M. Hebenstreit and S. Springer was published in BMC Vet Res.
Scientific contact:
Mag. med. vet. Marlene Hebenstreit
Messerli Forschungsinstitut
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien (Vetmeduni)
Marlene.Hebenstreit@vetmeduni.ac.at