Why Surgery Could Make This Summer Easier For Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The summer heat is only a few months away from hitting Australia, and that means it is time to make sure your pets are ready for the warm days ahead. As someone who has recently adopted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from the local animal shelter, you may not be aware that summer can be a difficult time for this breed of dog. Here is what you need to know about this breed's respiratory system and how surgery before summer could make their life a whole lot more comfortable.
Brachycephalic Breeds
Your new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of a number of dog breeds which are called the 'Brachycephalic breed'. Other dog breeds in this group include boxers, bulldogs and pugs. The thing these dogs all have in common is their short, squishy, flat face. The way their face is shaped causes problems with their breathing.
Breathing Issues During Summer
When the summer temperature heats up, you notice that dogs begin to pant with their tongue hanging out. The reason they do this is their panting rapidly moves outside air through their breathing system. When they pant, this movement of air cools them down. However, brachycephalic breed dogs cannot cool down using a panting method. This is because their airway is distorted when compared to other dogs. The air does not move through their airways quickly enough to cool the dog.
Surgery For Breathing Issues
There are a number of ways a brachycephalic breed dog has distortion in their airways. It could be that they have narrow nostrils or they may have too much cartilage in their trachea, which makes it too narrow for easy breathing. It could be that they have an overly long soft palate which stops air moving easily into the lungs, or your dog may have more than one of these issues. Take your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to your local vet to first determine how many issues they have which interfere with their breathing. Once you know what you are dealing with, your vet can recommend which surgery would work best for them.
The younger the dog is when they have surgery, the better they will bounce back from their time on the operating table. If you act now, there is a good chance you can get your dog's vet surgery and recovery time completed well before the heat of summer arrives, and that is something your pet will never stop thanking you for.
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