Sleep Apnea

[Carita]

What can one do for a dog with sleep apnea.

After just reading the symptoms a human has & was Dx with apnea , I suspect that's what my dog has.

She's a great snorer & stops breathing when asleep , waking up gagging.

If I was to get a vet to call in, just what could he do for her?

[Yonjuro]

Obviously the vet is going to be best to advise on treatment plans. I know that sometimes brachy breeds need surgery to open up the airways, but this is quite invasive and I imagine something done by a specialist surgeon ??

Hopefully others will have better advice .

[denali]

Firstly, is your cav overweight? ETA; even the slightest bit.

and what age- as this can impact the answer :)

Henry snored something horrible when i got him- he weighed 11.3kg. He now weighs 7.9kg and doesn't make a sound!

Secondly, if they are lean, i vet would likely just check the airways and may then require surgery. But weightloss is always an easy start and something most dogs are capable of :)

Even my own dogs could stand to lose a few 100g's currently and i always try to keep them lean

Edited May 29, 2015 by denali

[CavsRcute]

Weight is important but I would also get tonsils and palate checked.

My girl was a terrible snorer and had her tonsils out and was much better. Could be an elongated soft palate or upper airway obstruction. Another Cavalier I know used to have an inhaler for obstruction and this also helped.

How old is your dog? Sometimes as they get older they can have a collapsing trachea.

[Carita]

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, she is overweight so I'll address that problem now, decreasing food whilst increasing walks & see if that makes a difference.

She's been a snorer since moving here with me 5 years ago when she was only 6kg & emaciated.

She's now 7yrs old & must be 10 to 11kg