Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Subtotal epiglottectomy for the management of epiglottic retroversion in a dog.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Mullins, R et al.
- Affiliation:
- Davies Veterinary Specialists
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A six-year-old male neutered Yorkshire terrier was having serious trouble breathing, especially when trying to inhale. After examining his throat, the veterinarian found that his epiglottis (a flap that helps keep food out of the windpipe) was flipped backward, which was blocking his airway. The dog first had two different procedures to try to fix the problem, but they didn't work. Eventually, the vet performed a subtotal epiglottectomy, which means they removed part of the epiglottis, and this successfully solved the breathing issue without causing any problems with swallowing or choking. Overall, the treatment worked well for this dog.
Abstract
A six-year-old male neutered Yorkshire terrier was evaluated for severe, acute-onset, inspiratory dyspnoea. Laryngoscopy revealed retroversion of the epiglottis with intermittent occlusion of the rima glottidis during inspiration. The dog underwent both temporary and permanent epiglottopexy procedures that were unsuccessful. Subtotal epiglottectomy was performed and resulted in permanent resolution of dyspnoea without evidence of dysphagia or aspiration. This case highlights potential complications associated with management of this condition as well as describing the successful use of subtotal epiglottectomy in the dog.
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