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Wet solid food should be fed for up to 6 weeks [ 14 ] while healing occurs, and the owner should try to prevent the patient overheating and overexercising during the recovery period. Any concerns about a change in the patient ' s breathing pattern should be immediately communicated to the veterinary team.
Conclusions
Successful management of the BOAS patient depends on thoughtful, well-planned nursing at every stage of their hospital journey. By linking any underlying airway changes to specific peri-anaesthesia risks, VNs can adapt standard protocols such as fasting, premedication, positioning and monitoring to better protect these compromised patients.
Extubation and the immediate postoperative period are particularly hazardous, so calm, continuous observation, together with clear communication with the VS, is crucial to detecting and responding to deterioration quickly.
Owner education and practical discharge advice are important so that the safeguards put in place in the practice are continued at home. This supports safer long-term outcomes and improved welfare for brachycephalic dogs.
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Volume 41( 3) • June 2026
49