A
problem that is frequently seen in pugs is called, elongated soft palate.
The soft palate is a flap of mucousal tissue which closes off the animal's
airway (nasopharynx) during swallowing to prevent foods and liquids from
going into their lungs.
In the figure to the left, you can see the soft palate just above the
Esophagus. In animals with a normal soft palate, it touches or slightly
overlaps the epiglottis.
In dogs with an elongated soft palate, the palate overlaps the epiglottis
to a considerable degree, partially obstructing the animal's airway during
breathing. This is manifested by snorting, snoring, strider, gurgling and
gagging. The obstruction is worse with exercise.
In time, stretched
ligaments in the larynx leads to labored breathing and laryngeal collapse.
Laryngeal collapse is a late stage in airway obstruction. Pressure changes
caused by the elongated soft palate bring about the stretching of the
ligaments that support the laryngeal cartilages. These cartilages
gradually collapse inward and block the airway. (See the drawing below).
In the diagram you can see that more air moves freely in and out of the
lungs in the normal dog's airway, but the dog with the collapsed airway
has less air flowing through it. At this stage any changes in the dog's
need for air can cause acute respiratory insufficiency and cardiac arrest.
TREATMENT: An elongated soft palate is treated by surgically shortening the palate so that the edge opposes or slightly overlaps the epiglottis. Results are good and can extend the life of your pug by years if the operation is done before destructive changes occur in the larynx. It is for that reason that you have your Pug checked by a veterinarian who is familiar with Pugs and is skilled in identifying this abnormality.
This was an excerpt from the book, "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" 3rd Edition by James M. Giffin MD & Liisa D. Carlson, DVM