How Much Does Boston Terrier Nose Surgery Cost?

Does your Boston Terrier experience difficulty in breathing? Boston Terriers are known to have smooshed faces and small noses. Some of them may need to undergo nose surgery because of this. In that case, how much does Boston Terrier nose surgery cost? 

How Much Does Boston Terrier Nose Surgery Cost?

A Boston Terrier nose surgery costs about $200 to $1500. It depends on the type of surgery, the severity of the malformation, and the procedure used.

Boston Terriers may need to undergo nose surgery if they experience the following symptoms:

• Whistling or snoring noise
• Difficulty when breathing
• Breathing with an open mouth
• Nasal discharge

Types of Nose Surgery in Boston Terriers

There are two types of nose surgery that are common in Boston Terriers. Stenotic nare surgery and elongated soft palate surgery. If you need to perform both surgeries in your Boston Terrier, you may expect to pay from $1500 to $3000 on average.

Stenotic Nare Surgery

According to the estimates from Embrace Pet Insurance, the cost of stenotic nare surgery ranges from $200 to $1000.

The nares are more commonly known as the nostrils, and stenotic means constricted or narrowed. It means that an affected dog’s nostrils are narrower than they should be to allow the dog to breathe easily through them.

This kind of surgery is usually done in Boston Terriers with brachycephalic syndrome.

What is Brachycephalic Syndrome?

Brachycephalic syndrome is a partial obstruction to breathing that arises secondary to anatomy abnormalities of the head and neck in certain dog breeds. It is also known as “Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (B.O.A.S.)” in the U.K. This syndrome arises in dogs with flat faces.

How Is Stenotic Nare Surgery Done?

Pet owners have to take part before and after the surgery. The procedure takes less than an hour. Some dogs may be hospitalized overnight to be properly monitored after anesthesia.

Here are some steps before, during, and after the surgery:

1. The dog needs to fast (no food or water) the night before surgery and the day of surgery.
2. Before anesthesia, a blood test will be done to ensure the dog’s organs are functioning properly and undiagnosed diseases are absent from the blood work. 
3. The veterinarian will perform a coagulation test. It is a test to ensure that the dog has enough clotting factors (platelets) in the blood to prevent excessive bleeding.
4. The nose is then scrubbed for surgery.
5. The vet will start the angled incision on one side of the nose, and then the other.
6. After removing the external wedge, the vet will work their way inside the nostril, removing pie-shaped sections of cartilage from the alar fold.
7. The bleeding will be controlled with direct pressure.
8. After the surgery, put some sponge on the nose to keep it moist and clean.
9. The dog should then rest in a recovery kennel.

The majority of dog patients show improvements immediately following surgery.

How Long Will Boston Terriers Recover From Stenotic Surgery?

Dogs that have undergone stenotic nares surgery will be released from the hospital the day of the surgery. Some may feel drowsy and inactive due to the anesthesia. Whereas other dogs return to normal behavior.

Your dog will go home with dissolvable stitches in the nostrils and a recovery time of approximately one month.

Usually, the first 24 hours are vital. Some dogs may have a mild nasal discharge, which is normal. If your dog starts bleeding in large amounts, contact your vet or local emergency clinic.

How to Take Care of Boston Terriers After the Surgery

1. The dog should not have strenuous physical activities to prevent the stitches from becoming loose. You should limit exercises as well.
2. Recovering dogs can be put in an enclosed area or cage to keep them from roaming and running around.
3. You may use an e-collar to prevent the dog from scratching the incision using its paws.
4. Give pain medications and antibiotics as prescribed by the vet.
5. Keep the nose and nostrils moisturized using a clean sponge until fully healed.
6. Allow them to stay in a quiet and cool place to help the airways to heal and reduce inflammation.
7. Avoid feeding them their usual dog food and keep them on a soft diet for at least two weeks.

How to Prevent Stenotic Nares

If the stenotic nares were inherited from the parent dogs, the condition cannot be prevented. However, pet owners can avoid unnecessary strain on a dog’s breathing through the following:

• Minimize exposure to hot and humid weather
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Use of harness, rather than a collar
• Avoid stressful situations for the dog
• Be aware that breathing difficulty is not normal, even for brachycephalic breeds

Soft Palate Surgery

The estimated cost of soft palate surgery is ranging from $500 to $1500.

In affected dogs, the end of the soft palate is too close to the windpipe. It gets easily sucked in and stuck when the dog breathes in. It leads to partial obstruction of the windpipe which results in difficulty and distressed breathing.

During the surgery, the elongated portion of the palate is removed to clear the airway during inhalation. 

What Are the Symptoms of Elongated Soft Palate?

• Noisy or difficult breathing
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Retching and gagging
• Regurgitation
• Vomiting
• Gums and tongue turning blue due to lack of oxygen
• Collapse

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Conclusion

Breathing obstruction and difficulty in Boston Terriers can be treated by surgery. Through these surgeries, I can let my Boston Terriers live their best life. Always remember to give them proper care, especially after the surgery.