Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) has become an increasingly common presenting problem in both general practice and referral institutions over the last 10 years, as a consequence of the three extreme brachycephalic breeds (French bulldog, English bulldog and Pug) continuing to feature within the top 10 dog breeds registered with the UK Kennel club year on year. Hence, having a good understanding of BOAS is vital to current clinical practice.

Clinical signs of BOAS and severity of disease can vary significantly both within and between breeds. Accurate recognition and grading of each individual dog are key to recommendations for appropriate investigations and treatment. When surgery is advised, application of long-term management strategies and discussion of prognosis assists in the management of client expectations regarding outcome.

You can enrol onto the programme at any time and will receive a six-month access to the online content which will look closely into the:

• Anatomy of brachycephalic breeds
• Pathophysiology of BOAS
• Recognition and grading of BOAS in affected individuals
• Investigation of the condition
• Surgical treatment options and long-term outcome, as well as discussing relevant welfare/ethical implications for individuals and these breeds as a whole along the way.

Delivery consists of:

• Videos, recorded in 2022, using state of the art chroma technology. Use of a green screen produces high quality resolution recordings and delivers a more engaging learning experience when compared to standard laptop webinar recordings. Videos will be organised in 20- minute, easy to manage learning episodes and can be accessed in your own time over the month. Please note: the first lesson of this semester is delivered via Panopto recording, with the remaining lessons as green-screen videos.
• Notes for downloading
• Journal club where the team will be signposting suggested further reading
• Online lesson on ‘How to Reflect’ and a reflection forum for posting of reflective comments
• Two recorded seminars per semester, delivered by members of the specialist team.
• Reflective quiz at the end of each semester to recap your knowledge

Overall Learning Outcomes for BOAS Semester

• Understand the anatomical components of BOAS and how these may contribute to clinical signs
• Be able to recognise dogs clinically affected by BOAS and be confident in assigning a functional grade
• Know the options available for investigation and surgery and when these might be appropriate to use
• Understand which dogs may have more complex disease. Be able to prepare owners appropriately for the expected outcome.

Please see individual semesters on website for learning objectives