Perioperative management of brachycephalic dogs – do we have a 'best practice' approach?

Presented by Fran Downing
General anaesthesia carries an inherent but relatively low risk of death in all species; this risk can be influenced by several factors including the reason for anaesthesia (e.g. emergency vs. elective surgery), pre-existing disease and other patient-related factors. Brachycephalic dogs are at greater risk of experiencing complications in the perioperative period compared to their non-brachycephalic counterparts. This session will explore the factors that contribute to an increased anaesthetic risk in brachycephalic patients. We will review the current evidence supporting (or not) different perioperative management strategies, including anaesthetic drug selection and the use of gastroprotectants and prokinetics.
Presented at BVA Live 2026 in Clinical Theatre 1 on 12 June 2026, from 10:05 to 10:55.