An elongated soft palate is a congenital hereditary disorder that negatively affect dogs and cats' breathing and eating. A soft palate is considered elongated when it extends past the top of the epiglottis and/or past the middle of the tonsillar crypts.[1] The soft palate is made up of muscle and connective tissue located in the posterior portion on the roof of the mouth. The soft palate creates a barrier between the mouth (oral cavity) and nose (nasal cavity).[2] This continuation between the cavities makes it possible to chew and breathe at the same time. The soft palate only blocks the nasal cavity while swallowing. At rest the soft palate should only stretch caudally from the hard palate to the tip of the epiglottis leaving an opening between the nasal and oral cavities. When the soft palate is elongated, it partially blocks the throat thereby creating breathing and feeding-related issues. The elongation and other accompanying symptoms occur in breeds characterized with “smooshed faces” such as pugs, bulldogs, and Persian cats.[3] This condition is a congenital, meaning it is present when the animal is born. The “smooshed” characteristics is the result of a genetic mutation. The animal’s genetic code causes the bones in their skull to grow to a smaller size. Because the bones are smaller, muscles and other tissues that surround the bones of the skull are out of proportion. These animals are often referred to as brachycephalic, derived from the Greek words for “short” and “head”.[3] An elongated soft palate is a symptom of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) and is common in brachycephalic dog breeds and has been reported in brachycephalic cat breeds as well.[4] Some of the other BOAS related symptoms include stenotic nares, everted laryngeal saccules, and laryngeal collapse.[5]
^"Elongated Soft Palate Laser Surgery FAQ". VetScalpel. 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
^ abMathews, Kyle G. (2012), "Correction of overlong soft palate", Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Dogs and Cats, Elsevier, pp. 539–542, doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4618-6.00056-7, ISBN 9780702046186, retrieved 2021-12-13
^Corgozinho KB, Pereira AN, Cunha SC, Damico CB, Ferreira AM, de Souza HJ (June 2012). "Recurrent pulmonary edema secondary to elongated soft palate in a cat". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 14 (6): 417–9. doi:10.1177/1098612X12442024. PMID 22398461. S2CID 27359679.
^Arza, Ray (2016-09-29) [2015]. "Elongated soft palate resection with a CO2 surgical laser". VetScalpel.
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An elongatedsoftpalate is a congenital hereditary disorder that negatively affect dogs and cats' breathing and eating. A softpalate is considered elongated...
all of which occur more commonly in brachycephalic breeds: an elongatedsoftpalate, stenotic nares, a hypoplastic trachea, and everted laryngeal saccules...
include: allergies, nasal mites, exercise intolerance and elongatedsoftpalate. An elongatedsoftpalate mostly occurs in dogs or cats of brachycephalic breeds...
together causing difficulties with breathing through the nose; an elongatedsoftpalate; and tracheal hypoplasia, a narrow windpipe. This causes difficulty...
respiratory track caused by brachycephaly such as stenotic nares, elongatedsoftpalate, and nasopharyngeal turbinates contribute to obstruction of the...
laryngoscopy. Chronic airway obstruction (caused by stenotic nares, elongatedsoftpalate, or other conditions) can evert the laryngeal saccules. This may...
(short-nosed) dogs, characterized by the presence of stenotic nares, elongatedsoftpalate, narrow trachea, collapsed larynx, and everted laryngeal saccules...
staphyle, is a conic projection from the back edge of the middle of the softpalate, composed of connective tissue containing a number of racemose glands...
cleft palate is the opening of the soft and hard palate in the mouth, which is due to the failure of the palatal shelves to fuse together. The palate's main...
mouth breathing, an elongated face, prominent incisors, hypoplastic maxilla, short upper lip, elevated nostrils, and a high arched palate. Surgical removal...
condition. Predisposing factors include smoking, xerostomia (dry mouth), soft diet, poor oral hygiene and certain medications. Management is facilitated...
lungs over vocal cords in the larynx. In humans, the pharynx, softpalate, hard palate, alveolar ridge, tongue, teeth and lips are termed articulators...
otorhinolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle in 1937, the condition is caused by an elongated or misshapen styloid process (the slender, pointed piece of bone just...
central dorsum of the tongue, sometimes including lesions of the tongue and palate. It is seen in patients using inhaled steroids and smokers, and is usually...
they began to develop a secondary palate, separating the mouth and nasal cavity. In early synapsids, a secondary palate began to form on the sides of the...
had heterodont teeth, varying in build, and some still had teeth in the palate. In later groups the teeth mostly became conical. Front teeth were often...
Dibamidae or blind skinks is a family of lizards characterized by their elongated cylindrical body and an apparent lack of limbs. Female dibamids are entirely...
as the eye. It has no teeth in the upper jaw but does have teeth in its palate. It has two long barbels on its chin which fold into a groove on the throat...
evolution of the middle ear bones, erect limb posture, a bony secondary palate, fur, hair, and warm-bloodedness.[citation needed] While living mammal species...
conical teeth. There are small conical teeth on the front and sides of the palate, as well as a central tooth triangular or v-shaped patch. The preoperculum...
cavity is modified to accommodate this tongue, and is so elongated that the back of the softpalate is level with the fifth cervical vertebra near the base...
clam in their lips, and the vaulted palate allows them to use their tongue as a powerful piston to suck the soft parts right out of the clam shell. The...
threadfins a reliable and economic catch. Their bodies are elongated and fusiform, with spinous and soft dorsal fins widely separated. Their tail fins are large...
short plush coat. Because the rabbit's epiglottis is engaged over the softpalate except when swallowing, the rabbit is an obligate nasal breather. Rabbits...
sported bifurcated (two-pronged), extremely elongated neural spines extending from the neck. Similarly elongated spines are known from the closely related...
"prow-bearing", which is in reference to the specimen's unique prow-like elongated rostrum and is derived from the Latin word prōra (prow) and suffix -gero...
part of the mouth, but usually it appears on the tongue, buccal mucosae or palate. It is classically an acute condition, appearing in infants, people taking...