<p>Did you know that a brachycephalic dog with BOAS has a 433% higher anaesthetic risk than a dog with a normal nose? </p><p>Let me rephrase that: that Frenchie you’re spaying later this week is more than four times more likely to die on her surgery day than any of your other patients. 😳</p><p><br></p><p>Do we have your attention?!</p><p>Thanks mainly to the rising popularity of the French Bulldog, you’re probably anaesthetising these kinds of patients all the time.</p><p>So how do we reduce that risk? How do improve patient safety while decreeing your stress levels?!</p><p>At the <a href="https://www.vss.net.au/brachycephalic-care-unit-jindalee.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Brachycephalic Care Unit</a>, surgeon <a href="https://www.drabbietipler.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Dr Abbie Tipler</a> and her team have polished brachycephalic anaesthesia down to a fine art, and in this episode, she shares all the gold.</p><p>From the days leading up to anaesthesia to selecting the safest mix of premed and anaesthesia agents, all the way to a calm, well-oxygenated recovery, this episode is the ultimate masterclass in brachycephalic anaesthesia.</p><p><br></p><p>Hit us up for the full show notes for this episode, as well as Dr Abbie’s brachycephalic pre-surgery history template,<a href="https://hi.switchy.io/SaferBrachycephalicAnaesthesia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"> here. </a></p><p><br></p><p>This episode is one of more than 600 from our subscriber-only clinical podcasts. If you like this style of learning, where I dig for all the pro tips and updates from some of the best specialists in the world, then you’ll love our clinical feed. Go check it out at <a href="https://www.thevetvault.com/p/clinical-content/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">thevetvault.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>Oh, and if you’d like to join me in Japan in February or the Maldives in April for the most fun you’ll ever have at a vet conference  - have a browse at <a href="https://vetsontour.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">vetsontour.com</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Topics Covered:</strong></p><p><strong>Before the big day</strong></p><ul><li>Structured history taking: airway, gastrointestinal, sleep, and anxiety indicators</li><li>Understanding the link between upper airway obstruction and GI dysfunction</li><li>Assessing regurgitation, silent reflux, and aspiration risk</li><li>Pre-treatment protocols: omeprazole, metoclopramide, and diet adjustments</li><li>Identifying when to delay elective procedures for optimisation</li><li>Using C-reactive protein and radiographs to assess for aspiration pneumonia</li><li>Managing anxiety pre-hospitalisation with trazodone</li></ul><p>Plan for the day of surgery</p><ul><li>Fasting times and timing surgeries for optimal recovery monitoring</li><li>Strategies for minimising stress in brachycephalic patients pre-op</li><li>The role of early premedication and pain relief</li><li>Drug choices: the “Goldilocks” approach to sedation</li><li>Reducing regurgitation risk</li><li>Your pre-op pro tips</li><li>Extubation and recovery: positioning, monitoring, and oxygen weaning</li><li>The impact of cage-side nursing and owner-assisted recovery</li></ul><p><br></p>