Unrecognized difficult airway management during anesthesia in two brachycephalic dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage

Difficulty in airway management during anesthesia was noted in a 10-year-old, castrated, male Pekingese dog and a 13-year-old male French Bulldog. They showed strong resistance during tracheal tube insertion through the subglottic lumen. Therefore, the airway was secured by using a small endotracheal tube or supraglottic airway device. Computed tomography scan revealed a markedly narrower vertical dimension of the cricoid cartilage compared to that seen in common brachycephalic breeds. Posterior glottis was relatively more accessible for translaryngeal intubation in the present cases. Our findings showed that brachycephalic airway syndrome may be associated with narrow cricoid cartilage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical case report of airway management during anesthesia in dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage.

Automated summary

Difficulties in airway management were observed in two dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage, leading to the use of smaller endotracheal tubes or supraglottic airway devices. The narrowness of the cricoid cartilage may be associated with brachycephalic airway syndrome, making posterior glottic intubation easier in these cases. This is the first clinical case report highlighting the challenges of airway management in dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage.