BOAS surgery and Tonsillectomy complications - Anyone experienced this?

[LaureFurlonger6]

Has anyone else's French Bulldog experienced this after BOAS surgery and a tonsillectomy?

Hey guys, this is kind of a revised version of a few posts I’ve had on here but I'm hoping to hear from anyone whose Frenchie has gone through something similar because we're still searching for answers, and I'd love to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

My French Bulldog puppy initially underwent BOAS surgery, which included stenotic nares correction, soft palate resection, and removal of his everted laryngeal saccules.

Before surgery, he had the typical BOAS symptoms (snoring and noisy breathing), but another major reason we decided to proceed with surgery was that he had started frequently gagging and regurgitating water, sometimes multiple times a day and couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position to sleep in when he’d lay on the couch with us ( would repeatedly lift his head or get up and change positions - crate was no issue though )

Unfortunately, instead of improving after surgery, he actually seemed much worse.

The biggest issue was that he couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. Every time he would start drifting off, he'd lift his head again—sometimes every 30 seconds—as if something was making him uncomfortable. This went on for days, leaving him completely exhausted. During the day he looked so tired that he would almost seem to fall asleep while sitting up because he wasn't getting any quality rest.

He also developed what sounded like constant nasal congestion or a stuffy nose. It wasn't really wheezing—it sounded like something was blocked in his nose or the back of his nasal passages. The gagging and regurgitation also continued after surgery.

Because his recovery was so much worse than expected, we pursued further diagnostics.

He underwent:

• CT scan
• Rhinoscopy
• Endoscopy

Those diagnostics showed that his tonsils were still enlarged/inflamed, so he underwent a tonsillectomy. They also mentioned his soft palate was thickened but the original surgeon we saw was on vacation so the internal medicine doctor recommended we just remove the tonsils for now until the surgeon was back .

He is now 17 days post-op from the tonsillectomy.

After the tonsillectomy, he was treated with:

• A high dose of prednisone, which was gradually tapered over 10 days.
• Omeprazole for 2 weeks.
• He is still taking metoclopramide twice daily.

Since the tonsillectomy there has definitely been some improvement:

• His snoring has decreased.
• He no longer repeatedly lifts his head every 30 seconds trying to sleep.
• He's able to sleep quietly in certain positions.
• He seems much more rested than he did immediately after the first surgery.
• He's eating well and is otherwise happy, playful, and active.

It’s worth mentioning also that while he was on the high dose of steroids his symptoms were much better , was able to rest comfortably the couch in any position and wasn’t as congested but as soon as we started the tapper that’s when the issues started to show again.

• He still often sounds like he has a stuffy or congested nose, especially when he's awake and active.
• Sometimes when he changes position while resting, he'll make a brief snorting sound or like he’s taking a deep breath in before settling again.
• He still seems to have preferred sleeping positions. On the couch he'll sometimes lift his head several times before finding a comfortable position, although it's nowhere near as severe as it was after the first surgery.
• In his crate he generally sleeps better than he does on the couch.
• Overall he's definitely improved compared to before the tonsillectomy, but he still doesn't seem able to completely relax and sleep comfortably in any position like a normal puppy.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.

• Did your Frenchie have lingering congestion or positional breathing issues after BOAS surgery?
• If your dog had a tonsillectomy, how long did it take before they seemed completely comfortable?
• Did anyone else's dog continue improving over several weeks, or did lingering symptoms end up being caused by something else (persistent inflammation, rhinitis, another airway issue, etc.)?

I'm working closely with my surgeon and veterinarian, so I'm not looking for medical advice or a diagnosis. I'd just really appreciate hearing from anyone whose Frenchie has had a similar recovery because it's been a long and emotional journey, and I just want my little guy to be able to relax, sleep comfortably, and be a normal puppy again. Thanks Everyone!