Dr. Bryden Stanley - a board certified veterinary surgeon - and our panel of experts who have studied this condition in the Norwich Terrier answer audience questions from our recent webinar on the topic. Panelists include Dr. Lynelle Johnson, Dr. Paige Winkler, and Dr. Grace Lai. Learn more about Norwich Terrier Upper Airway Syndrome.
This is a transcript of other questions submitted during the webinar that were answered in the chat box by our panelists who included Dr. Lynelle Johnson, Dr. Paige Winkler, and Dr. Grace Lai:
1) Q - If my Norwich has this syndrome, is there higher risk of problems at higher altitude (Telluride Colorado specifically 9450 Ft)?
A - High altitude can worsen any respiratory disease because of a decrease in inspired oxygen.
2) Q - What is the risk in other terrier breeds with similar head shapes? Norfolk, Cairns, Westies?
A - It does not affect Norfolk terriers and has not been described in other terrier types.
3) Q - Any particular airway infections that NTs are at risk due to airway syndrome? Bordetella? Hemophillus?
A - I have never found infection in these dogs
4) Q - I have Cairn terriers that have some respiratory issues. We have 2 puppies in a litter that show respiratory issues, so feel this is genetic. However we have are not sure if it is just elongated palate, or something else.
A - Not sure what it could be without examining them, sorry.
5) Q - To be clear, it is important to choose both dog & bitch that are as low scoring as possible. Correct? It's not enough just to choose a stud dog with a low score?
A - Yes, it would be ideal to choose dog and bitch with low scores