80% of cases of overlong soft palate occur in brachycephalic breeds such as the Bulldog and Pekinese. It is part of brachycephalic airways obstruction syndrome (BAOS). In BAOS 100% of dogs have an overlong soft palate, 50% have stenotic nares, and 30% have
laryngeal collapse, eversion of laryngeal ventricles. Some cases have enlarged oedematous tonsils and tracheal hypoplasia.

Overlong soft palate is seen to a lesser extent in breeds such as Bull Mastiffs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers where the pronounced vertical 'stop' is thought to play a part in causing the problem.
However, this has not been proven.

My practice has 35,000 clients of which 60% are dogs. Even though we have many
Staffordshire Bull Terriers on our books we have only operated on one Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the last seven years. A few days ago I spoke to a veterinary soft tissue surgeon specialist.
He told me that he couldn't remember the last time he operated on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with an overlong soft palate.

Anatomy
The diagrams explain the anatomy far better than words can. The pharynx is divided into three regions, the oral pharynx, nasal pharynx and the laryngeal pharynx. The hard palate forms the roof of the mouth and is composed of bone covered in mucosa. The soft palate forms 'the end' and is composed of soft tissue not bone. The soft palate is regarded as overlong if it hangs behind the epiglottis in the opening to the trachea (windpipe).
The overlong soft palate causes injury to itself and the larynx, and leads to inflamatory oedema (swelling).

Clinical Siqns
Clinical signs are caused by the overlong soft palate preventing enough air getting into the trachea and therefore the lungs.
Gagging and coughing are frequently accompanied by rattling or snoring during breathing, especially during inspiration (breathing in). In very rare cases the dog can collapse. This is usually when an
affected dog is exercised in hot weather.

Surgery
Again, the diagrams explain the surgical procedure better than words. It is one of the easier surgical procedures with postoperative problems rare. The palate is cut a little and then sutured in sequence
until the whole of the incised portion is removed. Corticosteroids are given pre and post operatively to reduce oedema (swelling). Antibiotics are not required.
Abrasive foods are avoided for at least two weeks. Dogs respond very well to surgery.
Another veterinary surgeon told me that he operated on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
that couldn't walk down the street. After surgery the dog could run for miles! Over correction will result in nasal regurgitation and cannot be reconstructed.

Discussion
From my own experience and speaking to one of the leading veterinary soft tissue surgeons in Britain, I can only conclude that the incidence of overlong soft palate is very low in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. After listening to people at dog shows this came as a surprise to me. I don't know why this is and I would be very interested to hear other people's opinions and experience of overlong soft palate in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Searching through the literature I found no studies supporting the view that the condition is hereditary in our breed. This coupled with the low incidence reported
suggests that it is a congenital and not an hereditary problem in our breed.

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