brachycephalic

brachycephalic (brak´isfal´ik),

adj descriptive term applied to a broad, round head having a cephalic index of more than 80.

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brachycephalic

having a short wide head.

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brachycephalic breeds

those dog breeds with very short faces, e.g. Boxer, Bulldog, King Charles spaniel, Pekingese, Pug. Associated with this type of skull, these breeds suffer from anomalies of the upper respiratory tract such as stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, and everted laryngeal saccules, and associated disorders, e.g. facial fold dermatitis. They are also predisposed to neoplasms of chemoreceptor tissue.

brachycephalic obstructive syndrome

any of several upper airway disorders, prevalent in brachycephalic dogs, may lead to elongation and thickening of the soft palate, chronic pharyngitis and tonsillitis, inflammation and decreased diameter of the larynx and trachea. Conditions which predispose are everted laryngeal saccules, laryngeal collapse, stenotic nares.