04 Sep BOAS Surgery Cost in Australia: What Every Brachycephalic Owner Should Know
Flat-faced dogs such as French Bulldogs, Pugs, English Bulldogs and Boston Terriers are among the breeds most commonly affected by breathing problems associated with their shortened skull shape. If you share your home with one of these dogs, you have probably wondered at some point whether their snoring, snorting or noisy breathing is just part of the breed, or a sign of something that needs treatment.
That condition has a name: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, or BOAS. BOAS is a significant health and welfare concern in brachycephalic dogs, but many dogs can experience meaningful improvement when the condition is properly assessed and managed.
This guide has been written and reviewed by a Southern Cross Vet veterinarian to walk you through what BOAS actually is, how to recognise the signs, what BOAS surgery involves, what it costs in Australia, and the risks and recovery process you should understand before making a decision. We also address a common misconception: that BOAS surgery is unaffordable or too risky for older dogs. For most families, neither is true.
This article is intended for general education and does not replace an individual assessment of your dog. Every brachycephalic dog has a slightly different airway, and treatment decisions should always be made with a veterinarian who has examined your pet.
What is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)?
BOAS is a respiratory condition that affects dogs bred for short, flat skulls. The distinctive brachycephalic look comes from compressing a relatively normal amount of soft tissue, including the soft palate, tongue and nasal tissue, into a much shorter skull. That excess soft tissue crowds the airway and restricts airflow.
Breeds commonly affected include French Bulldogs, Pugs, English Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cavoodles, Shih Tzus, Boxers, Pekingese and Chow Chows. You can read more about breed specific risk in our guides to French Bulldog health issues and Pug airway health.
BOAS is usually caused by a combination of anatomical abnormalities working together, rather than a single problem. The main contributors are:
- Stenotic nares: narrowed nostrils that restrict airflow through the nose.
- Elongated soft palate: excess tissue at the back of the throat that partly blocks the airway.
- Everted laryngeal saccules: small tissue pouches pulled into the airway by the chronic effort of breathing against an obstruction.
- Hypoplastic trachea: a narrower than normal windpipe, seen in some breeds, that further limits airflow.
Most dogs with clinically significant BOAS have more than one of these abnormalities present at the same time, which is why a thorough individual assessment matters more than a standard, one-size-fits-all surgical checklist. Research on airway correction techniques has highlighted the value of assessing and correcting the specific structures obstructing each patient’s airway rather than applying a fixed protocol to every dog.
Signs your dog may have BOAS
Many owners assume that snoring and noisy breathing are simply part of owning a flat faced dog. In reality, these sounds are often a sign of airway obstruction that is worth investigating.
Watch for:
- Loud breathing or snoring, including while awake
- Snorting or reverse sneezing
- Exercise intolerance or rapid tiring on walks
- Difficulty cooling down after activity
- Excessive panting, even at rest
- Gagging, retching or choking when eating
- Regurgitation or vomiting
- Bluish gums (cyanosis), indicating low oxygen levels
- Collapse in severe cases
- A preference for sleeping with the head elevated, because it is easier to breathe that way
If any of these signs sound familiar, the next step is a professional airway assessment rather than waiting to see if things improve on their own.
When BOAS may be an emergency
If your dog is struggling to breathe, collapses, develops blue or grey gums, or shows signs of heatstroke, seek emergency veterinary care immediately rather than waiting for a routine BOAS consultation.
Why untreated BOAS becomes dangerous
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, moving air across the moist surfaces of the mouth and airway. A dog whose airway is already restricted cannot move that air efficiently, which makes it much harder to regulate body temperature, particularly in an Australian summer.
This raises the risk of heat stress and heat stroke, a genuine emergency that can lead to organ failure if not treated promptly. Studies on facial conformation and canine health have found that airway obstruction is directly linked to breathing and thermoregulation problems in brachycephalic dogs. Excess body weight compounds the problem further, increasing both oxygen demand and airway resistance, so weight management is an important part of managing any brachycephalic dog, whether or not they eventually need surgery.
Treatment options for BOAS
Non-surgical management
Dogs with mild symptoms may be managed conservatively with strategies such as maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding exercise in hot weather, limiting strenuous activity, using slow feeders to reduce regurgitation, and closely monitoring breathing. These strategies can reduce symptoms and help lower the risk of respiratory distress, but they do not correct underlying anatomical narrowing. In some dogs, airway obstruction can contribute to progressive changes over time, which is why ongoing veterinary assessment is important.
Surgical treatment
For dogs with clinically significant BOAS, surgery may be recommended to address the anatomical obstructions contributing to their breathing difficulty. Published studies have reported improvements in respiratory function, exercise tolerance and quality of life following surgical treatment. A study on surgical outcomes for BOAS reported that surgically treated dogs showed significant improvement in respiratory function and quality of life compared with dogs managed conservatively.
A dog’s BOAS surgery procedures typically address one or more of the following, depending on what that individual dog’s airway assessment reveals:
- Widening narrowed nostrils
- Shortening an elongated soft palate
- Removing obstructive laryngeal saccules
- Addressing enlarged tonsils where relevant
- Correcting turbinate obstruction inside the nasal cavity
Some surgeons follow a fixed “5/5” protocol, correcting five anatomical structures in every dog regardless of what their individual assessment shows. At Southern Cross Vet, our surgeons take a different approach: every airway is assessed on its own merits, and only the structures actually contributing to obstruction are corrected. In practice, this often still means comprehensive multi-level correction for dogs with significant disease, but it is planned around your dog’s own anatomy rather than a standard script, which helps avoid unnecessary surgical trauma and anaesthetic time.
Minimally invasive BOAS surgery at Southern Cross Vet
Southern Cross Vet has performed more than 1,500 BOAS procedures since 2015 under the leadership of Dr Sam Kovac, and has developed a minimally invasive technique that uses a specialised radiofrequency surgical handpiece to reshape soft palate tissue while sealing blood vessels at the same time.
Compared with traditional scalpel and suture techniques, this approach:
- Reduces intra-operative bleeding
- Minimises tissue trauma
- Shortens surgical time
- Reduces the total time your dog spends under general anaesthesia
Many dogs can go home the same day once they have fully recovered from anaesthesia and the veterinary team is satisfied that they are stable enough for discharge. Some patients may require longer monitoring depending on their individual risk and recovery.
Anaesthetic safety for brachycephalic breeds
Brachycephalic dogs carry a genuinely higher anaesthetic risk than other breeds because of their airway anatomy, and this is exactly where surgical technique and anaesthetic protocol matter most. Every BOAS procedure at Southern Cross Vet involves a dedicated veterinary anaesthetist, a vet who specialises specifically in anaesthesia and pain management, whose sole focus during the procedure is monitoring your dog’s airway, breathing and vital signs. Careful anaesthetic management is particularly important in brachycephalic patients, who can have an increased risk of airway and respiratory complications around anaesthesia. At Southern Cross Vet, every BOAS procedure involves a dedicated veterinary anaesthetist focused on monitoring the dog’s airway, breathing and vital signs throughout the procedure.
BOAS surgery cost in Australia
How much does BOAS surgery cost in Australia? This is usually the first question owners ask, and it is a reasonable one, because pricing across the industry is rarely transparent. Some clinics quote a low headline number and then add separate charges for specialist anaesthetic monitoring, hospitalisation, follow-up visits and discharge medications, so the final invoice can end up considerably higher than expected.
At Southern Cross Vet, BOAS surgery cost is a fixed, all-inclusive price of $4,999, the same for every breed and size of dog. That figure covers the initial surgical consultation, a full multi-level airway correction tailored to your dog’s anatomy, a dedicated specialist veterinary anaesthetist, all associated medications, and unlimited personal follow-up with Dr Sam until your dog has fully recovered. You receive written confirmation of that price before any consent is signed, so there are no surprise invoices at discharge.
The same fixed price applies whether your French Bulldog requires nostril widening, soft palate correction or more comprehensive airway surgery/ nose surgery. The final surgical plan is based on your dog’s individual anatomy, but the price remains $4,999 and is confirmed in writing before surgery. Whether your dog needs nostril widening alone or a full brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome surgery cost of $4,999 for multi-level correction, the price stays the same and is confirmed in writing before surgery.
Is BOAS surgery expensive?
Compared to what, is really the right question. A $4,999 figure can look significant in isolation, but most Southern Cross Vet clients are surprised to learn that pet insurance typically covers the large majority of that cost when a policy is active and the condition is not pre-existing. Combined with a fixed, all-inclusive price and no hidden extras, BOAS surgery is often considerably more affordable in practice than owners initially expect, particularly when weighed against the ongoing cost, in vet visits and quality of life, of managing a progressive airway condition conservatively for years.
Does pet insurance cover BOAS in Australia?
Many Australian pet insurance policies do cover BOAS surgery, and Southern Cross Vet’s insurance partners typically cover around 90 percent of the fixed price for eligible claims. Whether your policy covers the procedure depends on your specific policy terms, when your cover started relative to when breathing symptoms were first noticed or documented by a vet, and whether your insurer treats BOAS as a pre-existing or hereditary condition under your particular policy. Our team assists with insurance pre-approval documentation at no charge, and we work regularly with all the major Australian insurers, including PetSure, Bow Wow Meow, Pet Insurance Australia, RSPCA Pet Insurance, PetBarn, Australian Unity, ahm, AAMI, BUPA and Medibank. If you would like to understand your own policy’s likely coverage before booking a consultation, our pet insurance guide is a useful starting point.
Risks and complications of BOAS surgery
All surgery carries some degree of risk, and it is important to go into a decision with realistic expectations rather than either dismissing the risks or being frightened away from a procedure that is well supported by evidence.
Potential complications include anaesthetic complications, airway swelling after surgery, infection, bleeding, aspiration pneumonia, nasal suture failure, and, rarely, the need for a temporary tracheostomy. Published outcome data reports complication rates in the region of 2 to 10 percent, varying with disease severity and surgical technique.
This is exactly why the combination of a minimally invasive technique and a dedicated specialist anaesthetist matters so much for brachycephalic patients specifically. Minimising anaesthetic time, reducing tissue trauma, and having a vet whose only job during the procedure is monitoring your dog’s airway and vital signs are the practical levers that keep BOAS surgery relatively low risk in experienced hands, even in a breed group that carries elevated baseline anaesthetic risk. Your surgeon will walk you through your dog’s individual risk profile at the consultation, so you can make a properly informed decision.
Are Frenchies high risk for surgery?
French Bulldogs do carry a higher general anaesthetic risk than non-brachycephalic breeds, largely because of the same airway anatomy that causes BOAS in the first place. This is precisely why airway surgery for Frenchies should always involve a dedicated veterinary anaesthetist and an experienced surgical team, rather than being treated as a routine day procedure. With those safeguards in place, the risk profile for BOAS surgery specifically is well documented and manageable, and correcting the airway surgically often reduces a Frenchie’s overall anaesthetic risk profile for any future procedures, because breathing is easier and oxygenation is improved going forward.
Recovery after BOAS surgery
Recovery is generally straightforward when post-operative instructions are followed carefully. Typical guidance includes restricted exercise for around 10 days, feeding soft food during the early recovery period, giving prescribed medications as directed, monitoring breathing closely, and attending follow-up appointments. Mild swelling in the first few days is normal, and many owners notice an improvement in breathing quite quickly afterwards.
For a full week by week breakdown of what recovery looks like, see our detailed guide to BOAS surgery and recovery.
What is the success rate of soft palate surgery in dogs, and what is the survival rate for BOAS surgery?
Published outcome studies consistently report that the large majority of dogs undergoing BOAS surgery, including soft palate correction, show meaningful improvement in respiratory signs, exercise tolerance and quality of life, with serious complications and mortality remaining uncommon in experienced hands. This is supported by outcome data from surgical treatment studies and broader research into brachycephalic health. Survival rates for BOAS surgery performed by an experienced surgical team with dedicated anaesthetic support are high, and the procedure is broadly recognised in the veterinary literature as a safe and effective intervention for dogs with moderate to severe disease. Individual risk always depends on disease severity, the dog’s general health, and the experience of the surgical and anaesthetic team, which is why an individual consultation matters more than any general statistic.
Long term outcomes
Most dogs experience a meaningful improvement in breathing after surgery. Owners commonly report quieter breathing, better exercise tolerance, improved tolerance of warm weather, better sleep quality, and reduced gagging or regurgitation. BOAS is increasingly recognised in the literature as a contributor to gastrointestinal and aerodigestive issues in brachycephalic breeds, particularly French Bulldogs, so improvements are often seen well beyond breathing alone. Early surgical intervention, before years of obstructed breathing trigger secondary changes such as everted laryngeal saccules or laryngeal collapse, tends to produce the best long-term results.
Can dogs live with an elongated soft palate?
Yes, many dogs live for years with a mild elongated soft palate and relatively few symptoms, particularly if they are kept lean and their exercise is managed sensibly in hot weather. The concern is that an elongated soft palate can contribute to ongoing airway obstruction, and some dogs may develop secondary airway changes over time. The ongoing effort of breathing against an obstruction tends to cause secondary changes over time, including everted laryngeal saccules and, in advanced cases, laryngeal collapse, which is why early assessment and, where appropriate, correction generally produces a better long-term outcome than waiting.
Is soft palate surgery necessary for my dog?
Not every dog with a mildly elongated soft palate needs surgery immediately. The decision comes down to how significantly it is affecting your individual dog’s breathing, exercise tolerance and quality of life, which is best assessed through a hands-on airway examination rather than guesswork. If your dog is showing the signs outlined earlier in this article, particularly noisy breathing at rest, exercise intolerance or gagging when eating, it is worth booking an assessment so a surgeon can tell you honestly whether surgery is warranted for their specific anatomy.
Older dogs and BOAS surgery: challenging two common myths
Two assumptions stop many owners from booking a consultation: that BOAS surgery is too expensive, and that it is too risky for an older dog. Neither holds up well under scrutiny.
On cost, the fixed $4,999 price at Southern Cross Vet is confirmed in writing before surgery, with no hidden extras, and pet insurance partners typically cover around 90 percent of that cost for eligible claims, meaning many families pay only a small gap fee out of pocket.
On risk, age alone is not a barrier. Southern Cross Vet has operated on brachycephalic dogs up to 10 years of age, and disease severity, rather than age in isolation, is what genuinely determines surgical risk and outcome. Older dogs with significant airway obstruction can still benefit meaningfully from correction, and a minimally invasive technique combined with dedicated specialist anaesthetic monitoring specifically addresses the higher anaesthetic risk that concerns owners of older brachycephalic dogs. The right first step at any age is an honest, individual clinical assessment rather than ruling surgery out based on a birthday.
What is the best age for BOAS surgery?
Earlier is generally better, because operating before years of obstructed breathing trigger secondary airway changes tends to produce a less complex procedure and a better long-term outcome. That said, BOAS surgery can be performed at any age in a dog who is otherwise healthy enough for a general anaesthetic. Southern Cross Vet has treated brachycephalic dogs up to 10 years old, and older dogs with genuine airway obstruction still benefit substantially from correction. The most important factor is disease severity, assessed individually at consultation, rather than age on its own.
How to tell if a Frenchie needs nose surgery
Stenotic nares, narrowed nostrils, are one of the most visible and common contributors to BOAS in French Bulldogs. Signs that nose surgery may be worth discussing include visibly pinched or narrow nostrils, noisy breathing through the nose, snorting, and effortful breathing that seems to originate at the front of the face rather than deeper in the throat. Because stenotic nares rarely occur in isolation, a full airway assessment is the best way to confirm whether nose surgery alone will be sufficient or whether other structures, such as the soft palate, also need correction at the same time.
Is French Bulldog nose surgery worth it?
For Frenchies with genuinely narrowed nostrils restricting airflow, widening the nares is one of the more straightforward corrections within BOAS surgery and is well supported by clinical outcomes, often producing a noticeable improvement in breathing on its own. Because stenotic nares frequently coexist with soft palate or laryngeal changes, the honest answer for most dogs is that nose surgery is worth it as part of a properly assessed, individualised airway plan, rather than as an isolated fix chosen without an examination of the rest of the airway.
When to seek veterinary advice
If your brachycephalic dog shows any signs of breathing difficulty, excessive panting, exercise intolerance or gagging when eating, a veterinary assessment is a sensible next step, whatever their age. Early diagnosis generally means a simpler procedure and a better long-term outcome.
Book a BOAS assessment at Southern Cross Vet
Southern Cross Vet’s surgeons have performed more than 1,500 BOAS procedures since 2015, using a minimally invasive technique, a dedicated specialist anaesthetist on every case, and a fixed, insurance-friendly price of $4,999 confirmed in writing before you decide anything.
Two recent examples from our own patients illustrate what that looks like in practice. Oliver, a four year old French Bulldog, had been snorting loudly and tiring quickly on walks before his BOAS surgery. His owners noticed an immediate difference afterwards: quieter sleep, more energy, and far fewer breathing struggles during exercise. Coco, a seven month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with stenotic nares and a thickened soft palate, was back to chasing balls in the park within a week of her minimally invasive procedure, breathing noticeably more easily than before.
If your dog is showing any of the signs described in this article, the right first step is a consultation, not a decision. Visit our minimally invasive BOAS surgery page to see the full fixed price package and book an assessment at St Peters, Bellevue Hill or Surry Hills.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr Sam Kovac BVSc (Merit), MRCVS
Dr Sam Kovac graduated with Merit from the University of Sydney in 2011 and became a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom in 2013. He founded Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in Sydney in 2013 and has led its BOAS surgical program through more than 1,500 procedures since 2015.
Last reviewed: August 2026
This article provides general educational information about BOAS and does not replace an individual veterinary assessment. Every brachycephalic dog has different airway anatomy and health considerations, so treatment decisions should be made with a veterinarian who has examined your pet.