Clinical observations of tetanus toxin plus decoy, Snoretox-1, a novel targeted neuromuscular stimulant, in a pilot study of 6 British bulldogs with BOAS.

Snoretox-1 injections improved BOAS severity for 20-53 weeks in pilot study.

This pilot study evaluated Snoretox-1, a novel therapeutic combining tetanus toxin with a neutralizing antibody decoy, for treating Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) in British bulldogs. Six dogs (ages 4-8 years) with grade 2-3 BOAS received bilateral injections of Snoretox-1 into the rostral geniohyoid muscle under sedation. All subjects improved by at least one grade on the Respiratory Functional Grading scale, with improvements sustained 20-53 weeks post-treatment. Non-parametric statistical analysis (Friedman χ² with Durbin-Conover post-hoc tests) demonstrated significantly lower BOAS severity grades up to 12 weeks post-treatment compared to placebo (p < 0.001). The primary adverse effect was transient feeding difficulty (up to 5.5 weeks) associated with incorrect injection placement. This targeted neuromuscular approach represents a potentially less invasive alternative to surgical intervention for BOAS management, though the small sample size and unblinded observer methodology limit generalizability.

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