When I finally met this adorable little boy, I saw that his ears didn't stand up like most French Bulldogs. It didn’t matter to me because it gave him character! We were both excited to meet each other. Despite his surgeries I noticed he still had some difficulty breathing. The rescue center told me that Maurice was one of the more severe cases they’d seen, and they'd done everything they could for him. Even so, I immediately fell in love with him and adopted him on the spot. When we got home we went for a walk. As soon as we got back, Maurice went into respiratory distress. I frantically tried to bring his temperature down by putting cool water on his chest as he gasped for air. I'd read that when a dog is struggling this hard to breathe, their larynx can actually collapse. I was so scared to see him fighting this hard just to breathe. After about twenty minutes, his breathing began to improve. I knew then I’d have to be careful with this little guy, because on our walk, there’d been no sign of a problem. Over the next couple days, I noticed that when Maurice was napping on the floor, he’d raise his head every few seconds and take a big breath. Most of the time he didn’t even wake up, and his snoring was always loud and constant. Maurice almost always wet his bed as soon as he fell asleep, and I believed his incontinence was a sign of sleep apnea. I knew it wasn't his fault, so I was sympathetic to his problem. I put him in diapers every night, and every morning they were wet. During the daytime, Maurice was always tired. He would fight to stay awake, even dozing off while sitting up. If he'd lay down he would struggle to breathe by raising his head off the floor and gasping for air. If he tried to play with a toy, he quickly tired and became short of breath. I felt so badly for him and wanted to find a way  I could help him. 

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I know all about sleep deprivation and apnea, since my husband and I both use CPAP machines. I began to search the internet to see if there was anything similar for dogs like Maurice. There was nothing available. Sadly, I began to accept that Maurice would always have breathing problems, always wear diapers to bed, never have much energy, and would probably die at a young age. My plan was to love him and appreciate what little time I might have with him.

 

One day I was sitting on the couch with Maurice lying next to me, snoring so loudly I could barely hear the TV.  I picked up a small couch pillow and placed it under his chin. I had previously tried this with a rolled up hand towel, but he would push it away or leave. For some reason, he didn't seem to mind the little pillow. Once I’d raised his chin with the pillow he began to breathe more smoothly and easily, and to my surprise his snoring stopped. I was beyond excited! Maybe this technique was the answer! After my discovery, Maurice and I tested pillows of various sizes, different lengths, various thicknesses, numerous types of stuffing, and different levels of firmness. I also discovered that by adding a loose strap, the pillow couldn't accidentally fall off the couch or get pushed away.

 

Maurice and I worked together to learn how to best use our new BUBBY'S PILLOW™ invention. Even after a few days it was obvious that he had more energy. He was now getting quality sleep throughout the night, and during his daytime naps. With his pillow, he no longer snored while sleeping, and wasn't raising his head to take in air. His diapers were dry in the morning because he stopped wetting the bed. Maurice no longer needed diapers! He had more energy on his walks and was now able to run and chase his favorite toys.

 

Maurice started using BUBBY'S PILLOW™ in December of 2019. He's so accustomed to it now, he usually positions himself and adjusts his head, completely on his own. He occasionally needs my help and I'm happy to give it. To me, BUBBY'S PILLOW™ is a blessing! My dreams for Maurice to breathe easy and get quality sleep have all come true.

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And now, we're so happy to share this life changing invention with other furry loved ones who suffer from BOAS, and struggle every day just to Breathe. They all deserve sweet dreams and a long happy life. 

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