CT (Collapsed Tracheas)

[Hamoth]

CT (Collasped Trachea) defect is genetic, and herredity is assumed to be polygenic. The protien defficiency defect that leads to collapsed tracheas is usually not detected until age 7. Yet I have read tons of assurances that "reputable breeders are eliminating this and testing for the CT deficiency." Only problem is that there is no test for the CT defect (CTD). What then is being done in breeding circles to counteract the propagation of CT?

Since I'm a lay person, my interest is causual...I also lack background in this area, so I might also chance to ask: How old is a Yorkie bitch when retired from breeding?

[YorkieRose]

Bitches are retired at different ages depending on the breeder. I retire at 5 yrs.
AS to what is being done to detect this defect by most breeders..nothing.
If there is no test all I can do is wait for a pattern to develop. So far I have had no pet owners contact me and tell me their Yorkie had CT. None of my Yorkies in my home have it.
I have been told CT can develop in a normal trach. Yorkies should not wear collars and constantly pull on a lead..they had small trachs and it can cause damage.

[YorkieRini]

I retire my girls 6 yrs being the oldest.

Pat~
I couldn't have said it better!

Hugs,
Irene

Originally Posted by YorkieRose

Bitches are retired at different ages depending on the breeder. I retire at 5 yrs.
AS to what is being done to detect this defect by most breeders..nothing.
If there is no test all I can do is wait for a pattern to develop. So far I have had no pet owners contact me and tell me their Yorkie had CT. None of my Yorkies in my home have it.
I have been told CT can develop in a normal trach. Yorkies should not wear collars and constantly pull on a lead..they had small trachs and it can cause damage.

[Hamoth]

Hmmm...then I should probably tell my breeder about Chewy's CT then eh? Not that she's likely to match the pair that she did with Chewy again...although all his littermates sold for a couple grand a piece (nice standards compliant little fellas) with Chewy as the exception.

[Hamoth]

I have been told CT can develop in a normal trach.

With sufficient trauma I suppose it could, but most experts link it to a protien deficiency:

We do not completely understand how this condition develops. However, we know that these dogs have an abnormality in the chemical makeup of their tracheal rings. The rings lose their stiffness so they are not able to retain their circular shape. We also know that it occurs in certain breeds of dogs, notably Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Toy Poodles, and Yorkshire Terriers. Because of that, we suspect that there is a genetic factor involved.

http://www.fourpawsonly.ca/canadian_...h_trachea.html

There is a CT exam you can perform as a minimal screening effort. It detects a mildly symptomatic dog that might not otherwise be noticed as having the defect. If you guys already know this, please forgive me. It's a 1 minute tracheal massage. Gently scratch the dogs chin and go down to scratching along the throat, occasionally massaging the area of the trachea from the top all the way down to the chest. You should be extremely careful and monitor the dog's responce to this, lighten up if you see any discomfort. If your massage, during this minute, provokes a honking cough then you probably have a CT dog. If it provokes a backwards sneeze or other coughing and distressed respiration, then it's a troubling sign and should be monitored.

[YorkieRose]

Thank you very much for this information. I am no doubt behind the times in this area..as I have not been faced with it much. I did have a girl in the early 90's with CT..it seemed to come on her after she had a hernia repaired. She was 8 yrs. and my vet said he thought the incubation tube caused it.
Her mother and other siblings were not effected by CT.

I am going to read about the protein angle..I wonder if it is a lack of protein in the diet or the inability to absorb it? If it is strictly dietary, a breeder who feeds a quality diet can avoid it..otherwise they can not of course.

If Chewy is the "odd man out" in his litter, then it is a reminder we only have so much control over Mother Nature. I do find Chewie's type to be a terrific pet..full of stuff and lots of fun.

[Hamoth]

It's not dietary, it's a genetic defect where the cells in the dog's throat do not PRODUCE a certain hardening protein. That makes the trachea soft. Many dogs can live with a soft trachea without any problems, but it makes a dog prone to develop a collapse episode with any trauma (bad intubation is a major cause). Other known contirbuting factors are suddent trauma from choke-chains and slip-collars, respitory ailments like kennel cough and flu, and even labored breathing from too much running around and having fun!

Anything that stresses the defective trachea can lead to a collapse. The stess may cause the collapse, but the weakened trachea is genetic and can not be cured by diet or any other treatment.

It's a misconception that ALL Yorkies or Small dogs are prone to this condition simply because they are small and delicate. It's kinda a common misunderstanding, I know, but it's not the fact. Some Yorkies have perfectly hard tracheas and could be treated as any other dog with a collar and such. While other Yorkies have a soft trachea from this genetic defect. It is this soft trachea that causes the collapse. I have often said that the major problem is that the condition is named after a symptom, rather than for what it is. I suggest calling it ST or Soft Trachea. Rather than CT which can indeed occur without the protein deficiency and associated genetic problems.

So in Chewy's case, it's probable that the entire litter has the defect, but Chewy has suffered a neck trauma at some point (and it could have been pretty minor) to cause the symptoms to present themselves. Perhaps a vet put a collar on him roughly once, or his birth was traumatic, or he scratched it too hard, or he was playing with a another dog who bit him there too hard for his soft throat to take. His littermates probably have the same soft trachea, but haven't yet had it poked in.

[txshopper73]

very interesting read. thanks for posting this.

[Yorkieville200]

You made an interesting post. I thought the veterinary medical community did not know if CT is genetic. Where did you find this info?

Thanks.
Sheila

Edited to add: Oops! Sorry, I didn't scroll down far enough to read all the posts.

[YorkieRose]

Again..thank you..where can I find this information?

[Hamoth]

http://www.fourpawsonly.ca/canadian_...h_trachea.html

http://azlink.com/~mkk/trachea.html

http://www.hillary.net/school/spring...g.lec.03.19.98

http://yorkshire-terrier.com/lacy/medical.htm

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...=1&SourceID=42

http://www.fourpawsonly.ca/canadian_...h_trachea.html

http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/tracheal_collapse.htm

http://www.petfinder.org/journalinde...th/1.34.13.txt

http://www.rievaulx.org/health_prob.html

http://www.vetnetwork.com/petcare_ar..._articleID=189

http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/tracheal_collapse.htm

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body..._collapse.html

The information out there is highly varied. Read with cautioun and a discriminating eye. Some articles are older than others, some are more medical than others. Most focus on the issue of an actual collapse, rather than the cause which is the weakened trachea. There is little official interest in the weakened trachea at this point, however studies are being done. I have contacted the president of the YTCA and Mary Elizabeth Dogmure of YTNR in order to refine my understanding. Given that research on this problem if funded by clubs like the AKC and YTCA, I thought these groups would know more about what has been done. The answer is that they are only now beginning to research this in earnest.

Question:
Can a dog with this disease pass it on to litters – Is this genetic.

Answer:
At this point they don't know yet. There hasn't been enough research done yet to make that determination.

http://www.collapsingtrachea.com/

Note that I believe the above to be innapropriate for public understanding. What the author means (and I have spoken with the author) is that the genes have yet to be determined. There is ample reason to believe this is a genetic defect, but the genes involved are many and complex.

Article on ct written by a vet that is more in line with modern thinking.

We also know that it occurs in certain breeds of dogs, notably Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Toy Poodles, and Yorkshire Terriers. Because of that, we suspect that there is a genetic factor involved.

http://www.fourpawsonly.ca/canadian_...h_trachea.html

Medical source with similar opinion:

Inheritance: Unknown but assumed complex

http://www.rievaulx.org/health_prob.html

And another:

The cartilage defect that leads to the flattened “C” rings seems to be hereditary.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body..._collapse.html

In other cases I have read that it's sepcifically assumed to be polygenic. I hope I included that source in the above somewhere.