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12-13-2015, 02:51 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Clinton Twp., MI
Posts: 9
| Our collapsed trachea story with great results!! It's been a long time since I posted on this forum. I thought I should share our story about one of our Yorkie's. Lucy is 7 years old. She started with signs and symptoms of collapsed trachea about 4 years ago with occasional honking. As we know it is a progressive incurable genetic condition. She continued to honk like a goose until it got to the point were we could not take her on walks anymore. We tried some theophylline and was advised not to get her excited. She did well when she was at home but would have fits of honking at the groomer or if she get excited. Early in November she went to the groomer came home and was basically in distress for 24 hours keeping my wife up all night. I did some research and knew we needed more than just medical treatment. That left a tracheal stent or surgery. Luckily we live in Michigan and not too far from a world renowned criticalist and interventional radiologist at Michigan State University School of Veterinary Medicine. His name is Dr. Beal. After about a 90 minute drive to the campus for our 9am appointment, Dr. Beal met with us got Lucy's history did an exam and gave us all of our options with risks and benefits. They did a fluoro exam which confirmed severe tracheal collapse. We decided on the stent procedure as the surgery has some acute complications that we did not want to risk. We thought we would have to come back but he said they would do it today!! We left the procedure went great our little one spent the night in their beautiful new ICU. It has been about a month since the procedure and our little Lucy is like a new dog!! Her last grooming appointment went very well and her first walk today was great!! No honking like a goose!! The procedure was about $3,700 but worth EVERY penny!! She does cough some from the foreign body in her tracheal but we no doubt have given her a much better quality of life. I can't recommend Dr. Beal and MSU enough. I know there are many others here with the same problem. If you can afford it get the stent. |
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12-14-2015, 06:20 AM | #2 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: italy
Posts: 263
| Soooo delighted that they are making progress in this area. I lost two of my girls (10 years old) to CT last year and would have given anything to have them still with me. Keep us posted on her health. I am eager to know how she continues. Best wishes |
12-14-2015, 08:44 AM | #3 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SoCA
Posts: 1,895
| This is great news. Good for you and your little one.
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12-14-2015, 08:57 AM | #4 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| Im glad you had good results with it not all dogs do
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12-14-2015, 10:05 AM | #5 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Clinton Twp., MI
Posts: 9
| Chachi, So far so good. I know there are concerns with tracheitis and chronic cough with the stents but so far the cough has not been too bad. i also think the person doing the stent has a lot to do with the dogs success. Lucky for us we have Dr. Beal who has done a ton and is highly regarded. They come from all over for him. Hoping to give encouragement and help to others with the same problem. |
12-15-2015, 03:08 AM | #6 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Our vet does a ton of them and says it's great....when the dog is a candidate and there are no complications. Our dog is 15.5 and for lots of reasons isn't a candidate. Although it's touch and go here, we are medically managing him with hydrocodone, butorphanol and steroids all of which are the mainstays of treatment. Bronchodilators are also used but our dog can't use them. I'm surprised anyone did surgery on your dog before exhausting medical management options.
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12-15-2015, 06:31 AM | #7 | |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Clinton Twp., MI
Posts: 9
| Quote:
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12-16-2015, 11:03 AM | #8 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Bronchodilators don't do anything for the cough. The cough has to be managed with cough suppressants and I've seen no adverse side effects using them now for over a year. We are new to steroid use and the dose is so small that I'm not worried about side effects. My Barney is 15.5 years old..he's outlived his prognosis and he's at the end of his natural lifespan. He was diagnosed with a collapsing trachea by age 2, and did not become clinically affected until over 14. He too has a profound collapse at the thoracic inlet. My specialist said he is the worst trachea she's ever seen that presents with so little clinical signs. He recently started having trouble, but he's 15.5....something is going to get him.
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12-16-2015, 11:30 AM | #9 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Clinton Twp., MI
Posts: 9
| Our dog never had a cough. Cough usually means involvement beyond the trachea. She does cough now from the stent but that is to be expected. Trust me I know about these medications as I'm an anesthesiologist. We would be thrilled for our Lucy to make it as long as your dog. |
12-16-2015, 05:48 PM | #10 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Our dog has a tracheal cough which ranges from a high pitch sound to the well known goose honk. This was diagnosed at around age 2, back when tracheal rings were poor prognosis proceeded and I remember our first vet being a negative nancy about it. I was putting out info on the drugs for others who might read this thread. The vast majority of dogs with CT can be managed with medicine. This includes the drugs I listed and others. The majority of dogs having stent surgery have complications and most with CT aren't candidates (high existence of comorbid conditions in middle to elderly small breeds such as heart disease). It sounds like your dog is a success story. For that I'm very happy for you. But people shouldn't jump into that surgery without exhausting medical management options. And they definitely should be at a specialist hospital to even consider it. I hope your girl lives as long as our dog too! I'm lucky, I've got two of them 15.5 living happily and doing well.
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12-16-2015, 05:53 PM | #11 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Wait you said in your original post that the dog honked. That's the cough I was referencing...treated very well with hycodan or butorphanol and others plus or minus steroid therapy.
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12-17-2015, 12:40 PM | #12 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Bethel, Ct
Posts: 124
| We lost our boy Casey to the same issue....glad to hear there are options, I would of done it in a heartbeat |
10-16-2016, 02:44 AM | #13 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Plymouth, MA USA
Posts: 3
| HI I am so glad to hear that Lucy did great after surgery.Our dog Oscar has grade III/IV CT we are in the process of setting up the surgery at Tufts in grafton for the rings where is CT is he is a candidate for this any insight you have would be great thanks Laurie |
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