[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.