[ladyjane]

I have a foster with a collapsed trachea and have dealt with a few others over the years.
Yes, excitement does cause a lot of problems and it is best to keep them as quiet as possible. Also, it is important to keep weight off and keep them cool in warm weather. I am also seeing an increase during days with high humidity and am thinking about trying a dehumidifier.
Ozzy, my foster, has been having frequent episodes since July. Sometimes it goes on for days and it scares people who hear him. I am used to it now and as long as he is getting a good air exchange, I do not get upset. What you need to do is keep an eye on his tongue and gums...as long as they are pink, there is no need to rush to an emergency vet. This condition sometimes sounds worse than it really is...not to minimize the condition, but people tend to react to the constant barking/honking sounds.
You need to keep an arsenal of meds at home and learn to manage it! Right now Ozzy is on Theophylline. Lomotil, Prednisone, and Torbutol as needed. If you have not tried Lomotil, do ask your vet about it! It is an anti diarrheal in people, but does help these pups. A friend of mine recently started her foster on it and also got good results. If your vet has not heard about it, tell him/her it is in his Pet Therapy manual under collapsed trachea. I also have syringes of a mixture of Torbutol and Ace Pro...I know a lot of people do not like that tranquilizer, but I can tell you that when Ozzy gets out of control, it quiets him down enough and sometimes turns the episode around. Those injections have saved our sleep!
As for the surgery, I have yet to have anyone tell me it is highly successful and at Ozzy's age it really is not an option. If I were you I would tread lightly on that one should anyone suggest it....and certainly do a lot of research.
Oh...and as for the Prednisone....he was on Temaril-P for a while, but he has gotten so bad in the past month that we had to go on the Pred. You may not need to use that. We only did it because there was nothing much else left to do and it has helped Ozzy.
I hope some of this has helped you. Feel free to PM me if I can help. Best thing to do is try to not get upset...they can feel when we are stressed.