first off no collars! I know most know but just in case.
My poor Roxy (along with other ailments) lived her whole 12 years with collapsed trachea. I know when it happened too. I lived in a condo and she was about a year. Somehow I got away without tenant association complaining putting out a 20 foot or so leash tied to my terrace so so when I was home I would put her on it and leave the door open. She loved to lay in the sun so she could come and go as she pleased. Someone had this trained pet rabbit across the way who was out and Roxy saw him and bolted. She forgot she was leashed and I thought she broke her neck. I will never forget the scream. I ran - grabbed her, grabbed my keys and got her to the vet in less than 5 minutes. She ended up fine but that had the be the start of the collapsed trachea.
She was on a bronchodialator, and a narcotic cough suppressant (Hycoden) as needed which wasn't too often but it did mean keeping her from getting overexcited and in a/c out of the heat of the summer. We had a couple bad attacks over the year ending up in the emergency room but all in all it wasnt terrible. She was always a couch potato anyway so overexcitement wasnt an issue as she got older.
I would be first concerned with kennel cough though. We had that in my house this summer a couple weeks and I was a nervous wreck. |