[Vinniedoggy]

So, my family has always had terriers of some sort, and we've had a few over the years who have had some degree of a collapsed trachea. Two of our dogs have passed as a result of the condition, although they had lived good lives by that point (our old yorkie, Andy, passed at the ripe old age of 17 and Sam, who had a pretty severe collapsed trachea, died at the age of 14).

I adopted Alex this past summer at the age of 4. He's had sort of a rough life, with severe allergies and being bounced between numerous homes. It's readily apparent that he has a collapsed trachea. While walking around the house he doesn't usually exhibit any symptoms, but when we're out walking and he gets excited, he does the classic goose honk/windex bottle sound that indicates a collapsed trachea. I've always used a harness on him, but even the harness seems to aggravate it. I've discovered a gentle leader leash is EXCELLENT for stopping all the choking sounds. Oh, and when he barks and inhales, he makes that goose honking/windex bottle sound.

Alex loves to go to the dog park and chase his ball (he will do this for hours). But after a few minutes of running, he's making that goose honking sound. Amazingly, he doesn't seem to be slowed down by it, but I always make him "slow down" and take a break. His gums never turn blue (I've checked) and he always seems to have plenty of energy. It sounds bad, but doesn't seem to really bother him. At least, not yet.

So here are my questions:

1. Has anyone ever tried using Glyco-Flex (or a similar glucosamine supplement) to help prevent further damage of the trachea? Or any other supplement that helps support/regenerate cartilege? If so, what has been your impression? Any specific kinds you would recommend?

2. Has anyone else had success using a gentle-leader type harness to avoid all possible pressure on the neck area? We've only done one walk with it thus far, but HUGE improvement! We walked for 30 minutes and he didn't make a single coughing/goose-honking sound.

3. Has anyone ever done the surgery to repair a collapsed trachea? I know there are at least two different procedures out there, but everything I've read online shows really mixed results.

4. Has anyone done exercise restriction to prevent worsening of the collapsing? I've read about this online, but Alex is just so active that I don't think I could keep him on any kind of low exercise routine. Does it really make a difference?

5. Any other things that people have found helpful in preventing worsening of a collapsed trachea?

Alex does go to the vet regularly and I will be setting up an appointment with our vet to specifically address this issue and get x-rays done to determine the extent of the problem. Other than severe skin allergies (for which he's being treated with Atopica, allergy shots, and Zyrtec), Alex is very healthy. He's not overweight and follows a raw diet (Nature's Variety and home cooked/prepared food). I just want to make sure I'm doing everything for him that I can now to prevent problems in the future.

Thanks!
Andrea