Collapsed Trachea how is it detected by a Vet

[matese]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Here:

https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/tracheal-collapse


From that site:

Diagnostics:
In general, the following tests are recommended to diagnose the degree of collapse, provide a clear picture of overall health and evaluate your pet:

bloodwork to look at overall health
chest x-rays (Figure 2, 3) may help with the diagnosis in some pets, and are useful for ruling out other conditions and looking at the size of the heart. Tracheal collapse is not always visible on regular x-rays.

fluoroscopy ̶ a moving x-ray ̶ will allow your primary care veterinarian to check the condition of your dog's trachea when it is breathing in and out (Figure 4). This is important since the size of the trachea can change depending on if your dog is breathing in or out.

endoscopy ̶ viewing the inside of the trachea with a fiber optic camera ̶ provides the best detail of the inside of the airway (Figure 5) and allows your veterinarian to take fluid samples for culture and analysis
echocardiogram ̶ an ultrasound of the hear ̶ to evaluate cardiac function

Thank you for outlining the importance of a fluoroscopy. This will help all that may read this thread.

[ladyjane]

I don't know that it is necessarily important. With CT you treat the symptoms and often a diagnosis can be made without the flouroscopy. What I am trying to get across to people is that getting a negative xray does not rule CT out.

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

My pleasure. I really wish everyone knew some of this information.

Especially the part about Xrays...they will not conclusively diagnose CT, nor will a physical exam.

The only definitive way to diagnose CT is with a flouroscopy because it shows the trachea on inspiration and expiration.

Yes, it can be diagnosed by manipulation and xrays, but it can also be missed by those!

My Vet has no problem doing xrays on inspiration and expiration he runs two and can see exactly what is happening. He has showed them to me as well and showed me what i am looking at for a collapsing trachea. Of course, I do have a very good well experienced vet. Physical exam can give a suspicion but not a definitive diagnosis. Xray is agood follow up and will definitely tell the story-- if your vet knows what they are doing.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Lorraine

My Vet has no problem doing xrays on inspiration and expiration he runs two and can see exactly what is happening. He has showed them to me as well and showed me what i am looking at for a collapsing trachea. Of course, I do have a very good well experienced vet. Physical exam can give a suspicion but not a definitive diagnosis. Xray is agood follow up and will definitely tell the story-- if your vet knows what they are doing.

I have no doubt your vet is good; but when the Academy of Board Certified Veterinary Surgeons and other well respected groups say that xrays are not definitive, I will agree with them.

I really did not want to get into this lengthy story I am about to share, but feel now that I must. I had a pup who was xray'd and diagnosed with CT by my vet. This was when I lived in another state. During that time I did a lot of traveling and often had my two pups with me. This one, Maxwell, literally walked off a bed in a hotel room one night. He seemed fine at the time, but soon after he started exhibiting neurological symptoms. Long story short, he ended up unable to walk and I rushed him to Texas A&M since I was down here at the time. They found that he had two herniated discs in his cervical spine and discussed surgery with me. Because the surgery would be done through the front of his neck, I expressed concern about his collapsed trachea. (I did not have a copy of his xrays with me to show them). They took xrays and found that his trachea looked just fine and felt the surgery would be uneventful. The surgery on his discs went remarkably well and he was standing immediately after the surgery. The problem? He was unable to be extubated due to his CT! Fortunately he did recover, but it was touch and go for a couple of days...he was on a respirator. I was horrified. So, after that I did a lot of reading about CT. I have, since Maxwell, had a few CT pups with varying degrees of CT ... I have yet to have to do a flouroscopy on them; but I do know that xrays are not always definitive no matter how good the vet. A&M is a highly respected veterinary hospital. Again, I don't really think it matters....there is no real reason in most cases to consider flouroscopy as most cases can be diagnosed without.

As for treatment, that too varies from case to case. I have used multiple meds.