please help really worried :(

[BarbaraM]

My 3 year old Yorkie once made a strange noise at his vet appt and I was told "reverse sneeze" It then happened intermittently, and I never worried.
It progressed. To a honk when in the car going to vet/groomer. But it would subside on its own and I never worried.
At a new vet appt - he is now 6 yo - it began. Louder. Fiercer. Vet said, "collapsing trachea, keep him calm" I still was not worried.
Went to a new groomer and Ted, my yorkie, was frantic when I came to pick him up. It was extremely loud, I was concerned but not worried. I took him home and calmed him down and it relaxed after a few hours.
A new vet again for check-up, since the last one went back to horse chiro - and now Ted is in such bad shape. The dr and I could barely hear each other. He went in back to have blood draw. Doc suggested soft palate resection-for she didn't think it was collapsed trachea. Scheduled within four days. Xray should be repaired by then. I was allowed to leave with him.

At 430 am, he is still in bad shape. I scoop him up and take him to the ER an hour away. They take him immediately, sedate him and give him steroids and call a veterinary teaching hospital to get him into. I drive another two hours with him honking, gasping for air, really in bad shape. I arrive and they immediately put him in an oxygenated cage and me in a room to calm down. When they took him from me his tongue was hanging out (I have never seen him like this) and he looked like he was going into shock. I began crying uncontrollably. I find out the sedative began to work at this point and he just fell asleep. He spent the next 24 hours in this hospital. They called the next day and said the fluoroscopy shows his trachea is collapsed, a stent should be done. I said no. No stent. Meds.

I then left to go pick him up -- still honking -- covered in poo. He could barely walk. I sat in the back seat with him while my daughter drove the three hours home. Honking, and still having trouble breathing. This was October 27th.

I saw the films myself. I wish one of his previous vets had done SOMETHING to diagnose and give me meds to start him on BEFORE it became so critical. Maybe he would not have had to suffer as he did.

I cannot understand why his most recent vet allowed him to leave. She even joked that he needed a doggie valium. Yet, gave him nothing to ease his OBVIOUS breathing difficulty. It was HELL.

Now, life has changed for us. Our world revolves around him for now. We have no working door bell. Phone ringers are off. He will NOT leave this house unless sedated. I slept next to his cage that first night. Actually I napped here and there. Each day was a blessing.

He is doing very well, now. But oh, how I wish I could take the $1500 bill from the hospital and...never mind. I am trying to forgive that vet for what she allowed. For I didn't know the seriousness of CT, and I feel bad for that. BUT SHE DID and chose to do NOTHING for my pet.

Please don't wait like I did. Know for sure. Have some back up meds. Cover all the bases!! It does get worse over time. At least it did for Ted!!

Good luck and good health for your pup.