Collapsing Trachea

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by Foster Mom

My little boy went in for a dental and the vet collapsed his trachea. We were very careful, keeping weight down, not letting him get to excited, etc. I had no idea that in the meantime his little heart was working very hard to accomadate his breathing and was very surprised when the vet (a new vet after we moved to the USA) told me his heart was enlarged, he could no longer go out on walks as he just chocked and gasped, but we adjusted. Several cardiology appointments and echocardiograms later his cardiologist told me the ventricle had seemed to have improved and told me his prognosis was good. I left the appointment with the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. He was on a broncodialator daily and lasix when needed.

6 weeks after his last cardiologist appt I woke one moring to find him breathing very labored and very wet sounding so we rushed him to the vet. The vet heard a new valve leak and a murmur. We had him in an oxygen tank at the time because he was having Hypoxia terrors and his tongue was black. We had the choice to leave him at the vets that day oin oxygen and they would give him lasix injections, but I had him in my arms and he would not look at me, would not kiss me, would not lift his head. That was not like him at all. Because we live in a very small town I did not want to bring him home and have to watch him suffer and pass away if something happened in the middle of the night and the vet told me he did not expect him to live another 4 days if he even made it thru the day. We decided to leave him for the treatment and the vet looked at me with a very sad look and said "You might want to say goodbye to him before you leave as I truly do not know if he will survive the day". My decision was made, I was not going to have him be alone and pass to the bridge without me there, he deserved to have me with him when he went and when the vet assured me he was really THAT sick we made the decision to let him go. I could not let him suffer anymore. When the vet gave him the needle, he had to do it twice because he missed the vein the first time, my guy did not even flinch. That told me a lot right then. When his little heart stopped beating, I did not know it had happened as his weight in my arms did not change when he slipped away. It was so peaceful. And I know the look in his eyes when I saw him in the oxygen tank was him telling me it was his time. No matter what has ever happened with him he ALWAYS responded to me, even when he would not to anyone else and that day he just wouldnt.

He had the trachea issue for about 2 1/2 years before it finally took him from me.

Good luck with your little one. CT does not have to mean a death sentance.

I am crying while reading your story. It sounds so much like mine, with my beloved Prince. Prince was always healthy until after his dental.

[ladyjane]

I don't know that a vet actually can collapse a trachea. It is more likely that the endotracheal tube irritated an already weakened trachea.

I would hate for people to think that they should not have necessary procedures done because of a fear of CT. Anesthesia is very safe in dogs.....sadly CT is common in our breed and sometimes you are just not aware that they have it until after a surgical procedure.

[Foster Mom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I don't know that a vet actually can collapse a trachea. It is more likely that the endotracheal tube irritated an already weakened trachea.

I would hate for people to think that they should not have necessary procedures done because of a fear of CT. Anesthesia is very safe in dogs.....sadly CT is common in our breed and sometimes you are just not aware that they have it until after a surgical procedure.

Actually the vet admitted they pulled the tube out to fast and they knew right away they had done so. When I went to pick him up they pulled me into a room and explained to me what they had done. Maybe I misunderstood.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Foster Mom

Actually the vet admitted they pulled the tube out to fast and they knew right away they had done so. When I went to pick him up they pulled me into a room and explained to me what they had done. Maybe I misunderstood.

I am sure you did misunderstand. They may have wished they had not pulled the endo tube because of the respiratory distress after, but that does not mean that it caused it. One of my pups recently had some distress after a dental and they kept the tube in longer to give him oxygen as he was coming out. He does have CT which was diagnosed after that incident. I did not know about it prior to that dental, but I never for one minute felt that they caused it. Many times pups will not show symptoms until the one day that suddenly it becomes an issue.

[ladyjane]

Here is a link I just found that explains this:

01 Tracheal Collapse - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

From the site:

What Animals are Affected?

The victim is almost always a toy breed dog, with poodles, Yorkshire terriers, and Pomeranians most commonly affected. The disease usually becomes problematic in middle age but can occur at any age. The cartilage defect that leads to the flattened C rings seems to be hereditary.

Many dogs with collapsed tracheas do not show symptoms, however, until a second problem complicates matters. Factors that bring out symptoms might include:

Obesity
Anesthesia involving the placement of an endotracheal tube
Development of kennel cough or other respiratory infection
Increased respiratory irritants in the air (cigarette smoke, dust, etc.)
Heart enlargement (the heart can get so big that it presses on the trachea)
If a secondary factor such as one of those listed above should occur and make a previously incidental collapsed trachea problematic, oftentimes removal of the secondary factor (weight loss program, getting an air filter, etc.) may clear up the symptoms of the collapsed trachea.

[Foster Mom]

Good to know. Thank you.

[beachdog]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I don't know that a vet actually can collapse a trachea. It is more likely that the endotracheal tube irritated an already weakened trachea.

I would hate for people to think that they should not have necessary procedures done because of a fear of CT. Anesthesia is very safe in dogs.....sadly CT is common in our breed and sometimes you are just not aware that they have it until after a surgical procedure.

Paris died of CT also probably caused by the tube during bladder stone surgery.
MIss you Paris.

[TEKOMI]

My little guy got sick when we got a new puppy that was 10 weeks old. The pup had been vaccinated at 6 weeks old, but the vet said it was too early and that the mother's immunity fights with the vaccine. The pup is now 13 weeks old and got her shots. My yorkie got kennel cough or cought some sort of respiratory infection, was coughing all the time and spitting up foamy, slightly yellow mucus but mostly clear. The vet said he may have KC and did an x-ray and no obstructions in his esophagus, but a very narrowed trachea. He is still coughing in spite of having antibiotics, pain pill, and a bronchodilator. It seems to be getting better, then he starts up again in the morning with more hard coughing. The vet said we may have to go in a do a tracheal lavage and endoscopy. I'm hoping he gets better because it costs a lot of money to get this done. I'm already into it $400 for this sickness. Does anyone know much about tracheal collapse and how to care for it? Does it cause a lot of coughing even when they don't have a respiratory infection. He was leary of the little dog at first and is now more socialized with her and she sleeps with us in the bed.
Thanks for any help.