Weak/Collapsing Trachea Worsening with Excitement

[YazminD]

Awww, poor Max. I just saw the video. I hope you get some answers tomorrow and that Max will recover quickly.

[Samiebaby]

Thank you so much! I will keep you updated.

[YorkOfTheShire]

Ugh Still praying for Max! I hope it is something that can be easily remedied, so he can go about being a dog. Poor li'l guy. He definitely has a wonderful skinmama!

[Samiebaby]

Took him to OSU Vet Hospital today for his appointment.

After extensive testing the flouro showed a substantial tracheal collapse in his chest. I have to pick him up at 3 and they'll give the scoop on lifetime management and meds then.

Very upset at the moment. I will update when I know more.

[TxVicki]

Originally Posted by Samiebaby

Took him to OSU Vet Hospital today for his appointment.

After extensive testing the flouro showed a substantial tracheal collapse in his chest. I have to pick him up at 3 and they'll give the scoop on lifetime management and meds then.

Very upset at the moment. I will update when I know more.

Oh no I am so sorry to read this. Prayers this can be managed well for him with medications.

[YazminD]

Originally Posted by Samiebaby

Took him to OSU Vet Hospital today for his appointment.

After extensive testing the flouro showed a substantial tracheal collapse in his chest. I have to pick him up at 3 and they'll give the scoop on lifetime management and meds then.

Very upset at the moment. I will update when I know more.

I'm so sorry to hear this for you and poor Max.
Keeping Max in my prayers and hoping he'll feel much better once he's taking the Meds.

[Samiebaby]

Prescribed Hycodan twice a day forever, Prednisone for about 12 days (will taper him down and off) and an Ase for maximum anxiety times.

Also, he's been in desperate need of a teeth cleaning and we've been putting it off because we were nervous to put him under. The vet said she would definitely recommend going through with it, but says we should do it at their hospital so if something does go wrong they have a full staff there. Of course, she gave me the heads up that it would be much more expensive than my regular vet. How do I NOT take him to the hospital for it? It's so risky that I feel like I don't have a choice.

He's doing fine right now... just resting. Me, I'm pretty bummed out. This didn't come on slowly like most - it was acute. So, I'm still really terrified and not over the shock yet. I can't believe I will have to medicate him the rest of his life and pray that he has a decent quality of life :-/

If any of you have any advice, I'm always ready to listen. Can use all the encouragement and advice you're willing to give.

[swissgolfer]

How is Max doing...??
I do have a puppy - 5 month - I am going thru the same... All x-ray looks good - Coughing mainly during the night and the day when excited...
My reg. vet sent me to a internal vet specialist... Coco is on a cough and prednisone meds... My vet says the next step would be a broncoscopy???
Hope Max is doing better

[melissandavid]

I just took my little Abby yesterday to the vet and she has collapsing trachea she will be 11 this year. They found it by x-ray, she doesnt cough a whole but still enough. Most everytime she gets a drink or when she gets excited. I have read someone had a maltese puppy that had ct and she lived to be 16 1/2 years old. So that makes me feel better but it still so scary! Hope u can find some answers.

[barneysmommmy]

Originally Posted by Samiebaby

Prescribed Hycodan twice a day forever, Prednisone for about 12 days (will taper him down and off) and an Ase for maximum anxiety times.

Also, he's been in desperate need of a teeth cleaning and we've been putting it off because we were nervous to put him under. The vet said she would definitely recommend going through with it, but says we should do it at their hospital so if something does go wrong they have a full staff there. Of course, she gave me the heads up that it would be much more expensive than my regular vet. How do I NOT take him to the hospital for it? It's so risky that I feel like I don't have a choice.

He's doing fine right now... just resting. Me, I'm pretty bummed out. This didn't come on slowly like most - it was acute. So, I'm still really terrified and not over the shock yet. I can't believe I will have to medicate him the rest of his life and pray that he has a decent quality of life :-/

If any of you have any advice, I'm always ready to listen. Can use all the encouragement and advice you're willing to give.

My Max, a pom/Chihuahua mix, was diagnosed with collapsed trachea at about the same age. When he had flares, the meds helped him to slow down and rest. Otherwise, he was still very active. He ran around the yard saving us from squirrels as usual. He is now 15. A sad side effect is that he now sleeps in the living room. It sounds cruel I know but we were not sleeping at all. He also has bad teeth, but our vet will not do a dental because it is too risky with his age and health. If my Max were 10 years younger and had full health except for CT, I would definitely go get the dental at the hospital. I have heard that there's a surgery to correct CT. But Max is not a candidate for surgery. Maybe this is something your vet would consider.

By the way, Max has not been on meds constantly. He only goes on them when he has a flare up. When this happens, I call the vet and refill his meds. I don't know if this is how most vets handle CT, but it has worked for Max. I will be thinking of you and praying that your Max has a similar outcome as mine. I can remember when my Max was diagnosed, we thought it meant he would have a shortened life span and live a miserable life filled with coughing and illness, but this hasn't been our experience.

[butterfly]

Oh no, I am so sorry to see this happening. It is going to be a struggle for you. It's very hard to watch your baby suffer so.

My little Mariposa had this. Hers was very severe. Started with the heat, and panting when she was about a year old. Our lives totally changed after that. It got so we couldn't have company, or anything that would get her into an 'episode'. It could last a day, week or weeks. I don't know how her little heart lasted as long as it did. Day and night with that constant gasping for breath. The meds, well, I don't know how much they helped. A little, but not enough. The best thing seemed to be somewhat sedated. Mari had a pain killer, 'Torbugesic' that helped more than anything for her. Calmed her down, let her rest a little.

I agree with a fan, to help get the extra air, and I would elevate her head at night. Seems the laying flat isn't good.

She passed a 6. I should have probably put her down, but when she was good..... well, you know.

She never had a collar on, only a harness, so that wasn't part of the problem.

Now with my little Libby, I use only the step in harness. I found a really nice soft one at pet smart. I had found that a regular harness, she will pull on to where she coughed. I heard that once and threw it away.

As far as the citronella collar. Those things DO work to get them to stop barking. My chihuahua would go crazy barking with compay. We put that on him and boom, he quit. Now when company comes we don't even have to put it on him. Just cough ourselves into it and it sprays, we do this near him and he is a mello fellow. Settles the yorkie down too. Actually, Libby is afraid of it and will pee when she smells it! But it DOES work!

Bless you and your little guy. I pray that this is just something irritating him and antibiotics will take care of it.

[jeane]

I am so sorry about Max// hope he feels better soon