Reverse sneezing/collapses trachea
 

I'm so worried!

I've been trying to do some research but am sure not sure which is my baby's problem: reverse sneezing or CT. geez, I hope it's not CT.

She will be a year next week. A lot of times after drinking water, she would snort some, ever since I got her. Sometimes on a walk as well (with harness) and ive never noticed ANY correlation with excersize, as most of the time shes running around like a mad baby! well this last week all the sudden, she's been having snorting fits A LOT. she extends her neck, her mouth is shut and she bobs her head like a sneeze, but makes an awful snorting sound. It's lasts a few seconds and then will stop and reoccur. I recorded it and plan to ask my vet. If its not CT, why would she be reverse sneezing so much? I know allergens are very bad right now where I live. If it is CT, how do I know she's not going to get enough air and will pass out or something and if she does, what do I do?

I'm just not sure, even after all the reading, if I can tell the difference. YouTube videos would indicate reverse sneeze but then their are some videos of
Collapses trachea that mimic the dogs I watched with reverse sneeze.

Any experience, advise, expertise would be appreciated. My husband and I will die If something happens to this girl!!!!!!

The best way to find out is have the vet check out the video and her. I know 2 of mine snort every time they drink water. Mine seem to have spurts of the reverse sneeze so hopefully that's all it is with your baby. While not impossible CT usually shows up after the age of 5. I think your vet will be able to put your mind at ease. Keep us posted.

Sounds very much like a reverse sneeze to me. Yes, pollen is extremely high right now in our area.

With CT, I would not expect the mouth to be closed when they cough. Of course I cannot guarantee I am right, but it does not sound like any CT pup I have ever had.

I am sure when you show your vet the video, your mind will be put at ease.

Thank you both! Ladyjane, your pups with CT, were they able to live a mostly normal life with treatment, or did they require surgery?

I've read that surgery is really risky!

There are varying degrees of CT. As for surgery, I am not a fan.

One of my seniors has CT and I did not know it until a bit over a year ago. He is fine....but then, I have had some that were just awful.

Thanks! I'm taking her to the vet now. She's doing is too much! :( hopefully allergies and I can get a prescription to fix it!

wishing you luck at the vets .......there also meds you can try to help control ct...my keylo is a not yet a year old and thus far lives an active life. we just have to monitor and be careful if she has an episode I pick her up and rub her neck softly and if during play I make her stop and calm down and again rub her neck. thankfully they are few and far between right now and I pray they stay that way. hope everything turns out ok.

The vet seems concerned. They took her back for an X-ray.. So we are waiting.. :(

sending many prayers

Thank you very much!!

Sending prayers!!!

ct really does show up on a xray though.. just from what ive been told by my vet and researched incase you weren't aware.

Praying for you and your baby! :)

sorry that should say doesn't show up.

Her X-ray looked clear. Thank God. Yes he said that in some cases an X-ray wouldn't show it because you only see collapsil during an episode, but in a dog this young that was doing it so much, he'd expect a severe case, where the trachea was developed abnormally or had a permanent narrowing/bend- so that's what he was looking for and he was suprised that the X-ray was nice and wide. Yay! She
Could have allergies or upper respitory infection that I got meds for. What testing discovered your babies CT? I will keep her in my prayers!

fluoroscopy .....thank you i appreciate it and im glad her xray looks good.

Yes. That's what he said he'd recommend If
The meds don't help. Did you have an X-ray first?

no actually weve not yet had anything. sorry i meant as the test for diagnosing she hasn't had an xray or fluoroscopy yet... she came to me with kennel cough which they diagnosed as ct then we realized it was kennel cough and after that was taken care of she was diagnosed by my vet with palpitation only he said to monitor, hes only had one other case in a small breed and treated with meds but i am searching for a specialist and in this area im not finding any all at least an hour out so im working on that so we can do all that is needed for her future. right now she is not having episodes everyday.

Actually it does not always show up on xray. I had a problem with that once with one of mine. He was having surgery and I was out of state at the time and did not have his records with me. I advised them of it and they did an xray and determined he was fine. He almost died from the surgery and anesthesia due to collapsed trachea.

Here is a link, and a quote, about diagnostic testing:

http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/Hea...chealCollapse/

Diagnostic tests
Chest x-rays (Figure 2, 3) may help with the diagnosis in some animals, 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, however. Fluoroscopy- a moving x-ray- will allow the veterinarian to check the condition of the dog's trachea when it is breathing in and out (Figure 4). This is important since the size of the trachea can change with the phase of respiration. Endoscopy- viewing the inside of the trachea with a fiberoptic camera - provides the best detail of the inside of the airway (Figure 5) and allows the veterinarian to take fluid samples for culture and microscopic analysis. Veterinarians may also recommend an echocardiogram- an ultrasound of the heart- to evaluate its function, and blood work to check for any other health problems.

Oops...saw this post after my response. hahha

So after basically 1 1/2 days of meds Zoe is like 95% better. Which is great, but concerns me too because I know she can't be on these medications long term.

I do have a question for anyone who might know- I'm assuming it is the steroid she is taking that has made her better so quickly, as anitbiotics take time (which such quick turn around probably means its not an infection :() The steroids were said to help with allergies, but don't they help with CT too? I just don't see how allergies could make her do what she was doing (the snorting/honking fits like she couldn't breathe). Anyone know, if she does have CT, if maybe allergies are making the symptoms magnify, since it is allergy season? The vet did try to induce it while we were there by rubbing certain areas- but he couldn't get it to- which is good I guess.

I'm scared it's going to come back once she gets off the medications (which are only for 8 days).

I'm just worried. I mean she is a year old! JUST a year. I can't imagine her having to struggle with this for forever. It just sucks, other than the breathing, she is seemingly sooo healthy- Don't think she has ever had a lose stool, has tons of energy, hearty appetite. Up until recently she could run and run and run and run, full speed, and never let out one cough or snort! It just seems to have come on so strong, randomly and all at once. Limit exercise? She is a yorkie and only 1 year old- not only is that HARD to do, but sad to do because her fav thing to do is PLAY.

Here is a video of what she does- I wanted you guys to be able to see. It is painful for me to watch! This is the same video I showed my vet Saturday. I am supposed to call him Wed. to update, where I will have another full list of questions to ask him. AGAIN. Haha.
http://youtu.be/1H7j9f6XttI

That video is a bit disturbing but I am still not sure what it is. I have had pups with both conditions and I am not sure. It is hard to see her...I can hear it well though and it is loud and does sound like it could be either.

Honestly, if I were you, I would go to an internal med specialist and let them diagnose her so that you have your answer. No guessing games, just do the testing to find out!

I am hopeful that it is just reverse sneezing.

Zoe
 

I just saw the video and it was scary to me, never having seen either CT or reverse sneezing. The poor baby looks so distressed and does not seem to understand what is happening to her. You must be upset to see this too.
Great news that she is so much better now, even if on the meds. Praying that she will get over this and be well without the steroids, as they are not good long term drugs from my experience. Try not to fret too much about this, and wait until the vet has definitely diagnosed Zoe. It could be just a temporary affliction that will go away, an allergy or asthma attack? As she is so healthy otherwise I would be hopeful that she will be over this very soon. But I can understand your concerns with her being so young, and having these scary episodes.
Get well soon Zoe and Mom will feel better too! Thoughts and prayers.

Thank you both!

Zoe
 

You are most welcome! It is horrible to have a sick baby and I feel for you.

I don't know either. But I send many prayers your way that it is just allergies and it stops soon. My pup also does this sometimes but not as bad. Please keep us posted.

Will do! My cousins shorkie does it as well with the same severity and her vet told her reverse sneeze. Zoe has stopped doing it now that she is on meds. She goes off
Of them Monday. I talked to my vet yesterday and he said once she comes
Off the meds if it returns quickly with the same severity, he will refer me to have a floroscopy done so we can know exactly what's going on, but he doesn't feel it's CT since her x ray looked great and she responded so quickly to such a low dose of meds, making almost 100% turn around on them. Now she can run and run and bounce around and not have any issues. So I am hopeful!

I'm just seeing this thread now. One of pups does that as well - just as severe. CT didn't show up in his x-ray either. Now I'm curious if I should take him back to my vet for further testing. I hope your pup stays well off the medication! Please keep us updated.

Update- Zoe had an episode her last day of meds Sunday, but since has been fine! Yay! She has been super hyper, running around like crazy, and hasn't done the honking. She did start to have an episode the other day. She had just thrown up some yellow (she does this occasionaly) and then started to honk away, but this time I plugged her nose with my fingers and she let out a gurgle and it stopped it! Which was a good sign to me- would leave me to believe reverse sneeze, from what I have read. Though we are not 100% in the clear for CT, she is doing fine off the meds. I also ordered at harness from Chattiesmom. Her current one sits to high up and still effects her throat/trachea area. We pray over her every day! So here's to good health for her going forward. If any new developments arise in the future, I will be sure to post about, as I believe information on this could be beneficial to others. Thanks again everyone!!

So happy she's doing better! Question about plugging her nose...did the vet tell you to do that? Is that supposed to help with the reverse sneezing? My pup had a long episode last night (about 45 seconds) and I didn't know what to do! If plugging the nose is supposed to help, I might try that.

Good luck with the new harness! I hear that Chattiesmom's harnesses are fabulous! Even for pups with no trachea issues.

Keeping our fingers crossed for you & Zoe!