Coping With Collapsed Trachea

[Jennayrich]

Hi all — last year we found out the 2 year old yorkie mix we rescued has collapsed trachea. Took several tests until we found a vet specialist who did a fluoroscopy on her and saw that the rings around her trachea weren't as strong as they should be. Her case was determined to be mild and she was put on Lomotill (cough suppressant) to keep her from coughing. We were also told to keep her in the AC, use a harness, and limit her exercise/playtime. Now she's 3, and it seems her CT has progressed and gotten worse because she's had some coughing fits even with her Lomotil. Her vet prescribed Theophylline to add to her medicine regimen, but it doesn't seem like she's reacting very well to it, and it's not completely controlling her cough either.

Was wondering if anyone else has gone through this, and how you've coped with it. I'm very worried and upset and constantly on edge, because she's so young and already having these issues. It's hard to be thinking about your dogs fate, and wondering how long we'll have with her, when she's so young and had a pretty hard life before we were able to rescue her. I'd love to hear from anyone whose had to deal with this, or if you know of any support groups out there. Thank you so much.

[Lovetodream88]

My moms yorkie was put on Hydrocodone for ct and has done really good on it.

[henryoh007]

Originally Posted by Jennayrich

Hi all — last year we found out the 2 year old yorkie mix we rescued has collapsed trachea. Took several tests until we found a vet specialist who did a fluoroscopy on her and saw that the rings around her trachea weren't as strong as they should be. Her case was determined to be mild and she was put on Lomotill (cough suppressant) to keep her from coughing. We were also told to keep her in the AC, use a harness, and limit her exercise/playtime. Now she's 3, and it seems her CT has progressed and gotten worse because she's had some coughing fits even with her Lomotil. Her vet prescribed Theophylline to add to her medicine regimen, but it doesn't seem like she's reacting very well to it, and it's not completely controlling her cough either.

Was wondering if anyone else has gone through this, and how you've coped with it. I'm very worried and upset and constantly on edge, because she's so young and already having these issues. It's hard to be thinking about your dogs fate, and wondering how long we'll have with her, when she's so young and had a pretty hard life before we were able to rescue her. I'd love to hear from anyone whose had to deal with this, or if you know of any support groups out there. Thank you so much.

I have been around champion yorkies close to two decades, breeding them and have so much fun. Ball chasing, being funny. They are the best loving dog you can have.
All of them generally speaking show signs of a partial-collapsed trachea, think of it. They are extremely small but so cute. Also they get allergies; coughing, sneezing, hacking
I have a neighbor next door when we walk by his house, buddy starts coughing like there is no tomorrow. The neighbor has a ton of trees, flowers that overfill his yard and he is constantly grooming them not to mention a good wind hits Mr. buddy too
My daughter took my buddy to a doctor in San Francisco, did that ever cost me some bucks. He recommended putting a shunt in to help him breath better $$$$$$ Buddy was four years old then.
I take him to a vet in Sonoma, CA that has been treating him since he was a pup and he says he is fine. This vet has so many clients lined up and this is a very expensive neighborhood. Not to mention an extremely loving vet.

Buddy is eight years old and runs 4 miles with me about three to four times a week. He also has a habit of not only coughing when he has allergies but when he wants attention or is bored. Trust me they know when daddy is concerned and will spoil him rotten. You can always tell because the tail is going like a rotor on a helicopter they are so happy you are paying attention to them.
I asked the receptionist at the vet. How old of a yorkie have you seen in your office? 16 years old. Did he have a trachea Shunt? NO. I’ve actually hear someone tell me that their grandmother had one that was 18 years old
My thoughts are if you keep him healthy with plenty of exercise and play. He will cough at start up a little, that’s alright. But if he has a choking cough or if he appears lethargic or does not eat take him to a vet right away.
I was a worry wart for a long time. Mr. Buddy has breed many times with other AKC yorkies females and I owe him. Not to mention how absolutely he adores me and I he.
We have a small breed and a partial collapsed trachea one of their many traits. Most do just fine without major expensive surgery. I use an air purifier around the house to keep the pollen out of the air and it works perfectly.
Good luck with your prize and they will be just fine.

Feel free to let me know if you have any more issues or questions

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by henryoh007

I have been around champion yorkies close to two decades, breeding them and have so much fun. Ball chasing, being funny. They are the best loving dog you can have.
All of them generally speaking show signs of a partial-collapsed trachea, think of it. They are extremely small but so cute. Also they get allergies; coughing, sneezing, hacking
I have a neighbor next door when we walk by his house, buddy starts coughing like there is no tomorrow. The neighbor has a ton of trees, flowers that overfill his yard and he is constantly grooming them not to mention a good wind hits Mr. buddy too
My daughter took my buddy to a doctor in San Francisco, did that ever cost me some bucks. He recommended putting a shunt in to help him breath better $$$$$$ Buddy was four years old then.
I take him to a vet in Sonoma, CA that has been treating him since he was a pup and he says he is fine. This vet has so many clients lined up and this is a very expensive neighborhood. Not to mention an extremely loving vet.

Buddy is eight years old and runs 4 miles with me about three to four times a week. He also has a habit of not only coughing when he has allergies but when he wants attention or is bored. Trust me they know when daddy is concerned and will spoil him rotten. You can always tell because the tail is going like a rotor on a helicopter they are so happy you are paying attention to them.
I asked the receptionist at the vet. How old of a yorkie have you seen in your office? 16 years old. Did he have a trachea Shunt? NO. I’ve actually hear someone tell me that their grandmother had one that was 18 years old
My thoughts are if you keep him healthy with plenty of exercise and play. He will cough at start up a little, that’s alright. But if he has a choking cough or if he appears lethargic or does not eat take him to a vet right away.
I was a worry wart for a long time. Mr. Buddy has breed many times with other AKC yorkies females and I owe him. Not to mention how absolutely he adores me and I he.
We have a small breed and a partial collapsed trachea one of their many traits. Most do just fine without major expensive surgery. I use an air purifier around the house to keep the pollen out of the air and it works perfectly.
Good luck with your prize and they will be just fine.

Feel free to let me know if you have any more issues or questions

Collapsing trachea is genetic and a dog with it should not be bred.

[ladyjane]

I have dealt with a few pups with CT over the years. Each one was managed differently....it seems to be trial and error.

Hycodan is often prescribed...have you tried it yet?

It is definitely important to keep their weight down and keep them unstressed and in a cool environment.

[ladyjane]

Here is an old thread that discusses various meds for CT:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...chea-meds.html

[henryoh007]

Great replies One more thing I do with buddy... he loves chasing and catching a ball. When he runs he holds a mini-tennis ball in his mouth. It helps keep the trachea expanded and keep him healthy.

Bottom line there are many reasons he coughs, allergies is a big one, attention is also a big one, possible collapsing trachea is not to be ignored.

Understanding your yorkie is important. Having discerning thoughts in what actually is the reason he is coughing is important. I know getting a shun in their trachea, precipitates continued medical treatment. Plus a good vet that loves dogs more than the monies. Thanks a ton for good caring yorkie people.

[lisaly]

Two of my Rainbow Bridge babies had collapsing tracheal. My little angel's was quite severe, but her older sister's wasn't difficult to manage. Gracie, my little baby, had collapsing trachea from the time she was little. She lived life full speed ahead, so it was difficult to keep her calm. When her trachea would become aggravated due to excitement, it became very important to cool Gracie off to get her body temperature down a bit. She often jumped into the first step of our pool, and I also submerged her to her belly in the sink. I always carried ice blocks with me wherever we went. When it wasn't bad, we used a spray bottle filled with water. Just a couple sprays of water helped. Ashley, our older little girl, developed symptoms when she was older. It led to an enlarged heart, and she also got gas pockets in her belly because she took in too much air because of her breathing difficulties. She had one bad spell that was difficult to control with several interventions from our vet, but it was never scary with Ashley like it was with Gracie. You will get to know the signs of distress and learn how to help control it. If I can help in any way, please let me know.

[Yorkiedaze]

We had to have our beautiful Zada put to sleep last May. She was 9 and suffered for 6 years. Now our youngest, Jilli Ann, who is 3 was diagnosed with early signs of CT. We can't take her for walks, she has to stay cool and no excitement, and use a humidifier. We treat it like asthma. It's all so heartbreaking. We took out all the carpets and had hardwood flooring put down when Zada was diagnosed, and I don't have drapes. We are now goin to replace our sofas with leather.

[107barney]

My 14.5 yo boy has had very mild CT over his life. As he's getting older, he needed a little help for the cough which is only partly due to his trachea (also has bronchial compression) He's now on hycodan.

[valorierc]

My baby girl developed symptoms of Trachea Collapse at 6 months. This is the first Yorkie we have had, and we just adore her. This is very frightening. Since she is so young I worry that the condition will shorten her life. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by valorierc

My baby girl developed symptoms of Trachea Collapse at 6 months. This is the first Yorkie we have had, and we just adore her. This is very frightening. Since she is so young I worry that the condition will shorten her life. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Are you sure it is collapsed trachea? Has this been diagnosed? Many yorkies reverse sneeze and people think that it is collapsed trachea.

[valorierc]

She hasn't been diagnosed yet, but she has the episodes when she gets excited and she has difficulty breathing for a minute or so, and has the telltale "honking" cough during the episodes. She often has maybe 1 or 2 episodes per day. I researched the reverse sneezing vs. TC, hoping it was not the TC. Do you know what testing she needs? I read that xrays may or may not be definitive.

[valorierc]

She hasn't been diagnosed yet, but she has the episodes when she gets excited and she has difficulty breathing for a minute or so, and has the telltale "honking" cough during the episodes. She often has maybe 1 or 2 episodes per day. I researched the reverse sneezing vs. TC, hoping it was not the TC. Do you know what testing she needs? I read that xrays may or may not be definitive.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by valorierc

She hasn't been diagnosed yet, but she has the episodes when she gets excited and she has difficulty breathing for a minute or so, and has the telltale "honking" cough during the episodes. She often has maybe 1 or 2 episodes per day. I researched the reverse sneezing vs. TC, hoping it was not the TC. Do you know what testing she needs? I read that xrays may or may not be definitive.

A flouroscopy will detect it.