Collapsed Trachea
 

My 10 month old yorkie has been diagnosed with collapsing trachea. The vet didn't seem to be to concerned about it and didn't offer a lot of advice for treatment. She is scheduled to be spayed next month and I have many concerns. I'm concerned about intubation during surgery, treatment for the collapsing trachea, what to do when she is having these respiratory attacks......etc...... Does anyone here have any experience with this or any advice to offer?

How was she diagnosed? Does she have symptoms? I have had a few CT pups and they usually do ok with routine anesthetic procedures like neuters, spays and dentals.

The vet gently massaged her throat, because I told him about these coughing attacks she was having, but it sounds more like a honking noise. When he started massaging her throat, she started doing it again. He said she shouldn't be doing that and when they spay her they will do xrays to see how bad it is and get a baseline.

Just lost my precious baby in April to collapsed trachea...he was only 3 years old. It's very serious and I would advise finding a vet that does treat it like a serious condition bc intubation is a concern and can cause more damage. I know this now in hind sight. If my baby had been diagnosed at a you d age like yours, I would insist on not intubating for anything. There must be ways to keep them sedated without it. Best wishes

No, there isn't another way. They must be intubated and honestly while intubation can irritate, it is not damaging. Sadly some pups have more issues with CT than others. There are varying degrees. One of my foster pups had a dental done by a specialist in Nov 2015 and he was under for 3 hours due to terrible condition of his teeth ... then, a month ago, he had to have another. Some yorkies just have worse periodontal disease than others. He was adopted this past weekend and is doing fine. He has a "profoundly collapsed trachea". If you don't do dentals you are certain to have a sick pup from the disease that will affect the kidneys and heart.

I am so sorry for the loss of your pup. I lost a foster pup due to CT and it was devastating. It is a terrible condition when it is hard to control. I do agree that people should make sure a vet takes things seriously and we should always seek the best care possible. I just hope you won't avoid doing necessary procedures in the future based on this experience with your pup.

Don't haven't experienced with this kind of disease before. Hope the vet can find soon the best treatment for your poor pup. Positive thoughts and prayer for you.

The vet didn't say what the long term treatment was for the CT...? That seems odd...

I am still wondering how this was diagnosed.

Our 11-year old has had CT for about 6 years. We first had x-rays done in 2011, and then a fluoroscopy last summer to determine exactly how severe it had become. It was stage 3, which is considered an 'end stage' - As stage 4 is complete collapse/death. We thought the end was near, but with daily Prednisone, Benadryl and Valium (to control too much excitement - which is the enemy of CT), he has done exceptionally well. He hardly 'honks' at all now, despite being Stage 3.

The most current surgery is a stent placement, but it can be very hard on your baby and after researching it thoroughly we decided it is not something we would ever put him through. The cost is anywhere from $4-6k, depending on where you have it done and how many stents are needed (based on how many of the 3 main areas are collapsing).

Side note, talk to your vet about Prednisone and possible complications of daily use (some of which can be very dangerous). One of those is Cushing's - which can cause other severe problems, vicious cycle), so please weigh the pros and cons with your vet after determining how severe your pup's case is. In our case, we could not do without the Pred because his trachea was so inflamed from the constant honking.

I would absolutely avoid intubation if at all possible. The resulting irritation can be very difficult to overcome afterward. We chose not to have Sam's teeth cleaned due to the danger and he has been fine.

My best advice (other than the medication suggestions) is to not let your pup get too excited. Too much excitement can bring on horrible honking attacks. Calm her with soothing words and much love and soft petting.

Best to you and your little one.

I have had two pups with profoundly collapsed tracheas go under for various anesthetic procedures without any issues at all. While the endo-tracheal tube can irritate, so can infections. With periodontal disease that is left untreated the pup is more prone to infection that will set off CT symptoms.

Always important to weigh pros and cons of any decision and have thorough discussions with your vet.

I did opt for a specialist for a couple of dentals that were done on CT pups, thinking that they may be more equipped for an emergency, but honestly I think it was overkill. My vet has no issues doing these pups....but, I would say only if they are under control.

That's great your pup is doing so well!! He is a perfect example of what I always talk about with CT. While it is good to know how severe the collapse is, it really is not an indicator of how the pup will do. I had a pup with a profoundly collapsed trachea who lived to be about 17 (he was adopted so not sure exactly) but the CT was not what got him in the end. I have had others that didn't fare so well. One was a little Katrina pup and he spent many nights in the EC ... it is so sad when they cannot be controlled with meds. I also would probably not do the stent surgery. It usually does not last all that long .. hopefully in time it will be perfected or there might be another solution for this awful condition.

Welcome to YT :)

I found out about chesters CT when he had his teeth cleaned last year, and I had an ultrasound done to confirm it.