Collapsed Trachea
 

About 5 months ago I became the proud owner of a Yorkie puppy. After the first night I noticed a terrible cough. Brought her to the vet and they said she had a mild case of bronchitus. After 10 days of zithromax the cough was gone but then came back. To make a long story short she has been on zithromax 6 times on and off and the infection never cleared. It wasn't until I took her for a second opinion that I found out she had pneumonia the whole time. After an x-ray the vet also found a partially collapsed trachea in two spots but I was told it wasn't that bad. She is now currently on the antibiodic baytril. Has anyone heard of it? She has been on baytril for 3 weeks. I just brought her back for a second x-ray and the infection is all cleared up but she still has this dam cough. I am beginning to get concerned. She has had a chronic cough for 5 months now and I really don't see an improvement. Can anyone who has had a Yorkie with this problem give me some input. I still want to believe that she is still coughing from the infection but I need to know the symptoms of a collapsed trachea. She mostly coughs after she wakes up and when she runs around. The vet told me that this is normal for a pnemonia patient but I don't know what to believe anymore! :confused:

I know when Cali had it and gave it to my Pom they both coughed for over 3 months and it took longer for the pom who is 9 to get over it and she still coughs a little. They would cough mainly in the mornings. It could be with the collapsed trachea it is taking longer to get over it. I had 2 other Yorkies who lived to almost 13 with collapsed tracheas just coughed when they got excited. I hope she gets better soon.

Collapsed Trachea
 

By the way my dog is now 8 months old and hasn't been fixed yet because she has been sick the whole time. At this point I don't know what to do. I am also concerned that when it comes time to spay her and they intabate her will it cause more damage to her trachea?

Thanks Patti for your input. There are two distinctive coughs she has. One cough is a spasm like state where she tenses up an leans her shoulders foward in a stretching position and wheezes like she is trying to gasp for air. I contributed that cough as the trachea problem. The other cough is a hairball type of productive cough where she does cough something up but then she swallows it. I think that cough is the pneumonia taking effect.

By the way Patti what type of cough suppresents did you treat your little ones with. My vet prescribed Torbutrol. I didn't use it until after the infection cleared. I figured it was better for her to cough it up. I now started giving it to her. It mostly just knocks her out for a while but she still wakes up hours later with the cough.

With my dogs after 3 rounds of antibiotics we stopped them and the coughs just got better on their own a couple of months after I stopped the medicine. I never gave them anything for the cough i felt it was better to get it out also. The 2 coughs you describe are exactly what I experienced. The hairball one was what my two had with the kennel cough the other one with the tensing up is what all of my past Yorkies did that had collapsed trachea. My last Yorkie Gracie had it very severe and died at 6 1/2 but hers was very severe and in a bad spot in the thoracic area. Most dogs can lead normal lives with a mild collapse. Just make sure you never put a collar on her and keep her weight normal. They would mostly cough when they got excited like if someone came to the door. I think she will be fine as long as you are aware of it and follow the doctors recommendations.

You are absolutely right Patti! She gets the cough when she gets excited when either my wife, me or the pizza man comes to the door. (lol). The weirdest thing though is when she runs around inside the house and gets excited she coughs but when I take her outside to run around she acts like a totally different dog. Absolutely no coughing at all even when she is out of breath. It just confuses me even more and I think the vet is a little confused as well. Thanks for the input and thank god for this forum. I was searching for Yorkie forum for the longest time. Its nice to know that there are people sharing and caring for these innocent little ones. Once again thank you.

I think that the air outside must help because I do not remember mine coughing outside either. It is so important to not put any stress on their neck with a collar that's where I went wrong with Gracie, she use to love to run on a long toe out and push a soccer ball around. I never even thought of what that was doing to her trachea.

Hi! I can't help but wonder if you have any "air fresheners" in your home? My Molly has a collapsed trachea and she cannot handle candles burning or perfumed air sprays. Even Oust or Lysol can be bad for a dog with this condition. Good Luck to you. I'll keep you in my prayers! Judi G

Here is a website off of Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue (YTNR) that might help.

http://www.collapsingtrachea.com/

guish I got on to that site and couldn't pull my self away. :interesti

No cough when walking outside
 

your problem was helpful to me as when I walk Samson my 4 year old, he doe not cough. It is when he is in bed at night or in the house. I am going to get his thorax checked at his annual physical this week. Thanks for posting this.
Don