You know Hydromet is an anticholinergic and narcotic cough syrup ...Lomotil is an anticholinergic and opiate mostly indicated for diarrhea, but has other indications also. Many medications can have some of the same chemicals and be labeled for specific symptoms, but treat several symptoms. Like going to the drug store and going to the antihistamines section and buying Benadryl..then .going to the sleep aid isle and buying A sleep aid with diphenhydramine in it, when the two are the same...the active chemicals in Hydromet and Lomotil are different, but they act very similar....
We are trying Lomotil as of today for my Yogi who has CT if anyone is interested;)...had quite a mix up on the dosage but got that straightened out...I hope we can all keep sharing about what is working and what isnt for our babies.

The amount of his meds do cause me some concern. I am going to speak to his vet from the vth this afternoon. Thank you! It did seem like an awful lot to give him but he is at 10 pounds. He was knocked out every tine I gave it to him, so we had to be careful and block off stairways.

But since I am hovering over him, he doesn't have much difficulty. I have also been putting him on a small throw rug and giving him rides thru the house. My wood floors look amazing and he is having a good time. (My back is killing me)

With Ted, even on a somewhat larger dose but less frequent, I have not noticed any constipation. I have read that lomotil may cause this. Would this concern you? Is there something you can do to correct it other than slowly increasing fiber? Constipation for dogs--my dogs--seem to be a terrible thing for them to go thru. It happened once with a food change.
Fiber never really worked on them. (Not to share too much info, but they tend to go at least three times a day. If not, they become almost lethargic)

I hope Yogi gets relief on the Lomotil! Please keep us posted! :)

Yes, the possible constipation is something to watch...I have used canned pumpkin before on my gang and had good results...I usually give 2 tablespoons to start and monitor the results...I have also used a soft gel stool softener on one of mine that has some bowel issues...like Surfak. This is what I will use on Yogi if the Lomotil causes a prob. Anything with an opiate/ narcotic can cause this side effect. To me, the benefit of Yogi being free from honking and reduce his gagging and spasms makes me feel better..so fingers crossed I hope constipation doesn't become a problem. That's heartbreaking to watch too....this whole CT condition is very painful to watch in these babies...I remember the day I found out what was wrong with him, was one of the saddest days!! All I could do was hold him and cry. It's been total trial and error of meds and remedies since then. I feel what your going through!

It really is a very sad thing to watch and go through.

The three pups that I know of who took Lomotil did well and did not get constipated from it. So, hopefully Yogi will not ... but as you said, pumpkin usually helps!

I really hope he does well on the Lomotil. :)

@teffiemoore - does the honking just happen now? Ted seems to get episodes while in the car that ramp up either at a groomer he didn't care for - or this last vet. He seems to do alright with male vets/groomers? That is sooo odd.

He doesn't gag or cough at all. Is this a definite in his future, or can the worst be behind us so to speak? I want to hold out on hope. Prayer. Darn, I'll do a moon dance if I thought it would help.

He is eerily quiet. Happy. Whiney for food. Understandably so. He is getting much less than ever before. But, still following me around. Runs in the backyard. Plays with his brother Sam. Same dog as before the awfulness happened.

Should we just prepare ourselves for those days he is honking/gasping while just walking down the hall? He has had two bad episodes that I can recall that took much time and effort to subside, with the last of the two being the one that put him in the hospital. There was some minor honking but it stopped quickly. Which is probably why I was originally told by his first vet that it was a reverse sneeze. He had a smaller episode at the second vet who was the first to say collapsed trachea "keep him calm" and that was it! The really bad time after the groomer took some time!
God, I feel bad. I had no idea. Then this episode that lasted for HOURS at his most recent vet appt, all night and the rest you know.

Does this follow the same pattern pretty much? We will be looking at more frequent episodes like this past and heavy sedation? If he never has to be in the car, which I feel is what sets it off, could we bypass the progression?

You know I think I can be safe to say that most of the symptoms of CT are the same but each dog may not have the same patterns as the next....vague answer I know...Yogi runs and plays Nd if you were to see him, you would neve know he has this. Now, if he gets excited, and there are different things that do this...he honks , he gags over and over again. There are times the episodes last so long that all four legs will crawl out from underneath him and he will be exhausted and collapse. Many times when he starts an episode, I can say, Yogi, where is Ellie? ( my granddaughter) and he will hold his breath listening to me talk and the episode never goes any further...he is 6 1/2 years old. He has just gotten over the last year where he doesn't tolerate running like he used to...so he has gained a little weight and this makes the condition worse. He weighs a little over 6 lbs now and he should weigh about 5 lbs. I have a video on my phone I took for the vet a month ago of his having a " low simmer day" without meds and then one with medication...I'll try and see if I can upload it to YouTube and post it if you would like.. I hope this helps you to make some comparisons...one thing I remember in the beginning is I was so focused on what I knew of the end result of this condition..and in time, iwas able to switch tracks a little easier to think more about management of this...you manage it until you can't, and I am praying, as I'm told by my vet, you'll know when it's not manageable anymore. I refuse to put him through surgery..that's just my thoughts though. Yogi's collapse is also deeper in the thoracic area, making it much riskier to attempt a stent.

I will keep you posted on his progress. I appreciate your knowledge and thoughts on this. We are all in this together!!

This is so true....once you get past the initial shock of it all, it is easier to focus on a day at a time. My very first CT pup actually did not die because of CT and he lived a long life. He had surgery for cervical disc herniations and almost died from that because of the manipulation of the trachea, but he did survive and lived two more years and actually they were good years. In the end, he was getting older and had many organ issues...mostly age related. So....CT is not what got him. My second one was a foster and he did die in the end from the CT and cardiac related issues...when the day came, I knew it was his time. The last one (also a foster) broke my heart....It was Christmas eve morning and he started choking on food ....I got it up but then he just went limp and passed. Probably his heart. :( He really had a rough time in the end with the CT. So....while all have pretty much the same symptoms, they are different in their own way. Some seem to progress more quickly than others.

Hopefully Yogi and TeddE will do well with whatever management is used and they will live long happy lives. :)

My Cricket lived most of her life w CT well managed. I kept her weight down, limited exercise/exertion, kept her out of heat, used a harness, etc. Even w the limitations, she was a happy girl who had a happy life. As she got older she started having more problems. In her elderly years, she started on Tussagon for the spells. She developed CHF at age 13 and a new murmur (vet believes mitral valve). DH came home from work one evening. This would excite her, but I would try to keep this excitement down. She was happy to see him. He greeted her, put her down on the floor, and she left out one honk then went limp. We rushed her to the vet (5 min down the road). She passed at the vet's. This was a year ago this month. It was the CHF that finally took her (congestive heart failure).

I'm hoping you too get many years w your Ted and it is able to be well managed on meds and lifestyle changes. I am so sorry you are walking this walk w him. It is a hard thing to watch when they have a spell. I know it has be to frightening for them. Please feel free to PM me anytime if you need to talk.

I would appreciate that teffiemoore and thanks. I watched one youtube of a yorkie with a reverse sneeze and it sure sounded like MY yorkie! But who knows there was no reference to any diagnostic measure taken to rule out CT and TeddE was once thought to have reverse sneeze way back.

As for a stent procedure, I am going with no as well. The stent can break up, move down closer to the lungs, etc. Then MORE surgery? I wouldn't do that to him. Having the CT is bad enough. I just feel he would be textbook fodder. I understand they are trying to help and this is how they learn, but I would never put TeddE thru that.

At this point, do I look for a vet that can manage CT? Or one that will take care of his end days? Oh, God - this is hell. The selfish part of that equation says yes to every type of surgery for ME - to try to keep him alive no matter what! But I am not the one being poked and forced to stay in a cage THAT HE DETESTS. I am sure if TeddE could speak, he would say NO to any more needles, syringes, meds, being away from us. But my heart says please, please please do what ever it takes to keep him alive for me.

Paris is 13 pounds! That does seem like a large dose.

You look for a vet that will help you non surgically manage him from this point on! The better you can help him by management of symptoms, the better you will feel also. Interview Vets..ask them if they have patients with this condition,how do they treat them, with what meds. Will they take off hour calls if you get into a panic situation. We have been doing this for about 2 1/2 years...for some time didn't know what his diagnosis was. Barbara, tried to find our video on my phone, and I guess I erased it. When he has another attack,I'll record it and post it.. I started his Lomotil yesterday , and due to a wrong dosage we skipped last nights dose and had a long night, so I took him back to the Vet this morning. He gave him a Kenalog inj. So ....... He is better now.

How is Ted doing?. What is a day like for him and you?