Respiratory noise

My friend has a mixed terrier that makes this terrible noise  like he has something stuck in his trachea or throat.He swallows al  the time and appears to be in distress. THE VET SAID IT WAS A COLLASPED TRACHEA.They never xrayed him.He is so cute and appears to be suffering

[el_em_en_oh]

Well, if the VET said it was a collapsed trachea, then why didn't the vet take steps to fix the problem?

Seems a little illogical to me, unless I'm missing something?

This is a no-brainer.

Collapsed Trachea = VET

[Misfits4Me]

Some reasons for coughing:

First, Heart Disease- With Heart Disease, the weak heart cannot pump as well...Fluid builds into the lungs causing the cough..The cough is usually MOIST like they're choking on congestion...Actually, they are...The cough is worse in the mornings & during periods of running, playing & excitement....Fluid will show in an xray.....

Next- Kennel Cough- This is a virus and antibiotics will do nothing.....Cough syrup is very necessary to help this run it's course.....Lasts a few weeks & the cough is excessive!!!!

Collapsing Trachea- Common in small breeds- This cough is more like choke-gasp, choke/gasp....It sounds like a goose honking....Meaning like when your sucking through a straw & it collapses. Like it kinda sticks then opens, etc. It is actually doing just that.....The trachea collapses then opens back up...This ailment is treated by weight control & Medications for lung disease....Cough meds, bronchial dilaters, Asthma meds., steroids when necessary, etc.

Respiratory Diseases cause coughing....Asthma & Bronchitis are treated with the same meds as Trachea Collapse. This is more of a dry cough with wheezing at times or both....With this, sometimes the Heart shows enlargement,but it is not a Heart Problem! It's from lack of oxygen through the respiratory system.....Steriods are useful as needed for allergy season that can be a trigger.....Dust mites in the house affect this alot (Especially in the winter when the heat is on and the house is closed up tight).......It seems they breath better outside.....Something else: Dust Mites in DRY dog food alone can trigger this.....This disease can be controled for years once you know what to do.....

There's a common cough called A "Reverse Sneeze"...You can google it to know what it sounds like.....I can't describe it....It kinda sounds like all the above, dammit!!!  ;)  Although it sounds awful, it's really harmless.....Lots of dogs do it their whole life...

Then of course, Heartworm Disease will cause a cough....ALso will show an enlarged heart....Will be seen on an xray....Can be ruled out with a blood test...

Also, Allergies can & will trigger a cough.....

All of these can be evaluated by a Vet...Good luck, Karla

[Margot49]

Karla gave you some good info. I assume the Vet confirmed this diagnosis with an x-ray? That would show if the trachea is collapsing.  
Is this a small breed terrier mix?  This is not all that uncommon a problem in small breed dogs.  The Vet could prescribe *short* term prednisone.  Some put these dogs on antibiotics periodically due to the fact mucus, etc can accumulate in the trachea and cause infection.  Some Vets will also prescribe a cough medicine to be given when needed.
Aside from that, your friend may try the following.................
Try to use a raised feeder. This makes it easier for the dog to eat and swallow.
If feeding kibble, use the small breed bite size kibble and maybe add a little canned and some water to get it soft before feeding - makes it easier to swallow.
Don't use a regular or choke collar on these dogs.  Better to use a harness.  
When this happens, gently massage the dog's throat to calm it down.  
You want to keep as much stress off the trachea as possible.
Now, I will mention this but it is by no means Vet suggested that I know of.  Some of us have used a little Vicks on the end of the dog's nose when they do this.  Not all the time but when it got bad.  One of my friend's dogs would actually start the coughing and walk over to the bathroom and wait for the Vicks.  :-)  
Yes, I probably have to many *dog experience* stories.  
Keep us posted.  

[Ghilly]

Since his current vet arrived at the collapsing trachea diagnosis without benefit of an X-ray, if the little guy seems to be suffering, I would take him to another vet to get a second opinion and, hopefully, have an X-ray done to see if, indeed, it is a collapsing trachea.  As Karla stated, there are several reasons for the noise you describe to be made by the dog, some of which are minor and some of which are very serious.  It would definitely be in the dog's best interest to do some further diagnostic work to see what the cause truly is.  If it's really a collapsing trachea, then it's something that is extremely common, especially in small and toy dogs, but if it's not, and it's truly a cough, then the cause needs to be determined and treated.  Please post back and let us know what happens.

Ghilly

[Ghilly]

by ginger899 , 1 hour ago

(I moved this over from the other thread that the poster started since the two original posts were identical to each other)



You might find some helpful information on this site:

http://drbarchas.com/collapsing_trachea

As far as I hear, a collapsing trachea does not always show up on an X ray. However, I would have thought the vet would take one? Did the vet not offer any suggestions for management or possible treatment?

I do hope your friend finds something to help.