My chihuahua puppy coughs when running. Is it collapsed trachea?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bambi. I'm wondering if she has something like a collapsed trachea causing her breathing issues. You see problems with breathing in the condition with excitement and exercise, and it does worsen over time. This can explain what is going on with her. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain this is the cause. I recommend having her seen by a vet in the morning. The vet can diagnose what is causing her problems, and can discuss treatment options with you. If she does have a collapsing trachea, treatment options include medical management or surgery. I hope this helps!

It can be tricky to diagnose because tracheal collapse can be present part time and the rest of the time it will not be seen. it is recommended to do a series of XRAYs in order to try and diagnose tracheal collapse.

Chronic coughing in small dog can have many reasons. The most common cause is a collapsing trachea. This would be a weakness in the windpipe and whenever the dog gets excited, does exercise, and in some cases even when resting , the trachea collapses and keeps the air from getting to the lungs. This will cause coughing, wheezing and even trouble breathing. This can be easily diagnosed with an xray and a throough exam. Another common cause, especially in old dogs, would be congestive heart failure where the heart is not able to pump blood efficiently and a pulmonary edema develops and causes coughing, wheezing and breathing troubles. Again a thorough clinical exam and xrays/ultrasound exam can rule this out. I suggest you schedule an appointment for an exam with your vet soon.

Has your dog ever had an xray of his throat (windpipe)? If not I highly recommend that you talk to your veterinarian about such an x-ray. Small dogs often suffer from a collapsed trachea (wind pipe) and this can be diagnosed easily with radiographs. Here is some information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/collapsed-trachea-in-dogs/ I hope that helps.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think if she drinks water slowly and has no issue I think that she is just vomiting the water because she drinks it too fast. Just try to slow her down when she is drinking. I do not think she has kennel cough if she's had this hacking cough for months. Kennel cough is self limiting. You didn't indicate what breed Pepper is but I see that she is small. My best guess for the cough is that she has collapsing trachea. Collapsing trachea is a congenital abnormality of the tracheal rings making them weaker. It effects small breed dogs like Yorkies, Pomeranians, etc. Usually they cough when exercising or pulling on the leash. I'd monitor for progression of the cough or issues with her breathing. Keep her thin because dogs that are overweight have a harder time with collapsing tracheas Good luck!

This could be an upper respiratory infection such as kennel cough , but could also be a sign of heart disease, especially if Chico is an older dog. Another very likely possibility is that Chico has a collapsed trachea. You will need to take Chico to your vet for an exam and x-rays (which will rule out collapsed trachea and lung edema caused by congestive heart failure). Your vet;s exam will also detect any problems with the heart, that may be causing the cough. Please cschedule an appointment with your vet soon.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Brachycephalic syndrome refers to a combination of conditions including smaller than normal nostrils, a longer than normal soft palate, and some other malformations of the back of the throat. It is unlikely that a chihuahua will have this condition. Conditions that can cause chronic coughs in dogs include a collapsing trachea, heart enlargement, or issues with the lungs. These conditions can be identified with an x-ray or CT scan and may require life-long treatment. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!