My dog has collapsing trachea. What home care helps breathing attacks?

Some dogs with tracheal collapse need to stay on hydrocodone long term and also a bronchodilator. You should call your vet and give him/her an update and maybe your vet can just prescribe additional medications without having to take him back to the vet.

Hello, and thank you for your question. If Lacy is only coughing once or twice at night, you can ask your vet about trying a cough suppressant for the night time only. However, if she is coughing frequently at night, I'd also want to rule out heart disease as an underlying cause. Coughing due to heart disease often happens during rest, as fluid accumulates in their lungs when they are lying on their sides. Chest x-rays would be necessary to rule this out. For dogs with collapsing trachea that cough regularly at all hours, you can ask your vet about using a bronchodilator, and/or inhaled steroids, which get the medicine directly into her lungs where she needs it, with minimal absorption into the rest of her body, in turn minimizing side effects of steroids. Check out the Aerodawg, which is an inhaler designed just for dogs. However, as stated earlier, if her coughing is minimal, just a cough suppressant at night may be enough. In addition, switching to a harness instead of a collar can be very helpful, as it minimizes pressure on the trachea when the dog is pulling on the leash. I hope this helps, and that Lacy is doing well!

It all depends on how she responds to treatment. Temaril P is basically a steroid, so your vet is aiming to decrease acute airway inflammation right now. It's possible she'll able to come of medication entirely, or she may need a low dose of steroid long term. She could also need a couch medication long term.

Tussigon (hydrocodone bitartrate) is good for collapsing trachea along with using a harness instead of a collar, as well as keeping Kasey as calm as possible. Daily VetriScience Composure chews (available on chewy.com and petco.com) are highly effective in many dogs to ‘take the edge off’ their excitability in a natural way. Tussigon contains a narcotic with potential sedative effects so not exceeding your veterinarian’s prescribed dose is important. In severe cases of tracheal collapse, surgical correction is an option. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is an anti-inflammatory drug and it is helpful in some cases though it is not to be used longterm as it can result in muscle wasting and even diabetes in rare cases. For this reason, I would suggest another medication to be used on an as needed basis such as butorphanol and most importantly modifications you can easily make such as avoiding excessive exercise and to make sure Paris is at a healthy weight which can help manage collapsing trachea. Have a good night!

Usually dogs with collapsed trachea will show signs (honking cough, possible breathing problems, eating, drinking, tracheal irritants (smoke or dust), obesity, and hot and humid weather.) after exercise, or excitement or jumping up and down. Treatment consists of giving cough suppressants, bronchodilators, corticosteroids to control inflammation, and/or antibiotics. In obese patients, weight loss helps decrease respiratory effort. In severe cases surgery is needed.

Poor guy. If the Temaril alone is not helping him I would highly recommend telling your vet so that they can also prescribe additional medications. Tracheal collapse is often treated with several medications in more severe cases. Cough tabs or Torbutrol tabs are given to help reduce the cough. Also a bronchodilator is helpful in some pets to open up the airway just before the thoracic inlet. For now you can mix a small amount of honey mixed with water and offer that to Ferris until you an get him seen again by your vet. Honey has anti-inflammatory proerties that may be somewhat helpful. Also make sure not to place a collar on him, harness only, and try your best to keep him in a quite room with limited stimulus. I hope that Ferris feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.