My teacup Yorkie puppy has a cough and chest rattle. What to do?

A cough can be caused by respiratory issues including lower airway disease or upper airway disease like a collapsing trachea. It can also be a sign of heart disease. Teddie needs to be assessed by a veterinarian to determine the cause of the cough and for recommendations to be made about what could benefit him from a medical perspective. They may want to perform x-rays to assess his heart and lungs.

That could be an early stage sign of tracheal collapse, or there may be a inflammation of the trachea or first airways (throat). Tracheal collapse is quite common in yorkies and is usually diagnosed by performing a radiographic evaluation of neck and chest. I would recommend a check up as if otherwise the signs are due to an inflammatory disease, anti-inflammatory and possibly antibiotics are required. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about Jack! In a young dog like this the most common cause would be a respiratory infection or inhalation of a foreign object. If he is acting lethargic/ as if he doesn't feel well and has a rattling sound when breathing, then a trip to the vet would be recommended so the vet can listen to his lungs, check the airflow from his nostrils, check his throat and check for a fever. They may prescribe antibiotics or other medications if they feel indicated.

Hello, sorry to hear about Teddy. Given his breed, it sounds like he may have a common Yorkie disease called tracheomalacia or collapsing trachea. This happens when Yorkies have weak tracheal rings that cannot withstand the pressures of the windpipe on inspiration. This leads to a non-productive honking cough, sometimes referred to as a goose-honking cough. This disease however affects patients of middle to older age. Other causes of this may include kennel cough in young puppies, pneumonia, bronchitis, and even some heart conditions. If this cough persists, you should have Teddy seen by his veterinarian to further assess his cough and determine if additional diagnostics or treatments need to be implemented. In the interim, monitor his respiratory and seek emergency care if he is having a difficult time breathing, his coughing is getting worse, or if he develops any nasal/ocular discharge. Other signs may include a decreased appetite, lethargy, and vomiting. Hope this helps and best of luck.

With her age I recommend letting a veterinarian listen to her lungs. It can be heart or respiratory. If she has a murmur you may want to consider taking her to a cardiologist to have her heart evaluated. If her heart sounds fine I would talk to your veterinarian about tracheal collapse or respiratory diseases. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Rocky may be suffering from an upper respiratory infection. This will need to be investigated by a veterinarian. Please take Rocky to your veterinarian for an exam, diagnosis and possibly prescription medicine.

He is adorable!! Sometimes Yorkies and other small breed dogs have a condition known as collapsing trachea, where the cartilage of the trachea is weak and results in the trachea temporarily narrowing (collapsing) which leads to a honking cough. If he recovers quickly and doesn’t become distressed, then at this time there’s no need for treatment if indeed that’s what’s going on. It may get worse with time, in which case cough suppressants can be tried. In severe cases, surgical stenting may be recommended. Ideally, take him to your vet so they can diagnose whether or not this is the problem and best advise you moving forward. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!