My Yorkie has tracheal stenosis. Is surgery too risky? Other options?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor BooBoo! I would set up a consult with a specialist who performs the tracheal stenting for collapsing trachea. There are certain requirements that have to be met in order to be a good candidate for a stent. Even after a stent is placed most dogs are still maintained on medications. A lot of dogs with tracheal collapse also have lower airway disease. I personally do not think age is a disease. That if BooBoo is otherwise healthy and her quality of life is affected by her severe tracheal collapse it is worth the consult at a minimum. Chronic medical treatment consists of cough suppressants, anti-anxiety medications, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics if warranted. I hope this helps and I wish you and BooBoo the best!

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!

Those are a lot of issues to manage at once. Kidney disease can make many painful conditions harder to manage since some pain medications can’t be used. Gallstones can cause issues that may require surgery. There isn’t a good treatment for tracheal collapse other than to keep them calm, manage coughing and inflammation, and weight loss if they are overweight. Your question may be better suited to the vet that has all of the lab results. If you can get a copy, you can use a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach consult so we can evaluate them and help you decide where to go next.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Scamp is super cute! I think his risks are small. I do not think his spinal deformity increases his risk at all. The collapsing trachea is a mild risk. Canine neuters are quick procedures. Most Veterinary hospitals do a wonderful job monitoring while your pet is under anesthesia and in recovery. The pets are intubated, on oxygen and inhaled gas, have EKG, blood pressure and pulse oximetry hooked up. They are also on IV fluids. Due to his collapsing trachea the recovery period is the most important part for him. Risks for Scamp would be coughing and inflammation of his airway in recovery and I think this is small. Other causes for anesthetic and surgical complications are VERY rare and unpredictable (bleeding, cardiac or respiratory arrest, drug reactions, death, etc). I hope this helps and I wish Scamp the very best!

Hello and thank you for your question. I hate it that the medications are not providing cough relief for your dog. In my experience, if these two medications are not stopping the cost of a tracheal collapse patient, then surgery should be considered. there are so many great surgical methods and treatments now for collapsing trachea. One of them being a mesh wire coil that can be placed in the trachea to keep it dilated without the possibility of collapse. These are usually performed by surgical specialists and your general veterinarian may have to refer you to one of them. I urge you to make an appointment with your local veterinarian to discuss possible surgical options for your dogs condition. I hope I have helped.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear that your little girl isn't doing well. If she is urinating and defecating because she is losing consciousness because her airway is obstructing from the collapsing trachea, then yes, you might need to consider either a procedure where a stent is placed to keep the airway open (last resort procedure that has complications and is very expensive), or euthanasia. I would discuss with your vet about why she is urinating/defecating and if she is losing consciousness or not. Also, in the meantime, discuss with your vet about medications to try to decrease the coughing (codiene phosphate liquid, linctol, steroids possibly),but keep in mind this is not a cure, but might help slightly, but has side effects and might not help at all. Unfortunately, with severe collapsing trachea, sometimes euthanasia is the most humane thing to do. I am sorry she is so sick.

Hello, sorry to hear about Blue. Laryngeal paralysis is a disease in which the arterytinoid cartilages of the larynx have a decreased function or completely stop moving. These cartilages are moved via contraction of the muscles that are innarvated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Several reasons may cause this nerve to stop working and thus lead to laryngeal paralysis. Causes include trauma, a neck mass, hypothyroidism, or most commonly we cannot determine a cause and it’s termed idiopathic. Complications from having laryngeal paralysis include coughing, voice tone changes, and respiratory obstruction that could lead to death. The tie back procedure permanently tacks one of these aretynoid cartilages in an open position. The surgery relieve respiratory distress and most often decreases or stops the coughing all together. The surgery itself is very successful, however you pet permanently had an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. Any signs of coughing warrant an evaluation by a veterinarian and chest x-rays. Your dog will not be allowed to swim and should be kept in a low stress, low exercise environment to avoid him getting worked up or inhaling water while swimming as his air way will be permanently partially open. Hope this helps and I wish Blue a speedy recovery