My Chihuahua mix wheezes and struggles to breathe. What's wrong?

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.

Poor girl. Collapsing trachea is easily diagnosed with a chest radiograph (x-ray). I would request this test to be done. The vet can also assess Princess's heart to make sure she doesn't have underlying heart disease. If she does have collapsing trachea as the underlying cause, then she should be started on medicaitons (cough suppressants, potential steroids, bronchodilators, etc) to take at home to possibly help with this. However these will only provide some relief. The only way to provide a more effective treatment for this condition is surgical correction of the section of collapsed trachea. Here is more information on tracheal collapse in pets. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1527 I hope that you are able to get Princess some relief soon. Best wishes and take care.

It sounds like Sophie may have a collapsing trachea. This is a common condition in toy breed dogs, and it occurs when dogs are exercising, drinking water, get excited, or in hot weather among other causes. I would take Sophie to the vet for an exam to confirm if she does have a collapsing trachea, as there is medical treatment that can be done for her, such as cough suppressant, bronchiodilators, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medications. If medical treatment doesn't help, surgery is recommended. You can help relieve by making sure Sophie isn't overweight, having her wear a harness instead of collar, and avoid respiratory irritants like cigarette smoke.

I'd have Ginger checked out by a vet for this problem. It could be she has a respiratory infection or she could have heart disease causing this wheezing. It could also be she is suffering from a condition called a collapsing trachea. This needs to be checked out by a vet so she can be treated as needed. Best of luck.

No, it's not her age, she is suffering from respiratory distress and it could be caused by various conditions such as heart failure, heartworm or lung infection, you need to take her to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.

I'm sorry to hear Lala is having issues. There can be multiple causes for wheezing in dogs, including heart disease, a collapsing trachea, upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, or another underlying issue. If she does not seem in distress, you can monitor her to see if it is persistent. If she is having trouble breathing or you are concerned, I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise I would touch base with her regular veterinarian to discuss what may be going on and if she needs an exam or X-rays to get to the bottom of it. Good luck!