My senior dog is coughing. What to do about tracheal cartilage loss?

Poor Chloe! You can put her in a steamy bathroom for five minutes twice a day. Start her on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets as this can help to condition the lining of her trachea. You can also try an over-the-counter antihistamine but you will have to call your regular veterinarian for a recommendation as online veterinarians are prohibited from discussing human medication usage in pets. If the coughing continues beyond two days or if it gets worse, have her examined by the veterinarian.

Laryngeal paralysis can only be addressed surgically. There are no medications that can treat this disease. I suspect that the Previcox and food prescribed were for arthritis and joint pain. I am not sure what the follow up visit would entail. Speak with your veterinarian to determine exactly what he intends to do as part of the follow up visit and to assess if his recommendations can be postponed.

Older large breed dogs can sometimes get a condition known as laryngeal paralysis. The voice doesn't completely go away, but it can definitely become quieter or more hoarse. She could also have infectious tracheobronchitis, known also as kennel cough, as this can make the voice more hoarse. If she does not stop coughing in the next 1 - 2 days, or gets worse, I would take her right back in. Sometimes x-rays can look normal even when serious problems, such as pneumonia, are brewing.

If it has been going on for years it is probably a collapsing trachea, in which case there is not much that can be done about it. There are medications that can be used to minimize the cough but it will not "fix" the problem. There is a surgery that can be done to place a stent in the trachea which is curative. A collapsing trachea is not a huge problem other than uncomfortable for them to cough. It should not cause any major issues. You can ask your vet to do a trial of medication to see if it helps and if it does, you can keep her on them long term. ( https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/collapsing-trachea-dogs-everything-you-need-know )

I would be extremely concerned about her having a cardiac issue. Please take her to your vet so they can check to see if she has a heart murmur as that can lead to heart failure. Coughing is one of the first symptoms. She is the right age and breed for this to be happening. The other likely cause would be a collapsing trachea. So again, please take her to your vet for an exam. Best wishes.

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!

First, it may take longer than just 5 days of medicine to improve. I would give the medicine a little longer to work. Second, the cough and wheezing may never go away completely. If the heart is enlarged, it could be pushing on the trachea which could be part of the reason for the cough. Also, a collapsing trachea will get worse the more excitable she becomes. If she isn't improving, I would have your vet reassess her 10-14 days after the medicine has been started. If she is getting worse, I would have your vet recheck her immediately. Your vet may want to take x-rays to see if there is any improvement in the lungs to see if the meds are helping some. They may decide to adjust the meds or add in something to help keep her calm and help with the collapsed trachea. Again, you cannot cure the enlarged heart. You also cannot cure the collapse trachea without surgery which doesn't have a great success rate. Keep a close eye on her. I hope this helps!