If you have heard your chihuahua making a loud, closed-mouthed coughing sound, it could be that your Chihuahua has a collapsed trachea. This medical condition is actually fairly common in small breed dogs and can become a serious Chihuahua health concern.
What is a Chihuahua Collapsed Trachea?
The trachea or windpipe is held open by tiny rings of cartilage. When this cartilage is weakened or damaged it is unable to keep the airway open and allows your Chihuahua’s trachea to collapses inward. As the windpipe collapses, it greatly reduces the amount of air that your poor pup is able to pull into her lungs.
A Chihuahua collapsed trachea is a chronic, incurable disorder that usually worsens or becomes more frequent with age. The good news is that, while it can be frightening to listen to your baby dog honking and gasping for air, a Chihuahua collapsed trachea is rarely fatal.
What Causes a Chihuahua Collapsed Trachea?
There are two main causes of Chihuahua collapsed trachea; genetics and trauma. A tendency toward this condition could have been passed to your pup from one or both of his parents or he could have injured the fragile cartilage somehow.
Excitement, stress, heat, or humidity can all trigger an episode of tracheal collapse. When the trachea collapses, it doesn’t stay collapsed; episodes of Chihuahua collapsed trachea usually only last a few moments. As soon as the episode passes, your little dog will likely go on acting as if nothing unusual had happened.
Prevention of Chihuahua Collapsed Trachea
While there is no cure for a Chihuahua collapsed trachea, there are several things you can do to help prevent episodes.
- Use a harness to lead your precious pup. Your Chihuahua should wear a collar so she has somewhere for her identification tags to hang, but a collar should never be used to lead or control your fragile little dog. The use of a Chihuahua harness can help prevent injury or damage to your baby’s trachea.
- Feed her quality food. Higher Quality food has the proper nutrients your little dog needs for over-all good health, including a healthy trachea. A dog food which has adequate levels of glucosamine will help keep your Chihuahua’s cartilage, including that in her joints and trachea, stronger.
- Watch her weight. A chubby Chihuahua can have all sorts of health problems, including Chihuahua collapsed trachea. Keeping your little friend at an appropriate weight will greatly reduce the frequency and severity of collapsing trachea episodes.
- Reduce exposure to triggers. Figure out what situations are likely to trigger an episode of Chihuahua collapsed trachea in your pup and take steps to reduce her exposure to those situations. For example, if you notice that your baby-dog starts honking like a goose every time she goes to the dog park, find someplace else for her to get her exercise.
- Don’t smoke around your dog. Considering the size of her tiny lungs, it doesn’t take much cigarette smoke to cause health problems in your Chihuahua. Collapsed trachea is just one of the issues you are putting her at risk of if you smoke around your little friend.
Treatment of Chihuahua Collapsed Trachea
About 70% of Chihuahua collapsed trachea can be managed with prevention but may need to be medically managed as well. Cough suppressants, antispasmodics or bronchodilators can be prescribed by your veterinarian to help reduce the severity of episodes.
If your little dog has more than a couple of episodes of Chihuahua collapsed trachea in a short period of time, it would be a good idea to take her to see her veterinarian. If the disorder progresses to far, your little dog can develop heart problems as the lack of oxygen puts train on her tiny body.
In severe cases of Chihuahua collapsing trachea, your vet may recommend surgery. If your precious pooch undergoes surgery for Chihuahua collapsed trachea, a rigid, prosthetic piece will be implanted in her trachea which will prevent it from collapsing. Only a small percentage of dogs are given this surgery but it almost always prevents or greatly reduces the occurrence of Chihuahua collapsing trachea.
May 15, 2012 at 3:31 am
I keep reading about how collapsed trachea is treatable and most dogs do well.
My dog died. He ended up woth a ruptured lung.
This condition is worse than is being reported in my opinion.
We did everything to help him and he died. He was on meds and kept calm.
His worse time was when he was trying to poop. How was I suppose to stop
him from doing the things that caused attacks? He had to go to the bathroom.
I would walk him some of the time but he couldn’t do it. I would take him out for air in his
pet stroller which I promised him a ride but died before we got out again.
Thankfully for me and him, he was house trained on pee pee pads in a doggy box.
I am very upset to read on different sites that there is bleeding lungs involved.
I wasn’t told about how severe my dog was. He was only 8 years old but was born with this
problem. No Vet every told me about the problem.
he was diagnosed too late and now he’s gone. Never to come back.
I am totally devistated and filled with guilt that my poor baby suffered so badly.
He hemeraged and was gasping for air drowning in his own blood, in the middle of the night.
My poor baby suffered terribly and I am so hurt and feel so guilty that he never stood a chance.
My heart is so deserately broken.
May 15, 2012 at 10:49 am
I am so sorry to hear about your dog Christine,
and although this post would have been anything but helpful I thank you for your comment which may help others, myself included create a greater awareness of the severity of this condition.
Again thank you for sharing at this most terrible time.
May 15, 2012 at 9:13 pm
This article is such “Crap”. I was told that my Taco was born with it. I was told that it causes right sided congestive heart failure. I was so misinformed by my Vet. I could just punch a wall right now.
Taco died in my arms last Friday 5/11/2012. He ended up bleeding from the mouth. I was told if he lost a little bit of weight, he would be much better. He wasn’t overwt. to begin with but lost 5 pounds and got really bad all in a matter of a couple of wks. I went out of town to speak to another Vet and ask his opinion and he told me that my dog died of a ruptured lung . He knew right away when I told him what happened. A friend of mine just lost a 1 yr. old puppy from this the same way my dog died.
Stop misinforming people. My dog wasn’t a candidate for surgery so I was told because he had CHF which was caused by his failing trachea. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just so upset and in a bad way right now.
May 15, 2012 at 10:57 am
I think your tone in this comment is totally justified. I am sincerely sorry to hear about Taco, and hope your post serves to further educate others, and encourage other Chi owners to never settle for the opinion of one vet. Cathy I’m so sorry, nobody should have to see their best friend suffer in this manner.