Zippy has collaping trachea..

[Desiree]

I posted on here about Zippy having kennel cough. I took him to the vet today because last night he was coughing pretty bad and vomiting. She now beleives he has a collapsing trachea. She is going to do xrays next week to confirm. I had thought that might be a possibility because I remembered reading about it when my dog Darla had to have her trach put in. I know from what research I have done that it can be managed with out surgery and alot of dogs have live mostly normal, if somewhat restricted lives. However after all that I went thru with Darla, I'm still a little freaked out about it. I thought I would post on here and see if anyone has any experience with this. Thanks.

[Mattie]

Desiree

You are bound to feel upset after what you went through with Darla but Zippy isn't Darla, I will send him Reiki and hope it helps.

My vets didn't do xrays with Ellie, they went down her throat to look, said they get a better view. I think I would want a different vet after what has happened, ask for a second opinion by a consultant.

[Desiree]

Thanks Mattie. I did call the vet school and they wanted to to a broncoscope, or suggested it. I called the other vet I had went to go see about the behavioral stuff and also another vet at a bigger clinic, where I had to take one of my cats for surgery once, and both of them said they wouldn't go that far right off the bat. They both suggested xrays first to see what that showed and then go from there. Both said that it could be treated with out surgery in most cases (unless it was very severe) with medicine for the cough and small limitations in lifestyle, which wouldn't effect him much anyway. He isn't likely to go on five mile hike, and neither am I They said keeping his weight under control, and not letting him do things that would get him too hot and winded would go along way toward controlling the worst of it. Being such a little dog, he won't need to be walked as much otuside in the heat and horrible humidity where we live so that is good. Once I get him potty trained mostly, and can give him free run of the house, he can get alot of exercise in the air conditioning. The one vet did say the interns at the vet school tend to be overly cautious and tell you the worst case scenerio.
I know he isnt Darla and its not even close to the same issue really. I just had this horrible moment where I felt like I was going thru it all over again and it was awful. Thanks for reminding me its not the same tho I may need that again from time to time in the future... Every time I have lost one of my animals I go thru a period where I am overly worried about every little thing. It drives my hubby nuts But the 2 times I have dismissed something thinking I was to paranoid, it turned out to be something important that I should have been worried about. I always think I know my dogs better than anyone, him included b/c I spend the most time caring for them and I know when something is off. Zippy hasnt been around long enough yet for me to learn when something is just a little off or way off yet. But I did know the souds he was making were not normal dog noises. Anyway, thanks again. Its nice to have some support

[Mattie]

My vets are very cautious as well thank goodness, I prefer them to be like that, they do explain everything in a language that I can understand which helps. They also tell the good as well as the bad.

If Zippy wears a collar, get it off, and never put one on him again, instead stick to a harness, even an ordinary flat collar can damage the trachea, harnesses are much better for a dog's neck.

I found with Ellie that a nebuliser helped her in the hot weather, also a mister going during the day, even wet washing on the radiators helped with her breathing. This could make it more difficult to toilet train him, but he is getting there. Stress isn't good either.

It is natural to think about Darla and what you went through when you were told about Zippy, what you learnt with her will help you with Zippy as well, you were coping really well with Darla and was adapting to her, you will with Zippy as well and you know you have us here to help when we can. You will need to sound off from time to time, this is just the place to do it.

Now go and open that bottle of wine and share it with hubby.

[Duffy Jones]

Collapsing trachea comes in many different degrees. It can be very mild that will get occasionally worse with allergies, infection, or hot weather then totally go away at other times of the year. Some will be very severe and will need surgery - however this is very rare. My bet is that you have a mild case that is made worse with some infection/inflammation. I would suggest radiographs first because they are non-invasive and will give you a good idea of what you are looking at. From there you might need bronchoscopy but that does require anesthesia. Many of the dogs can do really well on antihistmaines to control the inflammation. Also great advice about the collar - all of my patients with suspect collapse or even small breed dogs get harness instead of collars. I would do the rads first because anytime I can do a less invasive procedure first, I will do it.

good luck

duf

[Desiree]

Thanks guys! He already wears a harness. The only time he wears a collar is at night when we go to bed. He has a little collar with bells so I can hear him if he gets up and take him out. But I never put the leash on it. Its just a breakaway cat collar. I did learn about that from the trach group. Fortunately I bought a nebulizer and a humidifier for the bedroom for Darla so if needed I have that stuff already. Now that I say that, I have to consider what I said when we thought about getting another dog after Darla passed. My hubby was looking on petfinder at dogs and I said Darla would send us the right one when it time. So maybe she sent us Zippy, knowing we would take care of him. Goodness that was a bit sappy there wasn't it?
Thanks for making me feel better. I just like to know all sides of what I am dealing with so I am prepared. You know, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Im def opening a bottle of wine tonight

[Mattie]

I had a disc on Ellie's harness that said "I have a tracheotomy do not bath me or I will drown" Once all this is sorted you may be able to do something similar for Zippy, put on a disc that she can't wear a collar because of a collapsed trachea.

[Desiree]

I keep hoping when they do the xrays it will show there is nothing wrong with him. I guess I will deal with whatever comes. I don't know how much coughing and hacking is normal with this. He coughs every morning after he goes out on and off for about 15 mins. Then usually one more episode like that in the evening. I don't know if he has any problems during the day. I am borrowing a video camera over the weekend and am going to tape him one day when I am gone for a couple of hours so I can see how he does after I leave the house.

[Mattie]

That sounds like a good idea Desiree. What is he like weekends when you are home?

[Desiree]

Cough-wise on the weekends its hard to tell. The first weekend he was coughing it started on a Sunday and we were at a friends house. He coughed for a couple of days and we had him on antibiotics and he got better for a week and a half. The next Sunday we were back at the same friends house and he started vomiting after we got home. Not much coughing during the week. Then this last Sunday, back at the same friends house, he started coughing again, to the point he was vomiting after a coughing spell. I am thinking there must be something at that friends house that he is allergic to. We are not going there this weekend so I will see how he does. This is why I am hopeful that maybe the xrays will show there is nothing wrong with his trachea. Since he was doing better a couple of days after being there the first time, with no coughing for several days, then 2nd time we went there he was vomiting, then perfectly fine for the next week, then coughing and vomiting the 3rd time there. The only difference is after this 3rd time he has never stopped coughing. He woke up at 3 am this morning with a coughing fit. I keep reading things that say you should keep them from getting over excited or over heated, but he just starts coughing in the middle of the night or first thing after going out in the am. When he is playing and barking at the other dogs he is perfectly fine. He has never had a coughing fit while playing. Its just weird. So I will be at home with him most of the weekend and I will be able to monitor him more closely.
Otherwise when I am home is doing pretty well as far as his other problems go

[Mattie]

Desiree, I would ask Duffy about this, he won't go against your vet but he may be able to tell you what to look for. This coughing at your friend's house is strange, I start coughing and have breathing problems with somethings including most perfumes, spray cleaners, fuel fumes, the worst is spray deoderants, they nearly kill me.

I am going away later this morning but will be home Sunday afternoon. I am going to were Gracie had her stroke, not been back there since, so it is going to be quite traumatic for me but I will come on line when I get back to see how you are doing with him.

[Duffy Jones]

That is really interesting that it seems to location specific. I am wondering if he has a problem with something at your friends house. I had one cat that every time it went to the mountian house he had a huge asthma attack. I also find it interesting that there was vomiting involved. I have had a few dogs that got reflux post vomiting that cause a lot of coughing. I have had them on omprazole (prilosec) and it has has cured the coughing. So you have lots of possibilities of things that might not be trachea related. Let me know what your rads look.

duf

[Desiree]

Hugs Mattie...

Duffy, I may have to try the acid reducer pill. I have generic pepcid here at home for the dogs for when I have to give them baby asprins for a few days for pain or something. I think I will give that a shot over the weekend. Whatevetr the problem is it is getting worse. He coughs more often and longer than he did and the cough starts to sound different after it goes on for a little while. I feel really bad for him when he is coughing. I would think it has to make his throat sore. I have some pain meds, lysigesic, I think its called that the vet told me to give him when he is coughing. It is happening so frequently tho I just give it to him 3 times a day to try to keep ahead of it. Doesn't stop it though. Another weird thing is he stops almost as soon as I pick him up. I put him back down and it starts again. Surely he isn't training me??? Since he wakes up and jumps off my pillow in the middle of the night I don't think its that Stranger things have happened in my house. I will update after the xrays. Im praying its not a trachea thing.

[Desiree]

There has been a change in plans for Zippy. Both him and Jake are now on a 2 course antibiotic treatment. Zippy had gotten much worse over the last couple of days and Jake was coughing a bit as well earlier in the week. So now they are both on one antibiotic for 5 days and then another one for 5 days after that, just in case they have some respiratory thing that they are passing back and forth. So unless he gets worse or something he probably won't get any xrays until nov 8th, when he has been rescheduled for his neuter. I hope these meds help b/c I haven't gotten much sleep the past few days with him coughing and its starting to catch up with me. On the plus side for me, since Zippy has been coughing I have been going outside to smoke, and its starting to get cold, so I bet I quit smoking all together pretty soon!!! It wasn't too bad going outside to smoke in the summer when Darla was sick, but I don't like cold. So this may end up being healthier for all of us!!! I thought about quitting when Darla was sick, but since that was the stressor that made me start smoking again after I quit the 1st time I didn't figure I would be to sucessful. I have been making sure I don't smoke around him for the last couple weeks anyway so maybe I can make it work this time. I know that has to be just as bad for my animals as it is for me. Just trying to see a bit of good even in the bad!!

[Mattie]

I am asthmatic and there are some things that make me act like Zippy, spray household items like polish or for cleaning windows. Spray deoderants are the worst, I even terrified a senior District Nurse one day.

Try doing away with anything that sprays especially for using on your TV and furniture as well as windows, there are much better ways to clean than use these and just as quick.

Does your field use a lot of sprays round the house?