Collapsed Trachea Condition in Dogs

  • Leader
    November 10, 2022 12:50 PM CST

    A collapsed trachea condition is unfortunately very common in small pet breeds and in particular Pomeranian's. I've had three pom's that were litter mates, diagnosed with collapsed trachea by their eighth year of age.

    The most common symptom of a collapsed trachea is the coughing/hacking sound a dog will make upon exertion or affected by humidity levels in the house or outside. It's a very similar condition as COPD is in human's. Pet's can also have syncope episodes as the condition gets worse through time. In this case, a syncope, is not always brain related, dogs can syncope from a blocked airway.

    This condition can be very heart breaking and depending on how late the onset is of this condition may determine your pets ability to cope. As your dog ages, the condition usually gets worse, as temperature, humidity and pollen can all affect how your dog can breathe. Depending on where the collapse is, be it at the upper cervical level or near the heart, also seems to determine how well your dog may do as the condition progresses.

    Out of the three dogs, from the same litter, one dog had the collapse at the cervical area (neck), the other two had their collapse near the heart. My dog with the cervical location lived the longest. For treatment, your vet has all types of medicines, including cough syrup. I've tried all of these meds on my dogs, but there's also a point where you have to weigh the side effects, versus the result. There is also a surgery for collapsed trachea that not many vets are trained to do, but from what I understand it's a very serious surgery and the outcome is not always positive. I think I'll choose to give my dogs the best nutrition to strengthen their connective tissue, joints and bones and use CBD oil for comfort.

    One day, out of being very desperate, I gave my last living pom from this litter, CBD oil. This is not just your average CBD oil from the pet store, either. The results were unbelievable. My dog was finally comfortable, not coughing and some life brought back into her again. Since this discovery, and the loss of my last pom, I added pom's back into our family again. I have two male pom brothers. One of them, my Champy Bear has a collapsed trachea. I recognized his condition by the time he was two years old. I had an x-ray done to confirm it, as well. This totally breaks my heart because he's just the sweetest dog and to learn that he has this so early, was concerning.

    In order to counter his coughing and make him comfortable at night, I do give him the same CBD oil. I put three drops on a treat. I also give the same treat to my other pom, just for joint pain, and my little Chi, Chi, loves the CBD oil and she gets just 1 drop. As with most small pets luxating patella (floating knee cap) is also very common and all three of my dogs have this condition. Giving them CBD oil, often helps with any pain.

     

    *A disclaimer (also as per Friend's Realm TOS), members understand and agree, this is for discussion only and is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with your veterinarian or medical professional. Seek advice from your trusted veterinarian.