What Is A Collapsed Trachea?
Tracheal collapse in chihuahuas is a serious respiratory problem that can be chronic, progressive and unfortunately, is irreversible.
The trachea is the airway from the larnyx to the main bronchi in the lungs. It is a very sensitive area and looks somewhat similar to that of a vacuum hose and has many stiff rings with flexible tissue connecting them.
Sometimes these rings are not stiff enough and are unable to hold the trachea open against the air pressure that’s created during respiration. The portion of the trachea that is not stiff is then sucked into the airway causing partial obstruction making it difficult for your chihuahua to breath.
In addition, their abdominal muscles may become tense from the extra effort they make to breathe.
A collapsed trachea is a common chihuahua health concern that is characteristic of the chihuahua breed and is also commonly referred to as “reverse sneezing”.
Images Of A Normal Trachea Verses A Collapsed Trachea
X-ray Image
Looking down the trachea
Factors That Can Lead To Tracheal Collapse
- Obesity,
- Irritants,
- Allergies,
- Repeated heart conditions,
- Bacterial infections,
- Viruses
- And second-hand cigarette smoke
Symptoms Presented With A Collapsed Trachea
- Harsh and dry cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Exercise intolerance
- A blue tinge on the gums
- Fainting, wheezing and abnormal breathing
- Rapid breathing
Tracheal collapse can also be brought on by damage done from leash pulling, especially if you use a collar to walk your chihuahua.
It is recommended that you switch to a trachea friendly chihuahua harness to prevent any pushing or pulling against the trachea.
Diagnosis of Tracheal Collapse
If any of the symptoms above develop, take your chihuahua to the vet right away. If they are not treated, damage can occur in the lungs, larynx, nasal passages and soft palate regions.
As mentioned, there is no cure for a collapsed trachea, but there are different ways in which you can help keep your chihuahua comfortable.
Your veterinarian will also provide you with the right medications and you will be able to further prevent symptoms.
Get Your Copy of our Chihuahua eBook Delivered to Your Inbox!
The amazing ebook, Caring For Chihuahuas Made Easy teaches you about common chihuahua health problems and how to properly care for your chihuahua! It also teaches you how to extend their life span!
Below is a sample page from the section of tracheal collapse!
reference: tracheal collapse in dogs vetinfo4dogs.com/dtrachea.html
photo references: egyvetonline.com/animaldisplay.aspx?c=2&info=16
162 Comments.
@kristy. strange my chi did the same thing once. it was a scream, scared me. i picked her up and she seemed dazed like she wasnt there..i walked around with her trying to stay calm and she shortly came to..i think she had a stroke but there is no way to tell because its over now. she also suffers from the reverse sneeze. she is almost 12 years old.
p.s. the baby i found in the dumpster ,,well her name is,, BABY..susan c sands
lians ..,,my condolences for your baby and you ..i could only read the first lines of what you wrote and iam crying , i fear the day that i know will happen for me and all of us.. there life spans are short,, i know these words offer you no comfort, But when one dog passes another needs to be rescued, they are abused because of there helplessness to fight,, your dog would never want you to cry.. but would want mommy to smile at the face of a new baby needing your love. i am so sorry for your loss…susan c. sands [email protected]
i have a little black chawawwa i found in the dumpster when passing by to go to work . I worked the grave shift it was a cold windy night but i heard a noise and reached in to pull out a little tiny rat,,,, the bar was not busy so i snuck away and got a bottle and kittens milk from c.v.s. and put it in her mouth with in an hour i realized it was a dog… are you crying yet? Anyway as i write this she is sitting on my shoulder and she too has the hacking problem i did not know what to do at first but our loving instincts must of kicked in ,,i pat her on the side of her neck ,and then a bit firmer until it stopped and it always stops . Since then i have shown others how to do it and the success of firmley patting on the side of there necks when this happens has been great and a little grateful dog looks up at me everytime with a tear in her eye to thank me and then needs to be held,,after all they dont understand whats just happened .. but they know you made it better, and thats good enough for her… she was 3 inches when i found her that night and she is 3 pounds full grown now .. I just want you all to know this little dog is the most kind ,loving polite dog to all humans and any strange animals… What a crime it was to find her in a dumpster .. SHAME to YOU WHO DID THAT,,,you were a fool,, this dog reminds me everyday how great i am , and wants to be with noone else ever i truly believe if anything ever happened to me she would prefer to die then to let anyone else ever love her… she is fabulous,,and iam humbled… susan c, sands
I have a 4 year old chihuahua that does occasionally do the coughing/wheezing thing, I have given him mouth to mouth during it, and usually after a couple times, it clears it up and he gets very happy after he starts breathing normal again. I also talked to a friend who studied animals, and she told me that I was doing the right thing. i hope this helps some of you.
I have a chi named Elvis, he is 1.. he does the hacking or wheezing and it is almost always after running or being excited. I stay calm, pet him, make him calm and it really works. Chi’s are alot of work they are worth it but people need to read about them before getting one they are cute but take alot of work.
hello everyone with fellow chi’s
if your dogs are sneezing watery eyes coughing and hacking up fur balls…..can be a COLD !! I have a 7 yr old with a very bad collapsed trachea and it was getting really bad for her….i took her to one vet that said oh sorry nothing we can do…..so we took her for a 2nd opinion and they advised us that she perhaps has a small cold and that this situation could be managed with meds……She does really well with Doxycycline and Hydroxine……one antibiotic and one for allergies…..it appears that underlying issues exacerbate the conditions as well….ie mine are Overweight and have allergies….if we can control those two exacerbators then we can keep it controlled…..fyi get antibiotics and it helps….clavamox doesn’t work as well as doxycycline…. 🙂
My dogs name is mimi, mimi has lost here mobility she’s lost here balance and falls one here side. I have taken mimi took the veteran, the tests they did, showed no infection of any kind. She’s does eat when I feed here by hand. The big question is has anyone also experience anything like this with your chihuahuas. thanks a sad but concerned owner.
My 4 1/2 year old long haired chihuahua started 3 week ago with the coughing and gagging. I did’nt know what to do , I called the vet, but I did’nt have the money.The emergency vet told me about Care Credit, I called , got it and took my dog Chi Chi to the vet the same day. The vet gave me two meds, did’nt seem to help. I return a week later they took x-rays and saw his trachea was collapsed, put him on two more meds, but nothing seems to help.It get worst at night. What else can I do.I hate to see him suffer so much.
hi everyone.. well i belive that my lil Tike.. has this problem.. i got him from one of my dads friends, and they had lil kids, ( 2, n 3) and i think that they had something to do with this becuz.. there dad said that the kids used to pick my dog up by the ears the neck the legs, watever!! it was sad.. but now sumtimes wen he eats he twiches his neck, and cries 🙁 and he kinda coughs, n sneenzez at the same time. its a werid sound.. ;/ and i am just worried cuz, i dnt have the money to take him to the vet, and i dnt want him to die!!!! or b in pain.. 🙁 so can sum1 plz help me!!!!!!!!
hey my chihuahua gotten better in the spring but after i gave my chi a Bordetella vaccination she is reverse sneezing way more than usuall,is it normal?anything i can do to help her?
Lucy, my best friend ever, makes noises that sound like a goose honking. It mostly seems to happen when she’s excited. She gets very happy when my son comes home. She starts running around, etc. Then that noise will start. Is the tracheal thing just something you have to live with?
Hi Nancy, you may want to read this information on why chihuahua snore and make snorting sounds
I live in remote Northern New England. My chi has symptoms similar to the ones described above. My vet is not concerned and keeps telling me that when the weather gets colder, he should improve, but my instinct tells me I need to have him checked further. My question is…”How do I find a vet that would be familiar with Chihuahuas? As much as I love my vet, I feel I need to pursue this further. I am willing to travel to as far as Boston (or further for quality care.)
Hi, my chihuahua is 15 weeks old and after suffering from pneumonia at 10 weeks old. Has been left with this cough to the point that sometimes stretches her neck as if to bring something up but. Sometimes when she breaths I can hear like phlegm and shortly after she coughs like to clear her throat. Do you know if this could still be due to her pneumonia or could it be reverse sneezing. I would appreciate your reply. Thanks
I have 2 chugs (both age 7), a new beagle pup and a full chihuahua (age 5) about 4 lbs. While we are familiar w the reverse sneeze having experienced that with the chugs and the chi, after our chugs and chi had vaccinations back in March at a roaming low cost vaccination service, we noticed the chi was not feeling well and doing the reverse sneeze as well as a terrible honking cough. The cough became more and more, he wasn’t sleeping, his eyes were weak – just a general malaise to his usual health and behavior. My son works at an animal hosp so on Easter morning, the vet on call saw JoJo and said he had a collapsed trachea from the nasal vaccination saying it could be a one time thing or something that could always bother him. Other than that, he is terribly healthy. She put him on tramadol for a few days to relax all those muscles and his trach and now he randomly has a quick episode – maybe 3 since Easter but lasted a few hrs and only one time did we need to medicate him again w the tramadol. It is very scary though when they have this cough but a good doc can diagnose and treat.
Hi, I have a 14 year old chihuahua diagnosed with collapsed trachea and partially collapsed lung almost 2 years ago.
This year, 2010, she gave me quite a scare when she screamed, not cried, in the middle of the night. I picked her up from my bed and soothed her, thinking she was having a nightmare. She did this at least 3 more times, always at night while she was asleep.
Last Wednesday evening, while she was dozing in bed, I saw her her neck stretch out, tilting her back until it curved like a banana, then let out this blood curdling scream. I immediately picked her up and tried to calm her down then put her in bed again. Then 5 minutes later, she did the same nightmarish scream again.
Has this ever happened to any of your pet chihuahuas? I mentioned this to the Vet and he thinks my pet is having a stroke.
Your input will be much appreciated.
Kristy
I just lost my 10 year old Chihuahua Chico 2 days ago…It’s the most heartbreaking thing I have ever gone through…He had been doing that reverse sneeze for years..My vet said it’s almost like a post nasal drip..I brought him in about 2 months ago because he appeared to be choking and gagging..come to find out he had congestive heart failure..a partial collapsed lung ..a heart murmur..and an enlarged heart..I also brought him to a specialist..and he did an ecocardiogram..I have spent alot of money trying to keep him alive and comfortable…I would have spent my whole lifes savings if he could have lived a quality life…It’s been devistating…He was the love of my life…I found him passed away under my bed…We were just at the vet 2 days prior to his death..he told me that he didn’t see this coming..He seemed to be doing much better..that was not the case… So everyone please give your chihuahuas some extra love in honor of Chico…
My 14 week old chi has been having problems breathing for a while now. We tried antibiotics hoping it was some respiratory infection but no avail. I got an xray this morning and there is fluid on his heart. Doc referred us to a specialist and said it was likely there is a birth defect. He is super tiny( and doc said this is common. Is it? What can I do?
you love your dog you will think of a way to the vet, meantime go to a feed store and ask for pain medicine or antibiotic for your dog. ask a vet as to how much to give your dog.
Hi my poor little chihuahua has been gagging nonstop for the past hour and i’m getting worried!!! He does wear a collar but I took it off of him and he’s still gagging and i’m getting really scared! I don’t have the money to take him to the vet. What do I do???
Thank you for sharing some great info. My chihuahua has the same problem. I thought she just had a hairball stuck in her throat. I always walked her with a collar because she escaped from a harness(she’s a wild one). Now I will have to train her to get used to a harness for her walks. Thanks again!
Thanks :o)
She Has Stopped Her Shaking & Has Become More Comfortable… I Guess It Was Because She Was Uncertain & Stressed Due 2 A New Home.
BTW… Ur Website Is Great!!! (^_^)
I Just Bought A 12 Week Old Toy Blue Chi. The Problem W/ Her Is That She Constantly Shakes. When She Eats, She’s Unable 2 B Still. When I Pick Her Up 2 Hold Her… It’s Like Tremors She Has. When She Walks, She Shakes. She Can Run When She Wants 2 & Play W/ My Min Pin But Why All The Shaking? I Live In Mississippi & i Read Up On How They Can Get Cold But Outside In The Heat, She Still Shakes & She Wears A Sweater Inside & A Shirt Outside. She’s A Short Haired BTW. She’s On My Sleeping On My Lap Right Now & She’s Calm Until I Move, She’ll Start Shaking… So, My ? Is… Will She Grow Out Of The Shaking/Tremors????
you should read our chihuahua health fact called why do chihuahua puppies shiver
Oxygen drops in your dogs water increases the oxygen in your dogs blood. The lack of oxygen leads to the enlarged heart.
Try any type of oxygen drops. I use Dyanmo 2 for myself and my little boy.
Make sure you use a harness NOT a collar, this will make the problem much worse. Chihuahuas, by nature, should never have a collar, as it is too much work on their neck. Please make sure that their teeth are brushed on a regular basis, to prevent heart disease, as this is a consequence of the collapsed trachea.